The Social Consequences Of Design: Pbl Workshops For Undergraduate Researchers

In Summer 2003 the Institute for Systems Research (ISR), a permanent institute of the University of Maryland, within the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, piloted two day-long workshops on “The Social Consequences of Design: Requirements and Trade-Offs in Large-Scale Engineering Projects,” for the first 15 participants in its NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program. The program’s formal title is “Introducing the Systems Engineering Paradigm to Young Researchers and Future Leaders;” it intentionally extends research opportunities to students, including from under-resourced institutions, with limited or no exposure to the process and practice of scientific research.