Advances in Engineering Education & Engineering Practice Research

James Trevelyan

1976-1993

Youtube: “robot sheep shearing”

1996 - 2002

http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/demining

Outline

• Ten transformative ideas in education

• A new theoretical foundation for engineering

• Future challenge for engineers

Ten Transformative Ideas in Education

Efficient Effective Enjoyable Teaching

• Focus on essential content – threshold concepts – deciding outcomes.

• Decide how to assess: how will you know?

• Promote high levels of engagement and motivation.

• Efficient, effective pedagogy.

• Monitor students’ progress: adjust to their actual learning, not the curriculum!

References: Bransford et al “How People Learn” Ambrose et al “How Learning Works”

Learn to teach well and enjoy it!

Learn to enjoy teaching by doing it well

http://www.skiclubvail.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Montana-Marzario-Racing-Slalom-At-The-U18-Championships-low-res-.jpg

Idea 1: Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky, 1978

Formulated in 1920s

Idea 2: Threshold Concepts1

• Hard to ‘appropriate’

• Once learned, students find further advances much easier

• Focus explanations on threshold concepts

• Variation method2 – students learn by perceiving differences more than similarities (Up to 70% improvement)

1. Cousin, G. (2006). An introduction to threshold concepts. Planet. University of Plymouth, UK, Higher Education Academy: Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Subject Centre. 17: 4-5. 2. Marton, F. and M. F. Pang (2006). "On Some Necessary Conditions of Learning." The Journal of Learning Sciences 15(2): 193-220.

Idea 3: How learning works How we see lecturing

Idea 3: How learning works How we see private study learning

What actually happens

.... and later .....

Idea 4: Language comprises symbols

Idea 4: Language comprises symbols

Meanings from symbols combine to form ideas

What people understand from words depends on prior knowledge, motivation, physical state, emotional state

Idea 5: Constructionist explanation

• We interpret what we see and hear in terms of what we already know

• We fit new knowledge into our existing world view.

What does this mean?

Idea 6: Improved listening

• Accurate listening requires learned skills and practice

• Typically 5% - 40% without training

• 50% - 98% with training

• Taking notes – concept mapping (easy to monitor)

• Stories easier to remember than random topics

• Providing alternatives can erode listening skills (pre-prepared notes, handouts etc.), but.....

Trevelyan, J. P. (2014). The Making of an Expert Engineer. London, CRC

Press/Balkema - Taylor & Francis, Ch6.

Idea 7: Attention span

Engineers Australia Magazine, 82:8 Aug 2010 p35.

Biggs, John (1999), Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Open University Press, Buckingham, p101

... with interruptions

Idea 8: Learning Pyramid

Idea 9: Reciprocal teaching

Brown, A. L., D. Ash, et al. (1993). Distributed expertise in the classroom. Distributed cognitions: psychological and educational considerations. G. Salomon, Cambridge University Press: 188-228.

Idea 10: Jigsaw Learning – stage 1, expert

groups

Jigsaw Learning – stage 2, distribute expertise

Jigsaw Learning – stage 3: cross fertilisation

Outline

• Ten transformative ideas in education

• A new theoretical foundation for engineering

• Future challenges for engineers

Theoretical Foundations of Engineering

Engineers find optimal solutions in the presence of constraints. "The engineering method (often called design) is the use of heuristics to cause the best change and an uncertain situation within the available resources.” Billy Koen, The Engineering Method and its Implications for Scientific, Philosophical and Universal Methods, 2009

Technical problem solving Design

Grinter Report (1955) Mathematics Physics Chemistry “Practice-based education limits ability of graduates to employ current and future advances in mathematics and science to improve technology”

Industry comments led to major changes: “inability of engineers to express themselves in clear, concise, effective and interesting language” “importance to engineers of an acquaintance with the humanities and social sciences” …….. Minimum 20% of curriculum!

Contemporary engineering education, based on this model of engineering, leads to dissatisfied graduates, many of whom are under-employed… And leaves billions of people in misery….. Research on engineering practice explains why, and what can be done about that.

Trevelyan, J. P. (2014). The Making of an Expert Engineer. London, CRC Press/Balkema - Taylor & Francis.

$35/tonne

16:9 mask

Asianet Pakistan / Shutterstock

$70/tonne

Hyderabad, India

$2/tonne

(Perth cost, including connection, 2012)

New theoretical foundation for

Engineering

Creating Value Assertion:

Engineers create value by improving human productivity:

o Reducing human effort o Reducing material & energy consumption o Building sufficient confidence for

financial investment o Reliable delivery of results, coordination

of people

Earning power?

• Engineers in Pakistan and India earn 1/4 – 1/3 of their counterparts in Australia, UK, USA etc.

• Engineers earn much higher salary as programmers!?!?!?

• Engineers in Australia, UK, USA often earn less than other professionals with comparable education

• In Australia, many taxi drivers can earn more than engineers with 10 years experience.

Dissatisfaction among engineers

• Underpaid.

• Want more respect

• More opportunities for leadership

• Passed over for leadership opportunities by project managers without engineering qualifications.

(Survey, n 4,500)

American Society of Civil Engineers (2008). The Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025. Reston, Virginia, USA, ASCE Steering Committee to Plan a Summit on the Future of the Civil Engineering Profession in 2025. 114pp.

Skills shortages

• Employers cannot find engineers with appropriate skills (even in worst time in global financial recession – 2010-2012)

• Large number of engineering graduates remain either unemployed, or in unrelated occupations.

• Disillusioned young engineers leave profession after a few years.

Theory-based education shapes a discipline

Theory-based education shapes a discipline

• Engineering students at university learn to write mathematical solutions for narrowly defined technical analytical problem in examinations.

• Engineers only create value to the extent that

– they can understand human needs in terms of technical possibilities,

– make accurate technical and commercial predictions to gain investor confidence, and then

– influence the actions of many others to deliver valuable outcomes, by ensuring that technical ideas are implemented sufficiently aligned with intent to yield predicted outcomes.

Technical Collaboration Research finding:

Engineers spend >60% of time on technical collaboration

o Not taught in management schools or engineering courses

o Seen by most as “not real engineering” o Common to all engineering disciplines o Relies on distributed knowledge

Engineering Practice

Engineering practice: the work that engineers do that is common to all disciplines.

Knowledge used by expert engineers.

Help younger engineers develop attributes of experts quickly.

Outline

• Ten transformative ideas in education

• A new theoretical foundation for engineering

• Future challenges for engineers

Turner, G. M. (2008). "A comparison of The Limits to Growth with 30 years of reality." Global Environmental Change 18: 397-411.