Conference Session

The Interdisciplinary Nature of Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin Cohen, Lafayette College; Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Lafayette College; Kristen L. Sanford Bernhardt, Lafayette College

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

often focuseson engineering in isolation from the larger socio-technical context that holds those skills together.A focus for these efforts is the piloting of a course introducing first-year students to engineeringas a socio-technical mode of engagement. The new course, taught within the structure of arequired “Introduction to Engineering” framework, develops a socio-technical concept oftechnology as a system and engineering as a multi-faceted (not strictly technical) activity. Thisfollows from innovations in engineering pedagogy from decades of STS scholarship, and fromthe emerging field of engineering studies scholarship. This paper discusses the unique features ofthis effort at a small liberal arts college, and concludes that the pilot

Conference Session

The Interdisciplinary Nature of Engineering

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaofeng Tang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Multidisciplinary Engineering

alumni who graduated from programs that blend professional training withbroad studies in the liberal arts, we seldom hear students evaluate such integration-orientedprograms in their own terms: What do they expect from a more holistic model of engineeringeducation? In what ways do they find a more comprehensive learning experience empowering orconstraining? What do they appreciate the most about their programs? What changes do theywish to see? This paper looks into the “user experience” of educational initiatives that seek tobring together engineering and liberal learning.The analysis presented here draws partly upon my dissertation research, a cross-institutionalinvestigation of integrating engineering and liberal education. The dissertation

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Courses and Projects

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. Brian Thomas, Trine University; Andrea Mitofsky, Trine University; Vukica M. Jovanovic, Old Dominion University; John Eiler

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

New Multidisciplinary Course in Sustainability using a Combination of Traditional Lecture and Self-Directed Study Modules, Proc. 120th ASEE Ann. Conf., Atlanta, GA, June 23-26, 2013.16. Y. Liao, L. Holloway, P. A. Dolloff, Development of a New Multidisciplinary Course: Smart Grid, Proc. 119th ASEE Ann. Conf., San Antonio, TX, June 10-13, 2012.17. M. J. Rust, S. G. Northup, Implementation of an International Health Assessment with a Multidisciplinary Team of Undergraduate Engineering and Science Students, Proc. 119th ASEE Ann. Conf., San Antonio, TX, June 10-13, 2012.18. R. E. Gerlick, Development and Testing of Assessment Instruments for Multidisciplinary Engineering Capstone Design Courses, 2010, ProQuest LLC

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Capstone Design

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael P. Frank, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; Kamal E. Amin, Florida A&M University/Florida State University; Okenwa I. Okoli, Florida A&M University/Florida State University; Sungmoon Jung Ph.D., FAMU-FSU College of Engineering; Robert A. Van Engelen, Florida State University; Chiang Shih, Florida A&M University/Florida State University

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

. First of all, starting in the 2006-2007 academic year, the ECE department adopted a newtwo-semester, six-hour capstone design sequence for both its electrical engineering and computerengineering Bachelors’ programs. This new structure for the ECE senior design sequence made itpossible for all projects involving ECE students to be coordinated by a single faculty coordinatorwho was could ensure that all design projects included realistic design constraints and sufficientdepth for a capstone design experience, and that when possible, the design projects could also bemade multidisciplinary in nature. After a few pilot projects, a sustainable, collaborative modelbegan to take shape. Further improving the opportunities for interdepartmental