Design for the future: Analyzing the broader implications of electronic technologies in an introductory engineering class

Breslin, Samantha; Przestrzelski, Bre; Lord, Susan M.

doi:10.1109/fie44824.2020.9273910

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…This model resonates with the call by Nelson and colleagues to achieve the potential of PV technology to help motivate students and to use innovative pedagogies to help students see the relevance of the curriculum [26]. This model is complementary to the model proposed by Gelles and Lord for integrating sociotechnical modules into materials science classes [9] and adds to the literature on sociotechnical integration in engineering curricula [45,[55][56][57][58][59][60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

A Place-Based Sustainability Approach to Learning about Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Forbes

Lord

2023

Trends in Higher Education

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An ethical and effective engineering practice is inherently place-responsive and designs for a sustainable future. Engineering students must therefore be educated within a sustainable and sociotechnical paradigm. In the spring of 2022, the integrated engineering department of the University of San Diego offered a new photovoltaic solar energy course for junior and senior students. Informed by place-based pedagogies and culturally sustaining pedagogies, we designed the course to be relevant to the students’ lived experiences by coupling the learning about the technical elements of solar energy with a focus on solar energy projects and sustainability on campus. Prior to running the course, we identified four potential new solar investment/upgrade projects for the university. We divided the class into four teams, with each team assigned to assess the feasibility of a solar project through (1) social, (2) technical, (3) economic, and (4) environmental analyses. Finally, the students integrated their findings and made recommendations to key university stakeholders about how to proceed with solar energy investments on campus. In this paper, we share the course project design, our findings from implementing it, and ideas for adapting it to other place-based sustainability learning experiences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

A Place-Based Sustainability Approach to Learning about Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Forbes

Lord

2023

Trends in Higher Education

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“…These have desirable as well as unintended consequences in our lives; they create value and cause harm. Avoiding discussion of such issues contributes to minoritized students’ decisions to leave, as many of these students desire to have positive social impact. ,,− Rather than treating disciplines as technical and neutral, deliberately engaging the social, environmental, and ethical aspects (e.g., the impacts of conflict material mining, uneven distribution of harm from industry, etc.) provides a compelling reason to gain technical knowledge. ,,− …”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging Students’ Funds of Knowledge in Chemical Engineering Design Challenges Supports Persistence Intentions

et al. 2021

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Lower division chemistry and chemical engineering courses commonly emphasize efficient acquisition of core content. While experts perceive the organization of the discipline, students perceive their courses as fragmented. This has a more severe impact on students from groups historically excluded from STEM fields, who may not have a deep understanding of the opportunities that lie on the horizon. In order to make progress on this issue, we first sought to better understand our diverse students’ chemical engineering funds of knowledgethat is, the everyday and cultural experiences salient for chemistry and chemical engineering. We found that minoritized students expressed more funds of knowledge: women expressed STEM interest and past success more than men; students from minoritized racial and ethnic groups and/or who spoke a language other than English at home expressed more community funds of knowledge. We developed design challenges for core chemical engineering courses to build on these varied funds of knowledge. We found no differences between minoritized students and their more privileged peers in terms of their intent to persist. We share implications for both chemistry and chemical engineering courses seeking to support diverse student success.

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“…The instructor's teaching interests include electronics, materials science, and optoelectronics. She developed an Optoelectronic Materials and Devices elective course [11] and recently developed a broad introduction to electrical engineering for non-EE students [12,13]. Thus, she has experience teaching about the fundamentals of solar cell operation but more at the device than system level.…”

Section: Instructor and Universitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning About Solar Power in South Sudan: An International Collaboration

Lord,

Riiny

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings

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More than 1 billion people in the world currently live in energy poverty. Solar energy has vast potential for South Sudan but there are challenges to implementing it. How can students and others such as technicians learn about the context of South Sudan and the particular engineering challenges for utilizing its abundant sunlight to provide energy? We capitalized on a unique opportunity to conduct an international collaboration between a solar power entrepreneur in South Sudan and an engineering professor in the USA to explore this topic. As part of an undergraduate independent study course, we designed two modules (introductory and advanced) on off-grid solar power for South Sudan. Meetings were held over zoom during the summer of 2020. The student brought his practical experience of owning and operating a solar energy company in South Sudan. The instructor brought her experience in developing educational materials. Each module included learning objectives, content, and exercises. Topics included Introduction to energy access in South Sudan, Principles of Electricity and Solar Energy Generation, Building blocks of a solar power system, Architecture of various solar power systems, Solar Company, and Design of Off-Grid PV Systems. Particular challenges for photovoltaics in South Sudan were highlighted. Finally, examples were drawn from the student's experience with designing and installing solar power systems for customers in South Sudan to demonstrate the proper integration of the various components to meet a particular power need for a customer. In this work in progress, we introduce the context of solar energy in South Sudan, and describe the course, the modules designed, and lessons learned. These modules offer an opportunity for students in the USA and elsewhere to expand their global engineering mindset by learning about the context of South Sudan which few may have the opportunity to visit. We are continuing to improve these modules and welcome feedback from others in the larger community.

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Design for the future: Analyzing the broader implications of electronic technologies in an introductory engineering class

Cited by 5 publications

References 13 publications

A Place-Based Sustainability Approach to Learning about Photovoltaic Solar Energy

A Place-Based Sustainability Approach to Learning about Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Leveraging Students’ Funds of Knowledge in Chemical Engineering Design Challenges Supports Persistence Intentions

Learning About Solar Power in South Sudan: An International Collaboration

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