Finelli’s innovation involves creating one-hour modules that integrate sociotechnical content into Introduction to Circuits, a core course of every electrical engineering program. At U-M, EECS 215: Introduction to Electric Circuits enrolls more than 700 engineering undergraduates annually.
Traditional engineering courses focus solely on technical content, but real-world problems and society’s grand challenges are sociotechnical. While engineering instructors typically agree that social issues are important, they may feel ill-prepared to address them or lack time to create relevant materials. To help instructors integrate social issues into the circuits course, Finelli and a nationwide research team developed modules that link technical circuits concepts with pressing social issues.
For example, the conflict minerals module ties the topic of electric capacitors to human rights issues in mining tantalum in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while the EV battery module connects the voltage divider principle to the lifecycle management of EV batteries and the circular economy.
The modules feature comprehensive teaching guides with pre-class activities, in-class lesson plans, PowerPoint slides with talking points, and homework and exam questions, making them easy to adopt in diverse classroom contexts.
Consistent with backward course design, the modules include technical and social learning objectives that align with class activities and assessments. By grounding technical instruction in real-world sociotechnical issues, the modules offer a holistic view of engineering as a discipline interconnected with social issues and better prepare students for complex real-world scenarios they will encounter in their profession.
Above photo:
Cynthia Finelli, David C. Munson Jr. Collegiate Professor of Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering; and Professor of Education, Marsal Family School of Education.
