Fishing for a New Way to Teach Environmentally Sensitive Engineering Practice

Abstract

Professional engineers are under increasing pressure to practice in an environmentally sensitive way. To prepare engineers for this new reality, changes in engineering education are needed. For example, engineering hydrology has traditionally been taught with an emphasis on the interpretation of numerical data about rainfall and runoff in watersheds. However, to do environmentally sensitive hydrology work, it is necessary to also understand the life forms that share the watershed. In 1997, a project was undertaken in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto to enhance an introductory hydrology course by adding information about how hydrological phenomena affect fish. Through carefully structured assignments and exam questions, an assessment was made of the effectiveness of the enhancements in increasing students' awareness of the life context of hydrology. The project has resulted in a commitment to increased environmental information in the hydrology curriculum, and the implementation of an assessment process for all students, to monitor changes in their environmental knowledge and attitudes. It has also raised questions about ultimate objectives in engineering education.

A Critical Survey of Environmental Content in United States Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curricula

“…Wareham and Elefsiniotis detailed the necessity of environmental ethics in engineering curricula, including instruction on pollution prevention and remediation [24]. Hyde et al detailed an innovative hydrology course design providing "information about how hydrological phenomena affect fish", including empathy-focused assignments using a narrative format [25] (p. 383). The next year Hyde and Karney demonstrated the importance and challenges of "knowing" versus "caring" (about environmental issues) [26] (p. 267).…”

Environmental Education Research: Implications for Engineering Education

“…46 Nonetheless, the novelty of the approach attracted attention from the hydraulic engineering community; 47 it also stimulated our own reflections on the meaning of engineering. 48 A question that remains unanswered is, who decides what constitutes environmental competency? Some would argue that engineers can be environmentally competent without developing an ethic of caring, since professionals with other backgrounds can bring that dimension to the multi-disciplinary treatment of environmental problems.…”