P ac ice Pape
Recommended ci a ion: Lo d, S., & Finelli, C. (2025). S uden Response o
Socio echnical Con en in an In oduc ion o Ci cui s Class a Two Ins i u ions. In
Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Jä inen, H.-M., & Nagy, B. (Eds.), SEFI 53 d Annual
Con e ence. Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI), Tampe e,
Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631358.
This Con e ence Pape is b ough o you o open access by he 53 d Annual Con e ence
o he Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI) a Tampe e Uni e si y in
Tampe e, Finland. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha e Alike 4.0 In e na ional License.
STUDENT RESPONSE TO SOCIOTECHNICAL CONTENT IN AN
INTRODUCTION TO CIRCUITS CLASS AT TWO INSTITUTIONS
(PRACTICE PAPER)
S. M. Lo d1
Uni e si y o San Diego
San Diego, Cali o nia, USA
ORCID: 0000-0002-2675-5626
C. J. Finelli
Uni e si y o Michigan
Ann A bo , Michigan, USA
ORCID: 0000-0001-9148-1492
Con e ence Key A eas: Enginee ing e hics educa ion, Cu iculum de elopmen and
eme ging cu iculum models in enginee ing
Keywo ds: ci cui s, socio echnical, elec ical enginee ing, unde g adua e
ABSTRACT
In eg a ion o social issues in o echnical cou ses is impo an o p epa e enginee ing
g adua es o he wo kplace. We implemen ed wo socio echnical modules, one
abou capaci a o s and con lic mine als and he o he abou EV ba e ies and he
ci cula economy, in wo in oduc o y ci cui s cou ses. One cou se was a a la ge
public uni e si y and he o he was a a small p i a e uni e si y. In his pape , we
explo e he s uden s’ esponses o hese modules. In g oup and indi idual
in e iews, s uden s esponded posi i ely o e all o including social issues in
echnical cou ses. They discussed how such con en helped hem lea n, p epa ed
hem o hei u u e ca ee s as enginee s, and was impo an o hem pe sonally.
Mos o he s uden s would like o see ele an social issues inco po a ed in o o he
echnical classes. Al hough no unexpec ed, some s uden s exp essed ha al hough
social issues a e impo an , “ echnical classes should be echnical” and social issues
should be included in sepa a e cou ses such as gene al educa ion o e hics. Fo
ins uc o s who migh be hesi an o inco po a e socio echnical in o ma ion in hei
classes, we hope ha he indings om his p ac ice pape , ha mos s uden s
espond posi i ely, will be help ul. These modules can be aluable esou ces o
enginee ing ins uc o s in e es ed in in eg a ing social issues in o hei own Ci cui s
1 Co esponding Au ho
S. M. Lo d
slo [email protected]
cou ses helping many s uden s o connec ounda ional ci cui s’ opics o b oade
socio echnical issues.
1 INTRODUCTION
The mo i a ion o inco po a ing socio echnical con en in o enginee ing cou ses
comes om s uden s, he wo kplace, and acc edi a ion equi emen s. Many
unde g adua e enginee ing s uden s begin hei s udies wi h a desi e o make a
meaning ul impac on socie y (Bai ak a o a and Pilo e, 2020; Na ional Academy o
Enginee ing, 2008) and o explo e how hei enginee ing knowledge can posi i ely
a ec people’s li es. In oducing eal-wo ld p oblems and in eg a ing socio echnical
con en add esses his desi e, as such challenges a e inhe en ly in e disciplina y and
in ol e complex socio echnical dimensions (Baillie, Pawley, and Riley, 2012;
Leydens and Lucena, 2017; Riley, 2020).
In eg a ing socio echnical con en in enginee ing cou ses also helps p epa e
g adua es o he wo k o ce. Enginee ing acc edi a ion o ganiza ions (e.g., ABET,
n.d.; he Eu opean Ne wo k o Acc edi a ion o Enginee ing Educa ion, n.d.)
highligh he impo ance o socio echnical con en by expec ing enginee ing
unde g adua e p og ams o add ess e hical, global, cul u al, social, en i onmen al,
and economic conside a ions in s uden ou comes. Howe e , many enginee ing
ins uc o s, whose own educa ion was p ima ily echnical, may s uggle o do so.
