Designing Service Learning Projects for Freshman Engineering Students

Abstract

Within the Department of Freshman Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, a study was conducted to assess the value of a service learning course for freshman honor’s engineering students.  This venture was based on the success of using service learning as an educational tool for undergraduate engineering students at many universities world wide.  At the University of Pittsburgh, all students entering the school of engineering are required to enroll in a two-semester course in introductory engineering analysis and programming.  The student population chosen for the service learning course experience included the honors’ students.  A different freshman experience was created that included a fall course which covered the material contained in the traditional two-semester introductory course at an accelerated rate, and then a spring semester service learning course. This paper will focus on the challenges in developing a service learning specifically for freshman engineering students.