Integration of Critical Reflection Methodologies into Engineering Service-Learning Projects

This paper focuses on a case study utilizing critical reflection methodologies in an engineering, service-learning course at a small, liberal arts college. The college started the engineering department in 2009. As a new program, the department has been working to accredit programs in four disciplines: chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The department is designing the degree programs to take advantage of the Catholic, liberal arts mission of the college. The development of courses that highlight these aspects in the curriculum is a priority of the department. Service-learning courses are able to incorporate the Catholic, liberal arts with an engineering project. Critical reflections in such courses help students to analyze the experiences working on the project and provide the framework for them to integrate these experiences into their careers. The authors discuss a course they developed that introduces students to the methodologies of engineering for human development. Students perform background research to conduct a community appraisal, work with the community to identify needs, develop a project proposal, and design a solution that will be implemented in the community. Students then work with the community, both remotely and in-person, to implement the chosen solution. This type of work fits well with the Catholic mission of the college and provides a good opportunity to introduce critical reflection techniques. In this paper, the authors present two different methods of critical analysis: classroom discussions and critical reflection papers. The paper provides an overview of how the techniques were introduced, what topics were discussed, and the outcomes of the reflections. Additionally, the authors discuss the assessment of these reflections for integration into our ABET assessment plan. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for integration of critical reflections into other classes. I. NEW CHALLENGES, NEW INITIATIVES The engineering profession has acknowledged the need for engineers of the 21st century to have a broader skillset than in the past. For example, ASCE’s Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge outlines a vision for the profession that expands into areas such as sustainability, public policy, teamwork, and globalization [1]. ABET has also addressed this need by incorporating similar concepts in student outcomes such as “knowledge of contemporary issues” and ability to “understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.” [2].