Bringing Environmental Sustainability to Undergraduate Engineering Education: Experiences in an Interdisciplinary Course

Abstract

This paper chronicles the development of an interdisciplinary course in environmentally conscious design at Kettering University, a technologically focused Midwestern university. Funded by the National Science Foundation, a team of six faculty members at Kettering University adapted work done by Ford Motor Company to educate undergraduate STEM students about the subject of environmental sustainability. The authors describe their modular approach and use of active learning techniques in achieving significant learning outcomes for their students. Assessment results demonstrate the course’s impact on student learning and achievement of learning objectives.