Microgrid Design Fosters 21st Century Skills in an Electric Circuits Course

Engineers have historically been required to solve highly complex and technical real life problems. In today’s global village, engineers are required to design for a global set of users. This compels engineering education to provide the skill set and knowledge that produces engineers with 21st Century Skills that can survive in a global design ecosystem. The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) recommends in their influential report The Engineer 2020, that engineering education should foster 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and teamwork. In this ETP, students will be introduced to the concepts of microgrids and the HOMER microgrid design tool. Microgrids for developing economies and disaster will be explored and students required to design a microgrid for a developing country. Students will use the HOMER Microgrid design toolkit to simulate a microgrid. This context-based learning pedagogy provides the nexus to interweave 21st century skills and technical course prescribed students learning outcome. The implementation of this ETP will provide the opportunity for students to meet both the Course specific Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and the P21 21st Century Learning Student Outcomes (SOs). See Appendix A for a more detailed discussion on these SOs.