Date of Thesis

Spring 2020

Description

Through a pilot comparative study, this thesis examines the problem-solving of chemical engineering students and chemical engineering faculty. Specifically, the thesis examines the extent to which individuals include global factors (cultural, social, environmental, and economic) into their engineering solutions as specified by ABET. Several hypotheses were investigated in this pilot study: (i) having a study abroad experience would increase the likelihood that participants included the global factors of interest, (ii) the type (PUI, Research Intensive, Unique) of institution students attended would impact how individuals approached the problem, (iii) students with similar career aspirations would approach the problems similarly, (iv) having industry experience would increase the likelihood of including the global factors of interest, (v) having international collaborators or traveling for work would increase the likelihood that participants included the global factors of interest. Additionally, students and faculty with similar experiences were compared to see if they approached problem-solving similarly based on the shared experience. While the sample size collected was small and no generalizable conclusions can be made, the work can be expanded upon. The methodology employed, due to its originality, requires further iteration to improve its validity. This thesis lays the groundwork for future research in engineering education as researchers look at ways to pedagogically produce more globally-minded engineers.

Keywords

ABET, global engineering, professional skills, globalization, engineering education, program assessment

Access Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Major

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Elif Eda Miskioglu

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