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Introduction to Engineering Lecture
Introduction to Engineering Lecture
​This course provides an introduction to engineering, including fundamentals of engineering study, different engineering disciplines, and interdisciplinary aspects of engineering. The course also exposes students to entrepreneurship, engineering professionalism, ethics, and civic engagement. Homework, projects, and in-class activities serve to enhance student understanding of the engineering profession and their own student development. This 1-unit course largely serves first-year engineering students from every engineering discipline, but is open to all who want to learn more about engineering and fulfill their STS core as well!
The course is organized into 3 modules, each focused around a different introductory engineering topic. Every module has the following overall student learning outcomes:
- SCU Civic Engagement Core Objective: Analyze and evaluate civic issues by engaging in active and collaborative learning with peers and others through one or more of the following: (a) working cooperatively with other students in class; (b) actual observation and participation in the contemporary ramifications of various types of civic life or civic discourse; or (c) working with civic organizations beyond the walls of the University
- Give examples of the need for a multidisciplinary approach to solving technical problems and identify the engineering expertise required to solve a given technical problem
- Analyze and evaluate the mutual influence between science and/or technology and society
- Communicate through oral presentation, written text, and visuals
Additional student learning outcomes are organized by module below.
Student learning outcomes emphasized in this Module (which weren't included above) are:
- Describe common projects within each engineering discipline and typical responsibilities of a practicing engineer
- Discuss the potential ability of engineering solutions to positively affect communities and people at a local, regional, and global level
Module 1 is an overall introduction to the profession of engineering. It focuses on defining the profession and the disciplines, then connecting the disciplines to their impact on society. Assignments in this Module are completed individually to allow students to individually explore the engineering discipline of highest interest to them and learn about current impacts of that discipline on society. The initial individual assignments also allows students' time to become familiar with the class format, online submission of homework, and the peer review process.
Module 2 is about growth as an engineering student. Majoring in engineering is challenging; it is important that students gain academic skills to continually improve as a student. This module gives students a chance to research and reflect on how learning happens, especially at this transitional point between high school and university. Topics such as growth mindset, learning styles, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and time management are introduced. Module 2 assignments include opportunities for team research and summary, teams plan steps for implementation of their academic skill based on their research, and they visually communicate their topic to their peers.
The student learning outcome emphasized in this Module (which wasn't included above) is:
- Identify resources available to assist SCU students in an undergraduate engineering education
The student learning outcomes emphasized in this Module (which weren't included above) are:
- Identify professional and governmental sources for ethical codes and regulatory requirements for engineering solutions
- Describe the potential impacts of technology on modern society including environmental impacts, social impacts, and sustainability issues
Module 3 is focused on the engineering impact on society and how that impact occurs. Students are again placed on teams, this time teams are purposely made to be multidisciplinary, and they will be placed on a team with students they have not yet been on a team with. Students are tasked with brainstorming a new sustainability-minded project for implementation on the SCU campus. Lecture content to give the project context includes and introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset, frugal innovation, and ethics. Projects require them to consider the critical customers, the ethical ramifications, the value added to the campus.
Additional Course Topics for Students
Additional Course Topics for Students
Critical Reflection
Reflective writing allows articulation of why an experience is important, what was learned during the process, and how you plan to apply your skills to future projects or endeavors.
Students are asked to reflect multiple times throughout the course, often as part of and after each module, as well as a culminating reflection of the course for the final assignment. Coding and assessment of these final reflections for student learning is a next step in my process!
Questions posed in the final reflection include "What is the most important thing you learned", "How has what you've learned impacted ...", "What do you wish you had spent more time on or done differently", and "What part did you do your best work on".
Communication Strategies
To address different learning abilities and styles, I make an extra effort to present class materials using a variety of strategies and formats. By varying the ways in which instruction is provided, one can hope to make the classroom amenable to differing learning styles. Similarly, I request different formats of communication from my students. Assignments vary from a traditional essay, to concept maps highlighting connections (Module 1), to visual infographics (Module 2), to MadLibs project pitches and 3-slide summary presentations (Module 3). Engineering students tend to be highly visual, so incorporating visual communication into their learning will help learning effectiveness! I give a survey on learning styles to students (the Felder-Silverman Learning Style survey), and about 90 percent of my first-year engineering students are moderate to strong visual learners. Knowing this, I've modified many of the course materials to a visual format - see Example Course Materials below!
Example Course Materials
Example Course Materials
If you are looking for more details including learning outcomes, grading policies, etc. or more information about how the course is structured (timeline). See resources below!
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