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The Global Engineering Challenge

What and why? - Project initiation & aims

Planning & development:

Resource development & testing

PG Facilitators

Alumni & Industry

An example: What do you know about the world?

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What & Why – Initiation & Aims

Global Engineering Challenge

20-credit modules -

reduced January exam

periodEWB Challenge

+EWB Sheffield

Profile

Cross-faculty inter-

disciplinary interactions

Employability skills and

awareness

International / Global

dimension

3

Initial planning & development

9 departments900 students

Format

Rooms

Aims & learning

outcomes

AssessmentTeaching /

engagement

4

Resource DevelopmentProjects• Specifications• Assessment criteria

9 “taught” sessions • Intro & finale – 3 large lecture theatres•7 facilitated sessions – hub rooms

Aims• Interactive•Non-expert facilitator-led

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Resource DevelopmentUG Student Resource developers• 2 general resource developers• 1 with website design skills• 10 weeks over summer and beyond

• Job adverts & interviews:– Communication / writing ability / IT skills– Sustainability knowledge / awareness / interest– Empathy with facilitator & 1st year student– Motivation / autonomy

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UG Resource DevelopersStudent:

“it's made me consider much more the way I learn and retain information, as well as giving me a greater appreciation for effort made by academic staff to improve the experiences of students.”

Staff:– Learn a lot from close interaction –creative ideas,

insights, relevance, language– Takes time to co-ordinate, guide, advise, review–Well worth it.

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Facilitator Selection & Training

• Facilitation skills• Interest in project aims• Experience of group working

25 hubs = 27 PG facilitators• Enthusiastic and engaging. • Confidence in taking responsibility • Empathy with 1st years.

PhD supervisor agreement

Training• STA training – Small Group Teaching / Seminar Facilitation• GEC training – resources • Developing your skills as a facilitator – STA & GEC

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Resource TestingSessions need to be engaging

Sessions delivered by non experts

• 6 Engineering students (not 1st year)• Run facilitated session• Feedback from students, observers, facilitator

1. Facilitated by staff member involved2. Facilitator interviews3. Facilitated by novice facilitator…

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Employability - Industry & Alumni

Aim – engagement with career planning

Problems – Students don’t think about jobs / applications until Y3 or Y4– Not aware of skills required / can’t articulate skills developed

• How?– Involve industry employers • What do they look for in graduates

– Involve recent alumni • From experience - advice about applications• Good response – students keen to be involved

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Summary – what have we learned

• Value of employing UG resource developers• Value of selection process for PG facilitators• Value of testing materials• Need for training facilitators• Recent alumni keen to support• Good LeTS support essential• Time & effort – lots to do!

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Global Issues and Sustainability

What do you know about the world?

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The Global Engineering Challenge

Welcome

Global Issues

The Employers View

The Engineers Without Borders Challenge

The Global Engineering Challenge

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Global Issues and Sustainability

What do you know about the world?

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In October 2011, the world population reached 7 billion

It took until 1800 for the world population to reach 1 billion

Now 1 billion will be added in 13 years

7 billion

The UN forecasts that by 2100, the population will have tripled in “high fertility” countries and have fallen in “low fertility countries”.

How will this impact

on you?

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If the world population were represented by 100 people, how many would live in Europe?

1 2 3 4 5 6

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. 12. 63. 74. 115. 156. 60

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If the world population were represented by 100 people, how many would live in Africa?

1 2 3 4 5 6

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. 12. 63. 74. 115. 156. 60

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If the world population were represented by 100 people, how many would live in Asia?

1 2 3 4 5 6

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. 12. 63. 74. 115. 156. 60

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If the world were represented by 100 people,how many would live in absolute poverty (<2$ a

day)?

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. 122. 133. 204. 305. 396. 48

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Facts: Wealth

• The richest 2% of adults in the world own > 50% of the global wealth

• The poorest 50% of adults in the world own 1% of the global wealth

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If the world were represented by 100 people,

how many would not be able to read and write?

1 2 3 4 5 6

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. 122. 133. 204. 305. 396. 48

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Fact: Education• 872 million people in the world are illiterate• 2/3 of them are women• Education is not free in many developing

countries

• Low levels of literacy and education are a massive impediment to development

Poverty Education

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How sustainable is our lifestyle?

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How many planets are needed to support the UK?

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0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. One

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How many planets are needed to support the United Arab Emirates?

1 2 3 4 5

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

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How many planets are needed to support India?

1 2 3 4 5

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. One

2. Two

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What do your lecturers think about these issues?