Exploring sociotechnical contexts in a global engineering course

If engineering educators are tasked with the responsibility of preparing students for an increasingly unknown future in a global workplace, how do they incorporate elements of real-life complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty into the curriculum? Grassroots organizations such as Engineers Without Borders have influenced educators at Canadian universities to re-contextualize technical courses by expanding their parameters to include social context. Co-operative and extra-curricular education also provides students with opportunities for overseas experience. But what do students do who cannot afford these opportunities, financially or otherwise? A new teaching and learning model developed over the past five years at the University of British Columbia is discussed, beginning with its roots to Engineers Without Borders. With the involvement of a social entrepreneur and a committee of Professional Engineers, this multi-level learning model is open to all undergraduate engineering students, providing international engagement experience while improving the livelihood of others overseas. In this three-credit elective, undergraduate engineering students work on authentic sociotechnical problems identified by village artisans in India on a long-distance basis. The course objectives, multi-cohort review mechanism, and the role of sociotechnical contexts in relation to engineering accreditation criteria and global engineering discourse, can be applied to similar Technology and Society courses elsewhere.