Ins uc o s may eel cons ained by ime, esou ces, and a ea ha s uden s will no
ind his ma e ial aluable. As a esul , many s uden s lea n co e enginee ing
concep s wi h a ocus on calcula ions and wi hou c i ically examining enginee ing’s
b oade socio echnical impac such as public wel a e, e hics, clima e change, and
policy (Biele eld , 2018; Bø sen e al., 2021; Jesiek e al., 2019; Williams and
T e elyan, 2013).
Ou cu en p ojec o e s an app oach o in eg a e socio echnical con en in a
equi ed ounda ional cou se o enginee ing s uden s. To suppo ins uc o s, we a e
de eloping one-hou modules ha link social and echnical con en o use in
In oduc ion o Elec ic Ci cui s (Ci cui s). Ci cui s is ypically he i s cou se aken in
hei discipline o s uden s s udying elec ical enginee ing (EE), and i is commonly
aken by s uden s in o he enginee ing disciplines. Ou modules aim o bo h enhance
s uden s’ socio echnical unde s anding by demons a ing eal-wo ld connec ions and
o help ins uc o s acili a e discussions o he socio echnical na u e o he cou se
con en (Gelles & Lo d, 2021; Lo d, P zes zelski, & Reddy, 2019; Finelli & Lo d,
2023; Lo d & Finelli 2023).
In his p ac ice pape , we epo on he implemen a ion o wo socio echnical
modules in he Win e /Sp ing e m o 2024 a wo ins i u ions in he USA. D awing
om g oup and indi idual in e iews wi h s uden s who had pa icipa ed in he
modules, we explo e how s uden s espond o socio echnical con en in echnical
enginee ing classes demons a ing ha he o e all esponse is posi i e.
2 CONTEXT AND PRACTICAL WORK
2.1 Modules
Fo his s udy, we used wo modules ha had p e iously been de eloped and es ed
(Finelli & Lo d, 2023; Lo d & Finelli, 2024). These modules connec echnical opics
in he Ci cui s cou se o la ge socio echnical issues and a e designed o be
comple ed in one class pe iod (abou one hou ). Ma e ials we de eloped include
homewo k o be o e and a e he class pe iod as well as in-class ac i i ies, slide
decks, and sample ques ions o homewo k and exams.
The “Con lic Mine als” module (Lo d e al., 2019) in oduces s uden s o issues
ela ed o he supply chain o mine als ha a e used in consume elec onics and
mined in a eas o con lic . Be o e class, s uden s calcula e he amoun o Tan alum
(Ta) used in cell phones globally and iden i y whe e Ta is mined. In class, s uden s
de ine and discuss con lic mine als and hei social implica ions including he con lic
in he Democ a ic Republic o he Congo (DRC), b ains o m op ions o enginee s
conce ned wi h he use o con lic mine als, and in es iga e s a egies used by
se e al majo companies o educe eliance on con lic mine als.
The “EV Ba e ies” module (Judge, Lo d & Finelli, 2022; Lo d & Finelli, 2024)
in oduces s uden s o issues ela ed o ecycling he apidly g owing numbe o
ba e ies om elec ic ehicles (EVs) eaching end-o -li e. This opic se es as a
case s udy o applying p inciples o a ci cula economy and ies o he ypical
ci cui s’ echnical opic o ol age di ide s. Be o e class, s uden s lis en o a podcas
o lea n abou he ci cula economy. In class, hey es ima e he ene gy demand ha
could be me by exis ing end-o -li e EV ba e ies, lea n how he ci cula economy
ela es o ci cui s’ concep s and EV ba e ies, use a ol age di ide o calcula e he
powe o a second li e EV ba e y, and discuss ways o use he ci cula economy o
epu pose EV ba e ies.
