Chase O’Connell

EE494

March 15th, 2024

GenEd Reflection Assignment

General Education Reflection

Through my general education courses at Iowa State, I have been able to expand my

understanding of engineering to a wider societal context rather than just through a technical

perspective. Additionally, the wide variety of general education courses offered has allowed me

to learn about topics I find interesting outside of engineering.

The class PHIL343, Philosophy of Technology, gave me a much greater understanding

of the role technology plays in our society as well as potential ethical dilemmas that can arise

from new technology. Through this class, I learned various philosophical perspectives such as

social contract theory, deontology, and utilitarianism that can be used to evaluate the impacts of

technologies. Understanding how biases and product design can affect who uses specific

technologies and how they are used was another major factor of this course.

Focusing on the end user and intended audience of a product as well its secondary

moral and social impacts has widened my perspective on how to approach engineering

problems. Knowing how a product can impact society as a whole is an important aspect to take

into consideration when the simplest or cheapest solution may have additional consequences

that could negatively impact specific groups of people.

Other general education courses such as PSYCH101, Introduction to Psychology, and

HDFS276, Human Sexuality, have allowed me to better understand the diverse backgrounds

and thought processes of people within the United States. Within any engineering company,

there are a wide variety of employees who may approach similar problems in different ways.
Understanding how to interact with those who are different from you is a key aspect of the

teamwork required to create a successful engineering solution. This also extends to potential

clients and customers that may have different work cultures and demographics. Through my

History of the American city course (ARCH321), I am able to see how varying demographics

across the country may value or prioritize differing engineering solutions.

Overall, taking these general education courses at Iowa State has enriched both my

college experience and understanding of the key factors that go into engineering. Recognizing

that there is more to engineering than the final product is important in having a successful

engineering career. Additionally, knowing how to interact with coworkers, clients, and end users

will allow for more effective engineering solutions.