Freshman General Education Outcomes that Reinforce ABET Student Outcomes

Robert J. Rabb; James Righter; Nathan John Washuta; Kevin Skenes

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Conference: 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual Conference
Publication Date: July 26, 2021
Start Date: July 26, 2021
End Date: July 19, 2022
Conference Session: TELPhE Division Technical Session 1: Expanding Technological and Engineering Literacies
Tagged Division: Technological and Engineering Literacy/Philosophy of Engineering
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--37207
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/37207
Download Count: 256

Paper Authors

biography

Robert J. Rabb P.E. The Citadel

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Robert Rabb is a professor and the Mechanical Engineering Department Chair at The Citadel. He previously taught mechanical engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy and his M.S.E. and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His research and teaching interests are in mechatronics, regenerative power, and multidisciplinary engineering.

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James Righter The Citadel

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James Righter is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Engineering (SOE) at The Citadel. He earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, his MS in Military Studies from the Marine Corps University Command and Staff College, and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University. His research interests include design methods, engineering leadership, collaborative design, and engineering education.

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Nathan John Washuta P.E. The Citadel orcid.org/0000-0002-4575-0564

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Dr. Nathan Washuta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. He received both his B.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Maryland – College Park. His primary research interests include Hydrodynamics, Turbulence, and Experimental Methods.

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Kevin Skenes The Citadel

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Kevin Skenes is an associate professor at The Citadel. His research interests include non-destructive evaluation, photoelasticity, manufacturing processes, and engineering education.

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Abstract

Freshman Seminars are part of a new General Education model at [Institution]. Several engineering faculty teach these seminars, and students in the seminars represent all majors offered on campus. Students submit their preferences for the available seminars prior to the start of the semester, and many engineering majors register for one offered by School of Engineering faculty. Although the courses are designed for non-engineers, they tend to attract a significant number of engineers. In order to appeal to all students, there is overlap in teaching some basic engineering to non-engineers, and many opportunities for engineering students to broaden their understanding of engineering and society. Innovations that transcend to everyday use inform non-majors about engineering and technology and can also be used to show engineering majors why their course material is important and how it can be used. While many positive changes have resulted from engineering innovation, society should also carefully weigh the potential for negative consequences. The ability to rationalize and substantiate the motivation and development of innovations needs to be exercised among engineers. It is also important that engineering and non-engineering students alike understand the expectations of engineers and consider the broader impacts of their work in societal issues. This is an accreditation requirement for engineering degree programs.

A series of short essays directs students to analyze selected innovations and technologies for necessity and any social responsibility in their use. They are encouraged to consider the roles of engineers and non-engineers and their activities that impact society. The freshman population is still developing deeper critical thinking skills and understanding how technology can contribute to society and some of the larger impacts of those contributions. This paper describes the mapping of the general education outcomes to the ABET student outcomes and how some freshman engineers are introduced to social responsibility long before their major design experience in their discipline. Included are analysis of student work, course feedback, and reflection on the outcomes of four iterations of the freshman seminars taught by engineering faculty.

Citation
Format

Rabb, R. J., & Righter, J., & Washuta, N. J., & Skenes, K. (2021, July), Freshman General Education Outcomes that Reinforce ABET Student Outcomes Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. 10.18260/1-2--37207

TY - CPAPER
AB - Freshman Seminars are part of a new General Education model at [Institution]. Several engineering faculty teach these seminars, and students in the seminars represent all majors offered on campus. Students submit their preferences for the available seminars prior to the start of the semester, and many engineering majors register for one offered by School of Engineering faculty. Although the courses are designed for non-engineers, they tend to attract a significant number of engineers. In order to appeal to all students, there is overlap in teaching some basic engineering to non-engineers, and many opportunities for engineering students to broaden their understanding of engineering and society. Innovations that transcend to everyday use inform non-majors about engineering and technology and can also be used to show engineering majors why their course material is important and how it can be used. While many positive changes have resulted from engineering innovation, society should also carefully weigh the potential for negative consequences. The ability to rationalize and substantiate the motivation and development of innovations needs to be exercised among engineers. It is also important that engineering and non-engineering students alike understand the expectations of engineers and consider the broader impacts of their work in societal issues. This is an accreditation requirement for engineering degree programs.

A series of short essays directs students to analyze selected innovations and technologies for necessity and any social responsibility in their use. They are encouraged to consider the roles of engineers and non-engineers and their activities that impact society. The freshman population is still developing deeper critical thinking skills and understanding how technology can contribute to society and some of the larger impacts of those contributions. This paper describes the mapping of the general education outcomes to the ABET student outcomes and how some freshman engineers are introduced to social responsibility long before their major design experience in their discipline. Included are analysis of student work, course feedback, and reflection on the outcomes of four iterations of the freshman seminars taught by engineering faculty.

AU - Robert J. Rabb P.E.
AU - James Righter
AU - Nathan John Washuta P.E.
AU - Kevin Skenes
CY - Virtual Conference
DA - 2021/07/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Freshman General Education Outcomes that Reinforce ABET Student Outcomes
UR - https://peer.asee.org/37207
DO - 10.18260/1-2--37207
ER -