Principal Investigator
Prof. Cynthia Breazeal, Media Arts and Sciences;
Prof. Maria Yang, Mechanical Engineering;
Prof. Catherine d'Ignazio, Urban Studies and Planning
Fund:
d'Arbeloff Fund
Funding Period:
AY2023
Department/Lab/Center:
MIT Media Lab
Engineering design pedagogy has traditionally focused on building scientific, engineering, and design expertise. This focus, while essential, does not consider the vital role of social context in technology design, and imparts an incomplete understanding of the role and purpose of the engineer and engineered artifacts and systems in society. We aim to understand how instructors incorporate design justice principles into coursework and barriers for doing this; develop tools to implement these principles into curriculum; and host a summit to support “hacking” and integration of design justice in curriculum. This research endeavor will inform and stimulate the creation of design pedagogy that creates engineers who, through their design practice, aspire to advance equity and justice.