Integrating Sustainability Grand Challenges and Experiential Learning into Engineering Curricula: Years 1 and 2.

Complex global challenges require multidisciplinary, sustainable solutions; the next generation of engineering students must be prepared to apply sustainability concepts to solve these challenges. Many undergraduate engineering students, however, report that they do not feel prepared to address these challenges because they were not introduced to these concepts during their engineering education. In addition, students report educational deficiencies of real world engineering and applied sustainability concepts as areas that need critical improvement in their education. This NSF TUES 2 project evaluates two methods for integrating grand challenges and sustainability into engineering curricula, termed as the stand-alone course method, and the module method. In the stand-alone course method, engineering programs establish one to two distinct courses that are designed to address sustainability grand challenges in depth. In the module method, engineering programs integrate sustainability grand challenges throughout a host of existing courses and weave student exposure throughout the curriculum. We are implementing and monitoring these two strategies in five different engineering programs, from research universities-extensive to community colleges; the collaborating institutions include the University of Pittsburgh, Community College of Allegheny County (located in PA), Arizona State University, Mesa Community College (located in AZ), and Laney College (located in CA). We have also engaged a sixth instruction to participate, Chandler-Gilbert Community College (located in AZ), due to the relocation of one of our collaborators. This paper summarizes the progress and accomplishments during years one and two of this 1 collaborative TUES 2 research project . We review the development of ready-made, stand-alone sustainability courses and ready-made sustainability themed modules that employ experiential learning developed over the past two years. This review includes the packaging of three courses and fourteen modules on topics from green building to life cycle assessment to applied sustainability topics for engineers. In addition, we present the dialogues and critical collaborations that have lead to a successful first two years in establishing a stable network to explore both the stand-alone and module methods. Ultimately, through this TUES 2 research project, we aim to develop succinct recommendations regarding best practices for universities integrating sustainability and systems thinking into engineering curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]