Learning from engineering disasters: A multidisciplinary online course

Abstract

This paper describes the first on-line offering of a course on Learning for Engineering Disaster, taught originally (in a traditional classroom format) since 2010 to fulfill a Diversified Educational Curriculum requirement, and now a STAS ("Understand relationships between Science or Technology and the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences") requirement for students in the Engineering Science B.E. program. It has been expanded via the on-line format to accommodate additional students from other majors, as well as to be potentially offered outside the University. The course uses a narrative and inquiry-based format to satisfy learning objects related to the professional and ethical responsibility of engineers, the role of engineers as problem solvers and designers, the importance of life-long learning and a multidisciplinary approach to understanding risk and he broader implications of technology. The advantages of the on-line format for expanded multidisciplinary learning opportunities are discussed, along with the results of the initial on-line offering and an analysis of student learning gains. We will discuss how teaching activities using engineering disaster enhance student learning about both "hard" engineering topics and the ethical, legal and societal implications of engineering, how these activities also address learning goals in communication skills, global impact, multidisciplinary and life-long learning, and how studying failures enables engineering students to better "see" complexity, and understand the special design needs which arise as engineered systems become more complex.