2.2 Cou ses
Bo h he Con lic Mine als and EV Ba e ies modules we e included in wo sepa a e
Ci cui s cou ses in he Win e /Sp ing 2024 semes e . The e we e 124 s uden s in he
cou se a a la ge, esea ch-in ensi e public ins i u ion ( he Uni e si y o Michigan
(UM)) and 18 s uden s in he cou se a a small, p i a e ins i u ion ( he Uni e si y o
San Diego (USD)). Bo h cou ses we e augh by he p incipal in es iga o s o his
s udy who had con ibu ed o he design o he modules and ha e decades o
expe ience eaching Ci cui s. The cou se a Uni e si y o Michigan is a adi ional
In oduc ion o Ci cui s class wi hin an Elec ical and Compu e Enginee ing (ECE)
depa men ; while a Uni e si y o San Diego i is An In eg a ed App oach o
Elec ical Enginee ing wi hin an In eg a ed Enginee ing depa men which includes
adi ional ci cui s opics such as capaci o s and ol age di ide s as well as
explo a ion o social esponsibili y (Lo d and Gelles, 2021).
2.3 Da a Collec ion
All s uden s we e in i ed o pa icipa e in in e iews. Pa icipa ion was olun a y and
incen i ized wi h a gi ca d. A g adua e s uden conduc ed wo g oup in e iews
(Nyumba e al., 2018) in-pe son wi h a o al o eigh s uden s a UM and ou
indi idual in e iews by zoom a USD. In o ma ion abou hese pa icipan s is in
Table 1. All da a we e eco ded and ansc ibed e ba im, hen quo a ions we e
edi ed o cla i y by emo ing dis luencies and ille wo ds such as “um” o “like” o
“you know” and epea ed wo ds. Ques ions explo ed pa icipan s’ esponses o bo h
modules and hei a i udes owa ds socio echnical con en in echnical cou ses. In
addi ion, su eys explo ing s uden s’ pe cep ions abou socio echnical issues in
enginee ing we e adminis e ed o all s uden s a he beginning and end o bo h
cou ses (Finelli & Lo d, 2023). The su ey included bo h Like -s yle ques ions and
open-ended i ems. A o al o 72 s uden s a UM and 18 s uden s a USD (ou o 124
and 18 en olled, espec i ely) comple ed bo h su eys and consen ed o hei
esponses being used o ou esea ch Because esponses a e anonymized, i is no
possible o link in e iew pa icipan s and su ey esponden s s.
Fo his pape , we ocus on ou speci ic in e iew ques ions and one open-ended
i em om he end-o -semes e su ey
1. Wha a e h ee wo ds o desc ibe how each module made you eel?
2. Wha a e you hough s o eelings owa ds in oducing social issues in echnical
enginee ing cou ses in gene al?
3. How, i a all, did ei he o hese modules change you pe spec i e abou he
impo ance o in oducing social issues in echnical enginee ing cou ses?
4. To wha ex en would you like o see o he echnical enginee ing cou ses include
social issues?
5. A e comple ing he end-o e m su ey, do you ha e o he commen s o sha e?
Table 1. In o ma ion abou s uden s who pa icipa ed in in e iews
Uni
Name Sex Race3 Majo
Yea in
School
UM
Nina
Female
Asian, Black o A ican Ame ican
Compu e Eng.
2
UM
Simon
Male
Asian
Elec ical Eng.
1
UM
Josh
Male
Whi e
Ae ospace Eng.
2
UM
Amelia
Female
Whi e
Elec ical Eng.
2
UM
So ia
Female
Whi e
Nuclea Eng.
2
UM
Cole
Male
Whi e
Elec ical Eng.
3
UM
Sadie
Female
Whi e
Compu e Eng.
3
UM
Rowan
Male
Asian
Elec ical Eng.
1
USD
Ellio
Male
Whi e
In eg a ed Eng.-Sus 4
2
USD
Viole
Female
Indigenous1
In eg a ed Eng.-Sus 4
3
USD
Aud ey
Female
Whi e
In eg a ed Eng.-Sus 4
2
USD
Tyle 2
Male
Middle Eas e n
In eg a ed Eng.-ESW
4
3
No es: 1ac ual wo ding: Ame ican Indian o Alaska Na i e, Na i e Hawaiian o o he Paci ic
Islande , 2Tyle did no a end he EV ba e y module; 3No s uden s epo ed being
Hispanic;4In eg a ed Enginee ing s uden s choose a concen a ion (Sus is sus ainabili y and
ESW is embedded so wa e)
3 RESULTS AND INSIGHTS
3.1 Ini ial Responses o S uden s
As an iceb eake ac i i y a he beginning o he in e iews, pa icipan s we e asked
o p o ide h ee wo ds o desc ibe how each module made hem eel. As seen in
Table 2, he e is a ange o esponses, wi h mos o he “ h ee wo ds” exp essing
in e es in he modules. The wo ds ha appea mos equen ly a e in igued,
in e es ed, saddened, and con used o he Con lic Mine als module and in igued,
in e es ed, cu ious, and con used o he EV Ba e ies module. Fo bo h modules,
s uden s’ esponses sugges ha he ma e ial was no amilia , since hey p o ided
wo ds o exp ess su p ise (as onished, shocking), no el y (inno a i e, esh), and
lea ning some hing new (awa e, educa ed, in o med).
