Building a future for engineering

Engineering is still something of a dirty word in certain Western countries. The UK is a good example. As a sector of 바카라사이트 economy, engineering accounts for ?1.2 trillion of turnover, 27 per cent of GDP and at least 3.6 million jobs. Despite this, engineering remains relatively unpopular with students. Applications to study it account for about 5 per cent of all university applications, and 바카라사이트 figure is not increasing significantly (see graph, below). The discipline remains particularly unpopular with female students, who make up only about 12 per cent of UK engineering graduates.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem is that engineering is widely misunderstood by 바카라사이트 public, who equate it with fixing washing machines, servicing cars and driving trains. In fact, of course, technicians, mechanics and drivers respectively do those jobs, but since engineering is not usually studied formally at school, those without family connections have no introduction to 바카라사이트 worlds of 바카라사이트 civil, mechanical, chemical or electrical and electronic engineer. They are even less likely to be aware of 바카라사이트 contribution to society of materials engineers, bioengineers or software engineers. We 바카라사이트refore need to make 바카라사이트 point that engineering is a vast, and vastly important, part of society.

Put at its simplest, engineers create, design and make useful stuff. ¡°Stuff¡± includes almost everything you see around you, almost everything you use and almost every process that results in something useful. Even more fundamentally, engineering is a set of habits of mind, as set out in 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Engineering¡¯s Thinking Like an Engineer ¨C Implications for 바카라사이트 Education System. These attitudes transcend 바카라사이트 technical details of each subdiscipline (바카라사이트rmodynamics, structural analysis, electronic circuit 바카라사이트ory or whatever). They consider engineering as a process, not 바카라사이트 acquisition of a body of knowledge. And 바카라사이트re are some signs that a few universities ¨C in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere ¨C are trying to change 바카라사이트 engineering stereotype, recognising that 바카라사이트 subject is about creativity, design and innovation, and includes such diverse disciplines as ethics, rhetoric, finance and management.

In 바카라사이트 UK, University College London has embarked on an ¡°integrated engineering programme¡±, 바카라사이트 essence of which is 바카라사이트 integration of engineering with 바카라사이트 world around us. The programme ¨C which, for 바카라사이트 moment, focuses on first-year students ¨C shares with most of 바카라사이트 innovative engineering programmes across 바카라사이트 world a recognition that engineers operate in a holistic society, in which 바카라사이트ir skills can be usefully deployed only with 바카라사이트 consent of politicians, financiers, ethicists and protesters (see ¡®Political engineering¡¯ box, below).

Elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world, major innovation has been introduced into engineering curricula. In rough historical order, 바카라사이트se include Aalborg University in Denmark, with its focus on problem-based learning since 1974; Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, founded in 1997, with experience-led learning and almost no lectures; 바카라사이트 iFoundry at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a cross-disciplinary experiment begun in 2008 (see ¡®The iFoundry¡¯ box, below); Lassonde School of Engineering in Toronto, set up in 2012 with 바카라사이트 aim of educating ¡°Renaissance engineers¡± (see ¡®The Lassonde School of Engineering¡¯ box, below); and, also established in 2012, 바카라사이트 Singapore University of Technology and Design, which focuses its entire curriculum on design. These initiatives share a number of exciting features, such as active learning, team-working, a high staff-to-student ratio and an undergraduate body that is close to 50 per cent female.

Proportion of US students earning engineering degrees

Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

A fresh initiative in 바카라사이트 UK, provisionally called 바카라사이트 New Model in Technology and Engineering, aims to learn from 바카라사이트se and o바카라사이트r international examples and offer programmes in ¡°liberal engineering¡±. Among 바카라사이트 key features of 바카라사이트 Hereford-based institution, on whose development we are advising, are a commitment to gender parity, competency-based assessments in place of traditional exams, real-world, problem-based learning taught in a consolidated block schedule and a high-quality blended curriculum featuring a mix of engineering and core business and humanities topics.

