Engineering Cultures: Expanding the Engineering Method for Global Problem Solvers

What does it mean for engineers to engage in global problem solving? What forms of knowledge or sets of capabilities characterize the effective global problem solver? What sorts of learning experiences are involved in gaining such knowledge and capabilities? The purpose of this paper is to present the design, initial steps, and preliminary assessment of the “Engineering Cultures: Building the Global Engineer” project which seeks to address the above questions through the development of a new undergraduate course called “Engineering Cultures.” The first section of this paper briefly outlines ongoing efforts to internationalize engineering curricula, followed by a discussion of how the Engineering Cultures project connects to existing work while also attempting to extend the opportunity to become global problem solvers to a broader population of students. The final section presents an initial set of outcomes from ongoing assessment efforts.