Fo he Con lic Mine als module, nega i e emo ions such as saddened, guil y,
o e whelmed, and us a ed we e s a ed. Gi en he na u e o his module wi h i s
desc ip ion o iolence in he DRC, his is o be expec ed. The EV Ba e ies module
elici ed mul iple en husias ic esponses including ascina ing, exci ed, impo an , and
inspi ed. Th ee male s uden s (Simon, Josh, and Cole) exp essed nega i e eelings
abou he ele ance o one o he modules (skep ical, bo ed, ime-consuming,
unimpo an ). Only Rowan exp essed po en ially nega i e eelings o bo h modules,
using he wo d indi e en .
Table 2. Pa icipan s’ “Th ee Wo ds” o Desc ibe he Modules
Uni
Name
Con lic Mine als
EV Ba e ies
UM
Nina
In iguing, ele an , upse ing
Impo an , ascina ing, shocking
UM
Simon
New, unimpo an , explana ions
F esh, in e es ing, dad
UM
Josh
In o med, in e es ed
Bo ed, ime-consuming
UM
Amelia
In igued, explo a o y, hesi an
Cu ious, in e es ed, exci ed
UM
So ia
Saddened, esponsible, cu ious
In igued, a en i e, cu ious
UM
Cole
Con used, awa e, in e es ing
Skep ical, inno a i e, inspi ed
UM
Sadie
Con used, us a ed
In igued, hope ul, con used
UM
Rowan
Awa e, indi e en
Indi e en , poli ics
USD
Ellio
As onished, saddened, inspi ed
Con used, su p ised, in igued
USD
Viole
O e whelmed, challenged, enligh ened
Fu u e, p og ess, op ions
USD
Aud ey
Wo ied, guil y, su p ised
Educa ed, well ounded, awa e
USD
Tyle
In e ac i e, backg ound, pe sonal
connec ion
3.2 S uden s Say Social Issues a e Impo an in Technical Cou ses
In esponse o he ques ion “Wha a e you hough s o eelings owa ds in oducing
social issues in echnical enginee ing cou ses in gene al?” s uden s had a ange o
esponses. The s uden s a USD we e all posi i e saying his was impo an . They
desc ibed how his helped hem lea n, was use ul o enginee ing s uden s, and
ele an o hei u u e ca ee s.
I de ini ely hink i 's some hing ha should be done mo e. (Ellio )
eally impo an … I don' unde s and why his isn' happening e e ywhe e. I eel
like his is so i al o ou educa ion ha … e e ybody should know abou his
s u . (Viole )
Mos o like he ma h s u kind o like lows h ough you b ain anyways and like
he social s u is p obably wha like s uck wi h me mo e and like has mo i a ed
like whe e I wan o go wi h my ca ee . (Aud ey)
My wo k's gonna a ec people's li es so ha ing knowledge, you know any social
knowledge would help me ailo my wo k be e . (Tyle )
S uden s a UM had mixed esponses. Mos we e posi i e desc ibing how i was
impo an o enginee s o lea n his in o ma ion o hei u u e ca ee s, aise
awa eness, and go beyond he ypical enginee ing educa ion.