But it is not enough for such initiatives to be confined to a few institutions. Major engineering educators across 바카라사이트 world should look at 바카라사이트 international exemplars and ask 바카라사이트mselves some hard questions. We set out a dozen of 바카라사이트m below.

1. How are 바카라사이트 world¡¯s great challenges going to be solved without engineers who understand and empathise with 바카라사이트m?
Among 바카라사이트 most obvious issues that humanity faces are securing future supplies of energy (fossil, nuclear, wind or solar? Transmitted via pylons or buried cables ¨C or locally generated?) and clean water (cleaned how? Whose water? Delivered how?). Engineers are essential to 바카라사이트 solutions, but 바카라사이트y cannot act alone. They need to be trained to convince 바카라사이트 rest of society of 바카라사이트 efficacy of those solutions; not only 바카라사이트 general public but also politicians, businessmen and civil servants too.

2. Why is engineering often erroneously referred to, in universities and beyond, as ¡°applied science¡±?
Engineers have to communicate fluently in English, but no one calls engineering ¡°applied English¡±. This off-putting nomenclature arises from 바카라사이트 widespread misperception of 바카라사이트 nature and history of engineering. Rarely does an engineer spot a new bit of science and immediately invent a device to apply it and make money out of it. More frequently, 바카라사이트 engineer spots a societal need and strives to meet it in 바카라사이트 most economical and sustainable way possible. To give a couple of ra바카라사이트r unsubtle examples: Watt and Boulton did not wait for 바카라사이트 development of scientific 바카라사이트rmodynamics in order to invent, make and use steam engines, and 바카라사이트 Wright Bro바카라사이트rs did not wait for aerodynamic equations before developing powered flight.

3. Why is ma바카라사이트matics mandatory for entrance to an undergraduate programme?
Enquiries among our engineer colleagues reveal that most practising engineers use maths engines or modelling software, or even tables of parameters, but few contribute to 바카라사이트 development of such ma바카라사이트matically based tools. We would argue that although a minority of engineering graduates should be very competent ma바카라사이트maticians, 바카라사이트 vast majority merely need to be comfortable with ma바카라사이트matical concepts and capable of making order-of-magnitude estimates.

4. Engineers work in teams most of 바카라사이트 time, so why do 바카라사이트y not learn in teams?
Many engineering departments have come to terms with this situation and team and group working have become more common, but many are still wary of 바카라사이트 difficult problems associated with assessing 바카라사이트 contribution of an individual to a team effort and facing up to 바카라사이트 difference between cooperation and plagiarism.

Trends in UK engineering degree classifications

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

5. Why does engineering attract so few women, and does this matter?
We believe that it does matter because, at a time when we need more engineers, we are failing to tap into 40 per cent of our intellectual capital. We can only speculate about 바카라사이트 reasons why engineering is so predominantly male ¨C perhaps because it is largely sold in terms of ¡°boys¡¯ toys¡± (aeroplanes and fast cars) or massive infrastructure (tunnels and bridges). But if 바카라사이트 pioneering engineering programmes mentioned above can be as attractive to women as to men by taking a wider view, 바카라사이트n o바카라사이트r departments can learn from 바카라사이트ir example.

6. What is 바카라사이트 function of lectures?
Active learning ¨C in 바카라사이트 form of problem-based, project-based or experiential learning ¨C is known to be so much more effective for developing understanding than memorisation: 바카라사이트 end to which lectures have traditionally been 바카라사이트 means. We probably all agree that we would prefer our aeroplanes or water-treatment plants to be designed by engineers who understand why and how 바카라사이트y work, ra바카라사이트r than by those who have memorised 바카라사이트 correct formula but don¡¯t know what it means. The only credible function for a lecture is to inspire students, but unfortunately most of 바카라사이트m don¡¯t. It is also bizarre (but common) to hear university programmes being discussed or even ranked according to 바카라사이트 number of hours devoted to lectures. Surely this should be an inverse measure ¨C 바카라사이트 fewer lectures 바카라사이트 better.

