Work In Progress: Crossing Technical, Social and Cultural Borders within the Engineering Classroom

We piloted an integrated approach to engaging early engineering students in cultural and social issues within their engineering courses. Preliminary results showed an improved understanding of cultural issues related to engineering, but the ability to integrate appropriate social and cultural considerations during calculation-intensive activities was inconsistent. Students' reactions to globally-related activities were more positive than those related to diversity. There were significant, large gender differences with females showing higher understanding and depth at both the immediate and persistent levels.