Background and Pedagogical Theory

Increasing numbers of college students believe that the most important outcome of college is economic gain [1]. Many engineering educators reinforce this belief by arguing that the undergraduate engineering curriculum provides credentialing that leads to higher paying jobs and develops enhanced cognitive skills that prepare the student to perform that job [2]. While this viewpoint has merit, it ignores more significant benefits of the higher education process. Behavioral scientists classify performance into cognitive and affective domains [2]. The cognitive domain includes higher order thought processes such as logic and reasoning and is the primary (and in many cases, the only) target of engineering curricula. Affective issues include attitudes, values, and self-concept. These attributes typically cannot be measured directly through exams and other classroom instruments, yet they are essential components of the overall developmental process. ABET itself recognizes the importance of the affective domain by including criteria such as “engages in lifelong learning, ” “understands the impact that engineering has on society, ” and “communicates effectively ” in their assessment of engineering programs [3]. Besterfield-Sacre et al. observe that students ’ attitudes about engineering and their abilities change throughout thei