Energy and Environment Undergraduate Course Emphasizing Comparative Metrics
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 137, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper presents the pedagogical development of an undergraduate course in energy and the environment at Rice University and the crucial role of comparative metrics in its curriculum. The course, aimed at undergraduate engineering and science majors, overviews the physical principles that constrain energy use and explores how various sectors and fuels affect Earth’s environment and climate. The curriculum emphasizes the application of objective metrics for comparing the cost, energy intensity, and environmental impacts of various energy sources. Such metrics provide alternate approaches for assessing the relative merits of energy options but are neglected in most undergraduate textbooks. Thus, the course relies on assignments derived from supplemental readings to prompt students to compute comparative metrics and critically assess the approaches taken by energy researchers. A term project engages student teams in designing and evaluating original proposals for improving the use of an energy source from the perspective of a scientist, businessperson, or policymaker.
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Acknowledgments
The writer thanks Dr. Tracy Volz (Rice University) for her suggestions in the formulation and implementation of the group project assignment. The manuscript has benefited from the constructive comments of three peer reviewers.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 137 • Issue 2 • April 2011
Pages: 64 - 68
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 12, 2010
Accepted: Jul 28, 2010
Published online: Aug 31, 2010
Published in print: Apr 1, 2011
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