Creative Curricula for Changemaking Engineers

A curriculum has been designed to help students become Changemaking Engineers with a sense of social responsibility and social justice. Courses include: (1) a User-Centered Design (UCD) course for first year students, (2) a Circuits course for second year students, (3) an Engineering and Social Justice course for third year students, and (4) an upper division elective on Engineering Peace. Students in UCD learn methods for engineering innovation that meet the needs of users in the local community. In Circuits, students explore how electrical circuits are related to conflict minerals, recycling, and design considerations for responsible social innovation. In Engineering and Social Justice, students consider historical and contemporary contexts to analyze impacts of engineering designs, systems, processes, and products. In Engineering Peace, students from the School of Engineering and the School of Peace Studies come together to design a drone with a positive impact on society and recognize the value of perspectives from other disciplines. This paper details the methods and highlights the successes and challenges experienced as these different but coordinated course offerings were developed.