Getting The "Big Picture" In Engineering: Using Narratives And Conceptual Maps

The Picker Engineering Program at Smith College is the first undergraduate program leading to a degree in engineering at a woman’s liberal arts college. The foundation and rationale for the program conceives of engineering as connecting basic scientific and mathematical principles in the service of humanity. Thus imagined, engineering finds itself well situated at a liberal arts college. Moreover women have not been adequately represented in the field of engineering and the program at Smith College will help remedy this. The engineering program’s goal is to educate engineers who are adaptable to the rapidly changing demands of society; preparing them to lead society toward an equitable and sustainable future. The engineering faculty members realize that establishing this program and achieving these ambitious goals will require substantial innovations in pedagogy and curriculum. This paper describes some of the pedagogical approaches that are being put into place. The creation of this pedagogy is a work in progress.