2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Anthropogenic climate change is irreversibly affecting the planet. It is one of the most urgent issues our global community is facing. In the US, approximately 40% greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change are from the built environment, including residential and commercial buildings, and construction activities (US EPA, 2020). Civil engineers who are responsible for the design and construction of these physical systems play an essential role in reducing carbon emissions, thereby mitigating climate change. On the other hand, the infrastructure systems civil engineers design and construct typically have long service lives. These facilities are exposed to and often are vulnerable to the effects of extreme climate and weather events. To design and build infrastructures that withstand the impacts of a changing environment tomorrow is of great importance to civil engineering professionals.

Unfortunately, several studies have pointed out climate science is not well understood among college students pursuing an engineering degree. A 2017 study (Shealy et al. 2017) showed half of students interested in civil engineering did not believe in anthropogenic climate change. In addition, civil engineering programs in colleges and universities provide limited to no training toward climate science and climate competency. The status quo underscores the importance of introducing climate change through applied, or if possible, experiential learning opportunities into civil engineering curricula so students can better recognize its relevance to their careers and be better equipped to address the climate emergency.

In an introductory civil engineering course at a university in the Midwest, a climate change learning module was incorporated into the course for the first time following the authors’ participation and facilitation, respectively, in a faculty learning community on climate change pedagogy. Main topics of the module include climate literacy, ASCE policies on climate change, and mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Assignments, including a case study essay, a quiz, and exam problems, were given to assess student learning. Pre-module and post-module voluntary climate literacy surveys were conducted. The surveys had a good participation rate (74% pre; 61% post), and the preliminary results are presented in this paper. The surveys provided a general picture of civil engineering students’ perception/engagement with climate change and identified areas needing to be strengthened in teaching and learning of climate change. A section unique to the post-survey invited students to reflect on what pedagogical approaches led to their greatest engagement with the topic and feelings of self-efficacy in addressing climate change. Survey data, learning assessments, and teaching reflections will guide future improvements to integrating the topic of climate change into this university’s civil engineering program, including other courses, such as Capstone senior design, in the curriculum.