Evaluation of a Social Marketing Class for Engineers

Today's complex and interconnected world has made it ever more important for engineering students to learn how to collaborate across various fields to tackle complex societal issues.One field that can aid in enhancing the acceptance/uptake of engineering projects that address complex societal issues (i.e., climate change, littering, etc.) or industry challenges (i.e., water treatment plants dealing with things being flushed that should not be), is social marketing.Social marketing is the use of traditional marketing principles to create a positive behavior change for an individual, community, or society.Though the benefits of utilizing social marketing principles in addressing engineering topics has been noted, the integration of teaching these principles to engineers has not been explored.This study seeks to evaluate a semester-long course on research methods in social marketing tailored for engineering students.The course aimed to bridge the gap between engineering principles and social marketing strategies, fostering interdisciplinary skills crucial for addressing societal challenges.Through a mixed-methods approach, student engagement, knowledge acquisition, and practical application of research methodologies were assessed.Data were collected through a pre-post survey and project assessments.The results of this study will provide insights into the challenges and benefits of teaching social marketing principles to engineering students.Student feedback and results will also be used to update the course content for future semesters.