2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

In the face of pressing sustainability challenges, the role of engineering in finding solutions has never been more crucial. Consequently, integrating sustainability education into engineering curricula has gained paramount importance. Collaborative efforts to infuse sustainability across higher education engineering programs have surged. However, the incorporation of sustainability principles into engineering design remains challenging, requiring a blend of knowledge, training, and practical experience. Our study addresses this challenge by incorporating sustainability into Penn State Abington's first-year engineering design classes. In this paper, we will present the development and implementation of a novel sustainable engineering design module and discuss the survey results. The goal is to make engineering faculty members aware of the impact that implementing these modules has on students' perspectives by giving them resources to improve students' understanding of sustainable engineering design and help them incorporate it into their mini and final design projects, which they work on throughout the semester. Specifically, we have developed sustainability modules employing computer-aided drawing (CAD) tools and problem-based learning techniques. To assess the impact of these modules, we conducted pre and post surveys using online questionnaires, gauging students’ perceptions and understanding of sustainability in engineering design. Our findings revealed that students initially have limited knowledge about sustainability, coupled with a positive attitude towards the subject. Surprisingly, there was no correlation between the students' performance in sustainability assignments and their prior knowledge. The survey results indicated that the sustainable modules increased students’ ability to explain sustainability concepts and recognize impacts of engineering designs on sustainability. Notably, there was substantial evidence that the sustainability module's inclusion inspired students to think about sustainability in ensuing assignments, even in the absence of explicit prompts. By integrating sustainability into the fabric of engineering courses, we not only enhance students’ awareness and understanding but also inspire a proactive mindset, paving the way for a more sustainable future in the field of engineering.