Engineering Leadership as Principled Nonconformity

Applying STS to Engineering Education: A Comparative Study of STS Minors

“…However, we recognize that relying on these materials comes with certain disadvantages. As Neeley, Zajec, and Stup detailed 15 , websites as a source of evidence for curricular practices present the following limitations:…”

“…While the engineering achievements and their positive impact are well-established, it is not at all clear that engineering curricula systematically prepare graduates to develop and manage 'complex technologies and products,' 'contribute directly to the betterment of humanity,' or avoid unintended 'negative results of technology [such as] pollution, global warming, depletion of scarce resources, and catastrophic failures of poorly designed engineering.' 7,8 This gap noted by Neeley et al echoes MacVicar's goal of cultivating engineers' ability to examine the "interrelationships between science and technology on the one hand, and societal, political, and ethical forces on the other." 9 Integrating STS into the undergraduate engineering curriculum, therefore, could be a pathway to cultivating that ability.…”