Weaving Sustainability into Undergraduate Engineering Education through Innovative Pedagogical Methods: A Student’s Perspective

Abstract

Abstract Engineering educators are continually striving to develop teaching tools that engagestudents’ imaginations, provide a platform for integrating modern technology into theundergraduate curriculum, and address pressing societal needs. In recent years, spurred by thedeclining condition of the environment, engineering educators have begun to incorporateconcepts of green engineering and sustainability into undergraduate education. Through theperspective of undergraduate students who have completed the newly developed,environmentally conscious curriculum of XXXX University’s College of Engineering, earlyexperiences in engineering education will be showcased. The hallmark of XXXX University’s Engineering program is its Engineering Clinic: arequired eight-semester sequence for engineering majors that brings real-world engineering intothe classroom through interdisciplinary, project-based learning. Undergraduate students areengaged in the scientific discovery process through these stimulating activities while they areconcurrently introduced to multi-disciplinary engineering principles from Chemical, Mechanical,Electrical and Computer, and Civil and Environmental Engineering. Engineering design, heavilyemphasized in the Freshman and Sophomore Engineering Clinic courses, has expanded beyondthe physical development of ideas to now incorporate sustainable practice. The Clinic Sequencehighlights several modules that require students to develop imaginative solutions toenvironmental issues such as fuel shortages and the need for alternative energy. Studentsaddress these issues directly through such projects as deriving biofuels from microalgal speciesand designing and constructing wind turbines and solar panels. These topics and experiencesbring tremendous strength to a student’s knowledge of and appreciation for sustainableengineering. Through XXXX University’s College of Engineering Clinic Sequence, engineersof the future are gaining a fundamental understanding of their role in the design and analysis of 1complex interacting systems, as well as discovering the importance of incorporatingsustainability into engineering practice. 2