Integrating sustainability grand challenges and experiential learning into engineering curricula: A TUES2 collaborative research project

The next generation of engineering professionals must be prepared to solve complex and multidisciplinary problems in a sustainable and global context. To achieve this we must transform higher education, creating institutions that are committed to excellence, access and impact where students and faculty link to local and regional issues and undertake applied sustainability challenges that impact the social, environmental, and economic evolution of the nation. This Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES2) project begins to evaluate the ways in which universities can integrate the National Academy of Engineering's grand challenges and sustainability into curricula. Two strategies are being evaluated, herein termed the stand- Alone course method, and the module method. In the stand- Alone course method, engineering programs establish one or two distinct, stand- Alone courses that address sustainability grand challenges in depth. In the module method, engineering programs integrate sustainability grand challenges throughout a host of existing courses. We discuss the development of ready-made, stand- Alone sustainability courses and ready-made, sustainability- Themed modules that employ experiential learning and evaluate the two different methods of integrating grand challenges into curricula by implementing and monitoring the strategies in five different engineering programs, from Research-Extensive Universities to Community Colleges. The collaborating institutions include the University of Pittsburgh, Community College of Allegheny College (located in PA), Arizona State University, Mesa Community College (located in AZ), and Laney College (located in CA). This poster summarizes the materials for three stand- Alone courses and fourteen modules that are being evaluated in our TUES2. In addition, we summarize the assessments that will be utilized within our TUES2, including a longitudinal evaluation of students matriculating through five engineering programs as well as assessments for stand- Alone classes and modules. Ultimately, we aim to develop succinct recommendations for other universities to best integrate sustainability and systems thinking into engineering curricula. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES) Type 2 program- DUE Award Nos 1323719 and 1323190.