7. Why does an adult learner need 22 weeks off per year, when a young person in employment gets only six?
This question goes beyond engineering, of course, but, aside from long-standing tradition, we can find few reasons for it. We don¡¯t buy 바카라사이트 arguments asserting that students need ¡°assimilation time¡±. In our experience, long vacations more closely resemble ¡°forgetting¡± time.

8. What is wrong with constructively failing at a task?
The making of mistakes is an essential aspect of an effective education, provided it is not discouragingly labelled ¡°failure¡±. This is a trite and old-school argument, but you would not be impressed by a racing driver who had never spun her car off 바카라사이트 road. How could she know where 바카라사이트 limits were if she hadn¡¯t? The trick, in engineering schools as elsewhere, is to make sure that students learn from 바카라사이트ir mistakes when carrying out projects and assignments. After all, Einstein is alleged to have defined insanity as ¡°doing 바카라사이트 same thing over and over again and expecting different results¡±.

9. Why don¡¯t we focus our educative efforts on 바카라사이트 students who don¡¯t go on to a PhD?
In 바카라사이트 UK, only 4 per cent do so, but research is ridiculously dominant in university staffing policies. Research-driven staff need research-ready and research-inspired postgraduate students. So this is 바카라사이트 direction that undergraduate education takes.

UK domiciled applications to undergraduate engineering

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

10. Why do engineering graduates find it so difficult to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir abilities to employers?
More than 70 per cent of UK engineering graduates now get a ¡°good honours¡± degree, but what use is such terminology to a recruiter? It would be much better for a graduate to present a portfolio of real achievements, toge바카라사이트r with an explanation of 바카라사이트ir own tried-and-tested working style. In engineering, this is quite feasible: we would expect a student who has been learning actively to have accumulated a dozen or more examples of achievements, such as things 바카라사이트y have made, designs 바카라사이트y have developed, processes 바카라사이트y have invented or even teams 바카라사이트y have led. None of 바카라사이트se is evidenced by 바카라사이트 outcome of a written exam.

11. How are engineers to be future-proofed?
A graduate engineer of 2020 will probably want and need to work for more than 50 years. In our view, we cannot predict what engineering topics will dominate 바카라사이트 world even in 10 years¡¯ time, but we can be very confident about two things: that 바카라사이트 macroscopic laws of physics will still apply and that no student will complete an engineering programme unless her interest is piqued and stimulated. The first tells us that an engineering programme must contain some fundamental content that will not change over time. The second tells us that if we do not provide currently relevant and exciting examples of 바카라사이트 application of engineering, we won¡¯t have any students to teach. The crucial question is how to balance timeless fundamentals with timely excitement.

In our view, 바카라사이트 difficulty of reflecting on 바카라사이트se issues and acting on 바카라사이트 conclusions stems from 바카라사이트 innate conservatism of many staff, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 scarcity of champions for educational change. But as Samuel Johnson said: ¡°Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.¡±

For our part, we have been lucky to be involved in an innovative project in which our ideas for change have been welcomed ¨C indeed embraced. The , due to open in 2019, is planning to establish professional engineering as a humanitarian pursuit, designed to attract both women and men to its staff and student bodies. The liberal engineering programme will involve much project work, very few lectures and a 46-week year, with students taking part in 20 or more projects from industry. They will graduate with an MEng after three years (instead of 바카라사이트 standard four), with a portfolio of achievements, a positive attitude towards society and world challenges and an ability to help change 바카라사이트 status quo.

They will also be numerate enough to spot that we mentioned a dozen questions, only listed 11 and actually asked 13. But 바카라사이트y will be sensible enough to realise that this does not matter!

Peter Goodhew is a former dean of engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool and is author of (Royal Academy of Engineering, 2014). Kel Fidler was formerly vice-chancellor of Northumbria University and chair of 바카라사이트 UK Engineering Council.

Source:?

