The sociotechnical core curriculum: An interdisciplinary Engineering Studies degree program
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Abstract
- The core curriculum of a unique degree program in Engineering Studies develops sociotechnical
thinking and methods. In 1970, Lafayette College initiated this degree program, with the goal of
producing graduates who could bridge the gap between engineering and the liberal arts; after 50
years, its mission is to help students recognize the increasingly complex challenges of
engineering in the larger framework of socio-technical systems and develop the ability to analyze
and understand these systems through multi-disciplinary perspectives. Lafayette’s core
Engineering Studies curriculum is designed to help students gain expertise in examining the
place of engineering and technology in society, with interdisciplinary skills to lead public
technology debates around issues related to policy, management, economics, and the
environment. When complemented by required coursework in both engineering and the
traditional liberal arts, this core course sequence in Engineering Studies gives students an
interdisciplinary mindset and identity as “sociotechnical engineers.”
In this paper, we describe the development, evolution, and assessment of our core three-course
sequence in Engineering Studies. Degree programs like Lafayette’s AB in Engineering Studies
provide a mechanism for achieving the interdisciplinary, sociotechnical goals articulated by the
NAE [1] and others, and for broadening participation in engineering education [2-3, e.g.]. As in
our previous paper on the history of this program [4], we will consider both the transferability of
our approach to other institutional contexts and its sustainability in our own. While “bridge”
remains an apt metaphor for our Engineering Studies program, we hope that it will not be the
only such bridge at our College or elsewhere. The development of multiple fluencies and ability
to synthesize the methods and mindsets of multiple disciplines are hallmarks of this integrated
liberal education in engineering.
| Title | The sociotechnical core curriculum: An interdisciplinary Engineering Studies degree program |
|---|---|
| Creator | Bernhardt, Kristen Sanford |
| Nicodemus, Julia Haltiwanger | |
| Rossmann, Jenn Stroud | |
| Cohen, Benjamin R. | |
| Source | ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Proceedings |
| Academic Department | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| Engineering Studies | |
| Mechanical Engineering | |
| Division | Engineering |
| Organization | Lafayette College |
| Date Issued | 2020 |
| Date Available | 2021-07-12 |
| Type | Article |
| Language | English |
| Bibliographic Citation | Rossmann, J. S., et al. (2020) "The sociotechnical core curriculum: An interdisciplinary Engineering Studies degree program." ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Proceedings. Paper 31651. |
| Standard Identifier | Handle 10385/9p290b81d |
| Permalink | http://hdl.handle.net/10385/9p290b81d |
| Rights Statement |
In Copyright
|
| Rights Holders | American Society for Engineering Education |
Contains
| File | Rossmann-ASEEVirtualAnnualConferenceProceedings-2020-paper31651.pdf | Uploaded 2021-07-12 | Public | Download |
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