Global Engineering (REE – Globally Prepared Engineers)
In this research we investigate the degree to which international education experiences is being incorporated into undergraduate engineering curriculum and measure its impact on student learning. Globalization and technology have ‘flattened’ the world; one result is that international experiences have transpired as a critical aspect of engineering education. We foster and adapt ways to measure changes in global awareness, knowledge and thinking. The information and tools developed provide insight into how students acquire such competence and have been disseminated broadly enabling benchmarking and adoption of best practices. The project is conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the Universities of Pittsburgh, Southern California, and Tulsa with input from experts in the field worldwide.
This program addresses two gaps in engineering education:
A systematic study of curricular and extracurricular offerings in international engineering education,
How a valid and reliable set of assessment tools may be used to measure students’ learning of critical constructs of international engineering education in preparation for global workforces.
Results will broaden the knowledge base about how engineering students acquire such competence and the contextual factors that influence this acquisition.
In the U.S., more than 400,000 students are enrolled in engineering programs, producing about 60,000 bachelor’s degrees each year. An increasing percentage of these engineering graduates are working in international environments. This study will contribute to the development and improvement of educational opportunities for engineering students to acquire global competence, thus preparing a new generation of engineers who will play a critical role in maintaining U.S. leadership in a global marketplace.
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Affiliation: Gisele Ragusa, Principal Investigator (University of Southern California) Cheryl A Matherly, Principal Investigator (University of Tulsa) Mary Besterfield-Sacre, Principal Investigator (University of Pittsburgh)
