Incorporating Contemporary Policy Issues in Science and Engineering Curricula

A curriculum development project was implemented to provide classroom-to-classroom interactions between a civil engineering computer programming class and a microbiology class to incorporate a contemporary policy issue into science and engineering curriculum at the undergraduate level.Both courses are lower division courses to impact science and engineering students entering their programs of study.A current California policy issue to divert organic wastes from landfills was selected as the specific collaborative activity.The policy affects the environment (in relation to reduced landfill emissions of hazardous and greenhouse gases) and waste management industry (in relation to conversion of landfill gas to energy, which is a revenue source for landfills).The instructors of both classes provided context for the policy issue prior to formal interactions.The implications of the policy were examined by the civil engineering students from the perspective of performing regression analysis to predict current and future gas generation from landfills with changing regulations.The microbiology students analyzed the implications of the new policy from the perspective of identifying populations of microbes present in wastes with varying amounts of organics content to represent current and future wastes.Results of the analyses were shared between classes by the students.Teaching and learning effectiveness were evaluated using direct assessment (homework assignments and laboratory reports) and indirect assessment (student self-perception surveys and oral presentations) methods.Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives were used to evaluate levels of cognitive achievement attained through project activities.The assessment results demonstrated that the students advanced their knowledge in the topics included in the course and recognized the collaborative nature of solving real-world problems.The students expressed their increased motivation to learn the class topics that were specifically framed as problems in a cross-disciplinary context.Overall, the approach used was effective in introducing the students to the importance and relationship of science and engineering analyses when interfaced with contemporary government policy.Recommendations are provided for future implementation of similar collaborative exercises.