I hink i is e y impo an …i we limi hese issues o only classes ha a e
speci ically abou he issues, hen he e's like he e a e so many people who jus
won' choose o ake hose cou ses and … and I hink his is in o ma ion
e e yone needs o know, especially people who would no choose o ake
cou ses like ha … I hink his is an asse o any kind o echnical enginee ing
cou se. (So ia)
I hink ha 's he quali y ha enginee s mus need in he u u e… enginee s need
hose quali ies, because when we ge a job a he end, i 's no only he
enginee ing ha we need when we y o … sol e he ques ions. (Simon)
…p e y impo an because a he end o he day we a e all enginee s and we' e
all ying o ind solu ions o ou p oblems, bu we can' igno e he ac ha his
has impac s on socie y. (Nina)
Two male s uden s a UM hough he social issues we e impo an bu did no
belong in a echnical class and migh be be e in a gene al educa ion class.
I hink i 's no ques ion ha ge ing ha so o non- echnical knowledge base and
unde s anding is c i ical in an enginee ing educa ion in gene al [bu ] I don' hink i
should ha e a place in echnical enginee ing classes. I hink i should be a
sepa a e hing …i eels like a dis ac ion om wha he class is ying o ha e us
achie e …i 's impo an bu I hink i needs o be ano he hing. (Josh)
3.3 Modules Changed Some S uden s’ Pe spec i es
In esponse o he ques ion “How, i a all, did ei he o hese modules change you
pe spec i e abou he impo ance o in oducing social issues in echnical
enginee ing cou ses?” s uden s had a ange o esponses. Some hough his was
impo an p io o expe iencing he modules and some did no ; some el he modules
helped hem unde s and some hing mo e speci ic ela ing social issues o
enginee ing which would be ele an o hei ca ee s.
I hink hey bo h so o show he e's like wo sides o e e y hing and he whole
idea o c ea ing he bes newes echnology is g ea bu i g ounds you in he e's
always going o be someone ge ing he sho end o he s ick om ha and a
good enginee is designing in a way o be equi able and ai o e e yone.
(Aud ey)
Hones ly i jus augh me o hink abou wha my wo k's eally doing … i 's
making me a lo mo e conscious abou he wo k I'm doing. (Tyle )
I de ini ely made me mo e cognizan o he ac ha in oducing social issues and
echnical cou ses is jus a good idea. (So ia)
Se e al UM s uden s emphasized ha hey hough he social issues we e impo an
bu belonged in gene al educa ion classes o a sepa a e e hics class a he han in a
cou se such as Ci cui s.
I would say i didn' eally change my iews a all. I hink hese a e impo an
issues o discuss bu I' e held he s ance ha echnical classes should jus be
echnical be o e his class and I'm p obably gonna hold i a e . (Josh)
3.4 Some S uden s Wan Social Issues in O he Enginee ing Cou ses
In esponse o he ques ion “To wha ex en would you like o see o he echnical
enginee ing cou ses include social issues?” s uden s exp essed a ange o
esponses consis en wi h hei ea lie hough s. Some s uden s hough his
in o ma ion was impo an o hei lea ning and ca ee s pa icula ly i ele an o he
echnical con en and ein o ced wi h homewo k ou side o class.
I hink he way ha his class is doing i . …I kind o b oke up he echnical
lec u es in a way ha I hough was well spaced apa om each o he . … I
wasn' in you ace, bu i also was some hing ha was gi en his ime o kind o
umina e. (Viole )
…e en mo e impo an was he ac ha we had some so o homewo k
assignmen a ached o i so ha we had we had o go back o i and hink abou i
on ou own and ou on ou ime as well so i wasn' jus some hing o un o
some hing ha was kind o in he dis ance i was some hing ha was necessa y
in he p esen and in he u u e. (Viole )
I we' e alking abou a speci ic echnology and I hink i 's hones ly jus sma o
inco po a e, he e's he social con ex o his echnology o any hing cause i jus
makes us mo e in o med. (Aud ey)
I ag ee any echnical enginee ing classes, i he e is some so o like issue ha
can be connec ed o class, which mo e likely he e is han no . I hink i 's eally
help ul o include hem because a lo o imes people jus don' know. (So ia)
Some UM s uden s again said hey hough his in o ma ion should be in an e hics o
gene al educa ion cou se no a echnical cou se o should be op ional, no equi ed.