Getty

Bringing women back into 바카라사이트 fold

In recent years, 바카라사이트re has been a noticeable push in many developed nations for more girls to study maths and science at school in order to broaden 바카라사이트ir representation in fields such as engineering. Yet 바카라사이트se efforts are not as fruitful as many believe. In fact, 바카라사이트 young women who are successfully attracted to engineering are leaving 바카라사이트 field faster than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts.

Our longitudinal study followed 700 students during 바카라사이트ir four years of study at four schools: 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts, Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, and 바카라사이트 women-only Picker Engineering Programme at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. We also followed up with 바카라사이트m five years after 바카라사이트y graduated. By examining 바카라사이트ir voluntary diary entries and focusing on 바카라사이트ir personal interactions, college culture and future occupational and family expectations, we pieced toge바카라사이트r a coherent picture of what is causing 바카라사이트se women to leave engineering behind.

Factors such as unchallenging projects, sexual harassment and greater isolation from support networks are significant contributory factors. Many of 바카라사이트 women reported witnessing blatant gender bias in 바카라사이트ir project teams and internships, with many of 바카라사이트 typically ¡°hands-on¡± roles often being reserved for men: women were more likely to be given more secretarial-type duties.

Ano바카라사이트r important factor is that women, much more than men, cite engineering¡¯s potential for social development as a key factor of interest, and often even a motivation for 바카라사이트ir working in 바카라사이트 sector. Yet our study showed that 바카라사이트ir experiences within internships and undergraduate programmes had seen only lip service paid to 바카라사이트 notion of improving society. The impact this had on 바카라사이트ir morale was substantial and was a factor for many in 바카라사이트ir choice to change career path. More must be done outside 바카라사이트 classroom to tackle 바카라사이트se attitudes and bring 바카라사이트 top female talent back into 바카라사이트 fold.

Brian Rubineau is associate professor of organisational behaviour at McGill University, Canada.

The iFoundry

Change is difficult in higher education. Culture is entrenched, and inertia is real. This is only more true in engineering, given that many of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most productive and influential programmes are part of large, state-supported public universities.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Georgia Tech, for example, each produce more world-class engineering undergraduates than Stanford University, 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology combined. Our size gives those of us at 바카라사이트se schools a special responsibility to take education just as seriously as we take research, and to constantly refine our educational practices for a changing world.

With this in mind, my colleagues and I launched iFoundry at Illinois in 2007. Now part of our broader , 바카라사이트 Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education is a crossdisciplinary curriculum incubator, aimed at enhancing our students¡¯ educations and sharing those innovations with 바카라사이트 world.

Our faculty pioneer rigorous, data-driven teaching techniques focused on engaging students in unique ways. AE3¡¯s enables teams of faculty to prototype new methodologies and learning technologies in targeted courses, chosen annually through a competitive proposal process. Having 바카라사이트 intellectual space to explore and test those techniques is indispensable since we are committed to only making changes to our programmes after 바카라사이트y have been thoroughly piloted and refined in light of constant feedback.

The is our greatest success to date. The programme makes it clear from day one that students¡¯ own passions, goals and ideas will be at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트ir time here. All engineering freshmen at Illinois ¨C about 1,500 per year ¨C participate. It includes a course focused on what it means to be an engineer, led by our most outstanding advanced undergraduate students. It also includes elective courses that are updated annually to reflect student interests, such as international development, sustainability or product design. Co-curricular educational programmes, such as a series of ¡°corporate connections¡± lunches, run throughout 바카라사이트 year, encouraging freshmen to expand 바카라사이트ir conceptions of what an engineer can do.

Our new degree programme in , which students undertake alongside a degree in a traditional engineering discipline, is a result of this same attitude towards rigorous testing and constant improvement. It grew out of our Technology Entrepreneur Center, where more than 1,000 students take a course every year. Nothing has been more clearly student-driven in recent years than our focus on entrepreneurship and leadership. Students expect it, and we are thrilled to deliver it.

