SIG: Future Engineering Education Directions (FEED)

Dr Prue Howard
Convenor

Purpose

To conduct research projects and scholarly activities associated with the development of engineering education.

Like other professional education programs in universities, engineering education faces the ‘triple challenge' (Ehrmann, 1996); to increase participation and access-improve quality-and reduce cost per student. The engineering profession is also seeking to promote a change in the culture of professional education from traditional passive and technical to more active, engaged personal and professional (Johnson, 1996; King, 2008). In addition to these challenges, learning environments at CQUni are complex as they involve multi-campus and multi-mode operations, a strong emphasis on technology-based learning environments and well as a diverse student body with mature, remote and international students.

Strategic Deliverables

The CQUni Engineering program and its staff have demonstrated a capacity and a propensity for practical innovation in education. This experience provides a firm foundation for further development. To make CQUniversity a preferred provider of engineering education, we must build on our experience with systematic, focused scholarship. Experience and innovation become scholarship when three things happen (Shulman, 1999):

• learning and teaching practices are articulated and made public;
• they become an object of critical review and evaluation by members of one's community;
• and when members of one's community begin to use, build upon, and develop their experiences and innovations

This Special Interest Group aims to address the triple challenge (access-quality-cost) and to develop a more effective and professional learning culture by engaging the power of scholarship to improve learning and teaching practices. Participation of non engineers is strongly supported as the current push in engineering education is the consideration of sustainability and interdisciplinary practice. 

Members

FEED currently has 20 Members (Last Updated March 2011)

Current interest areas of members include:
 Professional practice
 Identity
 Assessment
 Choice of engineering as a profession
 Quality systems in education
 Interdisciplinary Practice
 Project Based Learning
 Work Integrated Learning
 Technology for Supporting Development
 Sustainability

Additional Detail

References:

Ehrmann, S. C. (1996). Responding to the Triple Challenge Facing Post-secondary education: Accessibility, Quality, Costs. In Information Technology and the Future of Post-secondary Education (pp. 9-41). Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Johnson, P. (1996). Changing the culture: Engineering education into the future. Canberra: Institution of Engineers, Australia.

King, R. (2008). Engineers for the future: Addressing the supply and quality of engineering graduates for the 21st century. Sydney: Australian Council of Engineering Deans with support from Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

Shulman, L.S. (1999). Taking Learning Seriously. Change, July/August 1999. Volume 31, Number 4. Pages 10-17. Retrieved on 29 April 2004 from http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/elibrary/docs/taking.htm