This engineering education research project will increase our understanding of learning through service (LTS) programs, specifically aiming to determine whether international service learning is a viable curricular approach with respect to developing desired engineering attributes. The research questions addressed in the proposal are timely since an increasing number of engineering students participate in international service projects at some personal and institutional expense. The project hypothesizes that LTS improves holistic thinking without detracting from technical ability, and this hypothesis is tested through as well-defined set of research questions.
The broader significance and importance of this project is to validate service learning as an effective educational strategy for engineering students. Although such programs are popular, they can potentially add costs to college education and some questions about their effectiveness remain unanswered. This study may develop insights into LTS, and a set of "best practices" that can inform programs that wish to adopt this pedagogy. There is the potential to demonstrate improved recruitment and retention of under-represented groups.
