Engineering in the Community

In this unit, students will explore the role and importance of engineering in society, at both the national and international level. This will include identifying issues facing engineers such as sustainability, existing trends and practices, and innovations to meet future challenges. Students will examine the development of engineering as a profession and look at the varying disciplines within the profession. This will enable students to establish their own learning and career goals and develop strategies to achieve those goals. Students will also examine the activities that constitute the engineering method as a problem-solving process, and apply the method to an identified problem. Case studies will be presented to students introducing them to descriptions of real situations that provide a context for engineers to explore decision-making in the face of socio-technical issues, such as environmental, political, and ethical issues. Students will work on a number of deliverables that will require them to work both individually and collaboratively, and communicate their work and findings in oral and written forms. Workshops, field trips, and presentations will form an integral part of the unit and attendance will be mandatory.