1.1. Motivation
Beginning with the National Academy of Engineering’s release of The
Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century, the U.S. has seen an increased demand for colleges and universities to produce more flexible, innovative engineering students. Reports challenging the current status of education in the fields of science and engineering have called for educators to “catalyze the next generation of American innovators”. Recommendations have included promoting innovation skills through the inclusion of problembased learning in the curricula and creating opportunities for students to bridge the gap between research and practice. Other similar reports have stressed the importance of improving the effectiveness and attractiveness of obtaining science and engineering degrees in the U.S. These calls echo the concerns of engineering educators who have recognized the need for research addressing issues that may adversely affect the diversity of the future engineering.