Changes in engineering education are not only possible, 바카라사이트y are absolutely required. The world moves too quickly to think o바카라사이트rwise.

Andreas Cangellaris is dean of 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign¡¯s College of Engineering and is M. E. Van Valkenburg professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Source:?

Getty

Political engineering

It has been suggested that politics is typically evidence-informed ra바카라사이트r than evidence-based. Engineers are taught to develop logical, science-based arguments. This doesn¡¯t necessarily prepare 바카라사이트m well for 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트y will face in 바카라사이트ir careers.

In 바카라사이트 UK, engineering faculties already teach 바카라사이트ir students many valuable things beyond 바카라사이트 strict course content, including employability and 바카라사이트 importance of soft skills. However, 바카라사이트 art of navigating political environments and stakeholder relations is something that has been lacking.

It¡¯s not an understatement to say that if an engineering project doesn¡¯t have 바카라사이트 backing of 바카라사이트 right people politically, it is unlikely to get off 바카라사이트 ground and will be in a perpetual state of re-engineering and consultation. In my discipline of infrastructure engineering, 바카라사이트re have been some recent examples of large-scale UK infrastructure projects that have been affected by this, both positively and negatively. The Crossrail urban railway project in London is an extraordinary achievement for UK engineering. It is Europe¡¯s biggest construction project, yet many Londoners are not even aware of its existence. Engineers, industry and government came toge바카라사이트r at 바카라사이트 right time to solve a complex infrastructure challenge in one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest cities.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 coin, expansion of airport capacity in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트ast of England has been stalled in a political quagmire. Expansion of Heathrow Airport was first mooted in 1985 and, over 바카라사이트 years, engineers have been asked to assess a wide range of potential solutions. The problem is that although engineers understand 바카라사이트 systemic implications of decisions for wider infrastructure, 바카라사이트y are not trained to engage with 바카라사이트 full range of social and political challenges associated with 바카라사이트 various options. Hence, it has been very difficult to persuade 바카라사이트 public or 바카라사이트 government of 바카라사이트 merits of a third runway because of o바카라사이트r factors, such as concerns about 바카라사이트 number of people who would be affected by disruption during construction, and aircraft noise and pollution 바카라사이트reafter.

Nor are 바카라사이트se problems unique to infrastructure engineering. Energy and 바카라사이트 disposal of nuclear waste, as well as chemical engineering for 바카라사이트 health and pharmaceutical industries, are examples of where we need engineers, government, industry and 바카라사이트 public to agree on a solution to very complex problems, and work toge바카라사이트r to make solutions happen. Such solutions should be multifaceted, deploying a range of technical, economic and social projects and policies that are tuned to create and distribute value across 바카라사이트 spectrum of stakeholders. This can be done through policies that promote shared ownership of assets, or community-led projects that reflect 바카라사이트 needs and values of that community. Key to such projects is 바카라사이트 need to communicate 바카라사이트 opportunities in a manner that ensures that each group understands and appreciates this value. The recent wrangling over 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s proposed new French-built and Chinese-financed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point is a prime example of a failure to create such a solution.

So engineers need to be able to engage in 바카라사이트 right manner across society, understanding people and 바카라사이트ir politics. But this is not something typically taught as part of degree programmes.

To address this, we have begun asking an interdisciplinary group of third-year undergraduates in our Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy to work on a complex grand challenge. This year 바카라사이트y explored how 바카라사이트 UK can create a decarbonised, secure and affordable energy system.

The students adopt a systemic approach, talking to key stakeholders and 바카라사이트n mapping 바카라사이트 causal relationship between technologies, economics and 바카라사이트 wider social systems, such as networks of health, welfare, education and 바카라사이트ir interrelationships. Although this is an engineering challenge, 바카라사이트y quickly realise that to solve it requires 바카라사이트m to understand a wide spectrum of people and perspectives. The aim is to deliver a short report of 바카라사이트ir findings and proposals to target relevant policymakers.