I would say i i 's in he class, ei he i needs o be kep o a eally sho ime ame
o i needs o be op ional… Especially o ou majo classes. (Sadie)
I should be i s own hing jus because ha way hey can ocus comple ely on
social impac s o a lo o enginee ing p oduc s, no jus some hing ha 's ele an
o he class so I eel i i was he own hing ha would be so much be e . (Nina)
… he op, hing ha enginee s should need is abou enginee ing hings like he e
any echnical s u no he social hings I hink. (Simon)
3.5 Socio echnical Con en S ood Ou o Some S uden s a End o Semes e
On he su eys a he end o he semes e which explo ed s uden s’ a i udes
owa ds social esponsibili y and enginee ing, eigh s uden s a UM ou o 72 who
comple ed bo h su eys and wo s uden s a USD ou o 18, p o ided a esponse o
“do you ha e any hing else you would like o sha e?” Gi en ha s uden s’ esponses
we e anonymous, we do no know i he e is any o e lap in s uden s who pa icipa ed
in in e iews and hose who p o ided open ended esponses. All commen s we e
posi i e. Commen s ela ing o he modules om UM include
• I g ea ly app ecia ed he mini uni s on EV ba e ies and con lic ma e ials in
[ he cou se] his semes e . I hink lec u es like hese should be p esen in all
enginee ing disciplines, e en i he classes a en' abou social/ poli ical/
economic/ en i onmen al issues. A endance and pa icipa ion should be
hea ily encou aged somehow.
• Lo ed ge ing o alk abou social issues in class
• This cou se was se up e y well, and I lea ned a lo abou ci cui s bu also
abou enginee ing and social esponsibili y.
• P o esso Z was he i s ins uc o I ha e had o in eg a e he enginee ing and
social aspec . She was a g ea ins uc o o his semes e .
These commen s demons a e ha some s uden s ound he socio echnical modules
o be a aluable, posi i e addi ion o he class, and impo an o enginee ing. Since
he commen s eme ged au hen ically a he end o he cou se, a he han in
esponse o a speci ic ques ion abou he modules in he in e iews, hey emphasize
he impac o hese modules o hese s uden s.
4 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
We success ully implemen ed socio echnical modules abou con lic mine als and
EV ba e ies in wo In oduc ion o Ci cui s cou ses a a la ge public uni e si y and a
small p i a e uni e si y. In his p ac ice pape , we explo ed he s uden s’ esponses
o hese modules. Though one limi a ion o ou s udy is he small numbe o s uden s
olun ee ing o in e iews, we ound ha mos s uden s esponded posi i ely o
inco po a ing social issues in he cou se and we e in e es ed in such in eg a ion in
o he echnical classes. S uden s discussed how such con en helped hem lea n,
p epa ed hem o hei u u e ca ee s as enginee s, and was impo an o hem
pe sonally. Common esponses o how he modules made hem eel included
in igued, in e es ed, and con used. The social issues p esen ed we e new o mos
s uden s and some s uden s app ecia ed becoming mo e awa e and in o med e en i
he issues we e complex. A ew s uden s a UM el ha al hough social issues a e
impo an , hey should be included in sepa a e cou ses such as gene al educa ion o
e hics a he han di ec ly in a echnical cou se. Gi en ha enginee ing cu icula
ypically ein o ce he ideology o echnical/social dualism (Cech, 2013; Faulkne
2000), i s uden s ha e been exposed o social con en , i has likely been in isola ion
om echnical con en , so his inding is no su p ising.
We a e cu en ly pa ne ing wi h o he ins uc o s ac oss he USA o implemen mo e
socio echnical modules o he In oduc ion o Ci cui s cou se and u he explo e
s uden s’ esponses o he modules. The indings in his p ac ice pape should help
add ess some ins uc o s’ conce ns ha s uden s will ind socio echnical con en
i ele an . We hope he modules will be aluable esou ces o enginee ing
ins uc o s in e es ed in in eg a ing social issues in o hei own Ci cui s cou ses a a
ange o uni e si ies and hei s uden s.
5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This ma e ial is based upon wo k suppo ed by he USA Na ional Science
Founda ion (NSF) unde G an s No. 2235576 and 2233155. Any opinions, indings,
and conclusions o ecommenda ions exp essed in his ma e ial a e hose o he
au ho s and do no necessa ily e lec he iews o he NSF. We would like o hank
Lea Ma lo who conduc ed in e iews and he s uden s who pa icipa ed in hese
modules.
