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Abstract
Not only are energy and sustainability important topics in industry and in the public sector, they are topics of interest to engineering students as well. As a result, it is important to find innovative ways to incorporate energy and sustainability into the various curricula for all disciplines of engineering. This contribution will describe the development and implementation of a new, multidisciplinary elective course called Concepts, Assessment Tools and Methods in Sustainable Power and Energy at the University of Kentucky. This course utilizes a combination of traditional lecture and self-directed study modules to deliver course content to students in any engineering discipline. Additionally, the use of an interactive television connection to allow students at the University of Kentucky main campus in Lexington, the Extended Campus in Paducah, off campus graduate students and students at other in-state universities enrolled in the course to attend lecture and participate in classroom discussions will be described.
... Universities have adopted a variety of approaches to give their graduates experience and skills working on multidisciplinary teams 6,7 . Individual courses are frequently used, including both core courses within a discipline 8-11 as well as elective or special-topic courses [12][13][14][15][16][17] . The nature of capstone courses make them inherently suitable for multidisciplinary projects [18][19] . ...
... Universities have adopted a variety of approaches to give their graduates experience and skills working on multidisciplinary teams 6,7 . Individual courses are frequently used, including both core courses within a discipline 8-11 as well as elective or special-topic courses [12][13][14][15][16][17] . The nature of capstone courses make them inherently suitable for multidisciplinary projects [18][19] . ...
Faculty from the Electrical Engineering and Design Engineering Technology Departments at Trine University have developed a joint design module for upper-level courses in their respective disciplines. In this module, student teams collaborate in designing and prototyping the electronics and packaging for a hand-held sensor system. The principal objective of the collaboration is for students to incorporate design factors external to their discipline in a program-focused design project. This effort advances the students' abilities to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams during their senior capstone courses. The design module was introduced in the fall 2011 semester, and was repeated in fall 2012 and fall 2013. An assessment, conducted with current and former participants in fall 2013, demonstrates the efficacy of the project.
Sustainable engineering is a conceptual and practical challenge to all engineering disciplines. Although the profession has
experience with environmental dimensions of engineering activities that in some cases are quite deep, extending the existing
body of practice to sustainable engineering by including social and cultural domains is a significant and non-trivial challenge.
Nonetheless, progress is being made, as a recent study undertaken by the Center for Sustainable Engineering in the United
States demonstrates.
The field of engineering is changing rapidly as the growing global population puts added demands on the earth's resources: engineering decisions must now account for limitations in materials and energy as well as the need to reduce discharges of wastes. This means educators must revise courses and curricula so engineering graduates are prepared for the new challenges as practicing engineers. The Center for Sustainable Engineering has been established to help faculty members accommodate such changes through workshops and new educational materials, including a free access website with peer-reviewed materials.