Abstract:

Integration of sustainability into engineering design courses provides an opportunity for students to put their knowledge of sustainability into application and prepares them for responsible and ethical engineering practices in the future. There are, however, challenges associated with such integration. Convincing students of the value of sustainability considerations in engineering design and transitioning from the usual one-dimensional decision-making to an inclusive approach is not a trivial task. The trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in sustainable design may also create additional complexities. This work was aimed at mitigating some of these challenges by incorporating a multi-stakeholder scenario that mimicked the dynamics of a real-life project. The goal was to facilitate students’ implementation of a holistic approach to decision-making by providing a real-world context to the project.

“Electrical Engineering Design Studio I” is a second-year project-based course in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia. In the summer section of the course, sustainability has been integrated into the decision-making process by incorporating a quadruple bottom line (QBL) approach that takes into account not only the performance of the project but also the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, social, and economic impacts). To improve this integration and overcome some of the mentioned challenges, a multi-stakeholder scenario was presented to students in the beginning of the project for the 2018 summer section. The fictitious scenario mimicked a real-world situation and specified the needs and priorities of stakeholders corresponding to the four aspects of QBL. The project modules and the final demo were evaluated based on the criteria of stakeholders. In the final presentation of the project, which was done in front of a group playing the role of stakeholders, students explained their decision-making process and justified their design choices based on the needs and expectations of all the stakeholders involved.

This paper will describe the details of our approach and the adjustments made to course deliverables and the assessment process. The results and improvements to students’ experience will be discussed and future directions and plans for further developments will be presented. Analysis of students’ reports and presentations suggests that incorporating multi-stakeholder scenarios into a design course can be an effective way to assist students in implementing sustainability measures in their design decision-making process.

Keywords:

Engineering Design, Sustainability, Stakeholder Scenario.