A Broader Impacts Course for Engineering Graduate Students

Abstract

<p>This paper describes the development and first offering feedback of a course for engineering graduate students aimed at introducing students to the notion of broader impacts of engineering research. During the course, students explored ways in which an engineer’s activities can potentially benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes. The course incorporated lectures from the instructor and invited speakers. Students developed a personal broader impacts plan that is aligned with their personal and professional interests and goals. Students demonstrated attainment of course outcomes through assignments, class discussions and a final project that incorporated one or more suitable broader impact efforts in the context of their technical research area. The first offering of the course was taken by 13 students and student feedback indicated that 90% of the students gained a better understanding of broader impacts, could better articulate the impacts of their research and understood the importance of intentional efforts to achieve specific societal outcomes.</p>