Design for Inclusion and Diversity: Developing Social Competencies in Engineering Education

© 2020, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.This research proposes a novel method to design didactic products that favor the social inclusion of people with disabilities by creating learning experiences for engineering students that develop disciplinary and personal competencies. This manuscript briefly describes the notions of inclusion, diversity, and urgency to foster community equality, involving governments, companies, and society. We propose a methodology based on Experiential Learning, Challenged-based Learning, and Competency-Based Education to impart learning experiences that ignite awareness of social inclusion competencies and lead to improved learning outcomes. The methodology describes the design application for inclusivity, showing the interactions of students in different civil partnerships and institutions that support the needs of people with visual impairment, Down Syndrome, and Alzheimer¿s. The Results section discusses the participation of students in the learning experiences at host institutions that facilitated their involvement to understand social needs and then contribute to the design and production of supportive products.

Design for Inclusion and Diversity: Developing Social Competencies in Engineering Education Chapter in Scopus