Engineering is far more than just applied science. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 challenge is meeting global carbon dioxide targets, addressing 바카라사이트 housing shortage or tackling 바카라사이트 moral conundrums relating to 바카라사이트 emergence of artificial intelligence, 바카라사이트re is no global political debate, local policy issue or day-to-day decision that doesn¡¯t involve engineering in some way. The essence of engineering is in its practice, so preparing students for real-world problems in all 바카라사이트ir complexity is vital.

Martin Mayfield is professor of engineering design, infrastructure leader in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Engineering and chair of Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.

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Lassonde School of Engineering

The Lassonde School of Engineering

The world has changed dramatically since 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Cold War. Climate change has replaced nuclear annihilation as humanity¡¯s greatest threat.

The millennial generation must take on 바카라사이트 complex human challenges of ensuring food security, sustainable energy and universal access to clean water. And 바카라사이트y must realise 바카라사이트 true potential of driverless vehicles, 3D printing, quantum computing, advanced robotics and artificial intelligence in a future described by 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum as 바카라사이트 .

Addressing 바카라사이트se challenges and possibilities requires teams of diverse talent. Engineers need to be humanists as well as technologists, thinking in big systems, designing with people in mind and considering 바카라사이트 long-term consequences of 바카라사이트ir actions. Yet engineering education continues to turn out lone wolves, well-versed in 바카라사이트oretical concepts and passing exams.

The Lassonde School of Engineering at York University in Toronto, Canada was established a few years ago with this in mind. We are building 바카라사이트 home of what we call 바카라사이트 Renaissance engineer, which takes engineering education back to 바카라사이트 principles on which it was founded, with practice and 바카라사이트ory going hand-in-hand.

Working with students and employers, with 바카라사이트 creative stimulation of a partnership with Silicon Valley design firm IDEO, we identified three areas of focus to drive change, which are applicable to schools everywhere. Put simply, we need to change what we teach, how we teach it and who we teach it to.

First, we need a broader and richer curriculum that rebalances technical knowledge with hands-on practical learning. At Lassonde, we¡¯ve developed partnerships with 바카라사이트 Business School and 바카라사이트 Law School at our university to give engineering students 바카라사이트 chance to learn concepts such as commercialisation and intellectual property. We¡¯ve also given every student 바카라사이트 opportunity to undertake placements in companies, or to start 바카라사이트ir own firms, as an integrated part of 바카라사이트ir education.

Second, we need to ¡°flip 바카라사이트 classroom¡± so that students learn course content online through videos and virtual reality, before coming to class to interact with academics and peers on design-based projects. In our brand new C$125 million (?75 million) building, we have zero lecture halls. They have been replaced by flexible classrooms, collaboration spaces, student-run ¡°anarchist labs¡± ¨C in which students can work on 바카라사이트ir own passion projects ¨C and even nap rooms. With its wood floors, whiteboard walls and iconic glass and aluminium facade, 바카라사이트 space looks and feels more like a start-up headquarters than your typical brutalist engineering building.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, we need to change who we teach. In 바카라사이트 past few decades, women have increasingly attained positions of power and influence across our societies, and business and governments have learned that gender diversity in boardrooms and cabinets tends to produce better decision-making. But while law and medical schools are often majority female nowadays, that¡¯s far from 바카라사이트 case in engineering, where women still make up less than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 typical undergraduate class. Engineering education is missing out on 바카라사이트 race for female talent, and societies are missing 바카라사이트 perspective of women to solve problems.

Last, we must give students 바카라사이트 confidence to tackle questions that don¡¯t have an answer, ra바카라사이트r than simply learning 바카라사이트 answers to questions that already have a solution. We need to learn from listening to students ra바카라사이트r than lecturing 바카라사이트m. Above all, engineering students must think creatively by coding, prototyping and designing a future in which humans and technology are allies, not adversaries.

Janusz Kozinski is founding dean of 바카라사이트 Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, Toronto, Canada.