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Reprinted with permission from Engineering Times Educating the
Engineer of the Future Today's world of engineering is changing and engineers are encountering new challenges. For instance, businesses operate at a faster pace, the explosion of high-tech enterprises has produced a need for constant and rapid creativity, and even advanced engineering research is being conducted within the pressures of a heated business climate. Businesses are demanding engineers with not only a high level of skill in their engineering discipline, but with a number of other strengths, such as the ability to communicate clearly, the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, and the ability to function in a global culture. Today's engineering students are confronted with the possibilities and perils of new technology, especially computers and the Internet. The possibilities are there to allow much more effective engineering learning and work; the perils include the rapid obsolescence of skills and the concomitant need for lifelong learning. Surveys of industries employing engineers have resulted in comments that while new engineering graduates are well trained in their disciplines, they are often unprepared for aspects of real-world work, such as the need for effective written and oral communications, the ability to work effectively in teams, an understanding of business practices, and an appreciation of global culture. Heavy discipline requirements in engineering curricula leave little scope for training in these other aspects of the world of work. A common problem for engineering colleges is the high attrition rate-about 40% of freshmen do not continue in engineering. Anecdotal information indicates that the lack of a link between early education and real engineering is a partial cause of this attrition. To meet the needs of today's engineers, universities must move aggressively to create a new paradigm for their education. At the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering, for example, we are taking specific actions to put in place the infrastructure, processes, materials, equipment, and personnel educate in this new way. Our vision, which we feel should be well on the way to full implementation within five years, defines an open curriculum whereby students enter a design or research project as a freshman. The projects will be multidisciplinary in nature, and will include students across all four years. The students will contribute to the project within their disciplinary area, but will see their contribution as a part of the multidisciplinary task. Upward progression will occur by proficiency as demonstrated through various mechanisms. Senior engineering students will mentor entry-level students, thereby furthering their understanding of the information and developing management and mentoring skills. Students will learn material as it is necessary for their component of the project, which will improve their comprehension of the material and teach them life-long-learning skills. This learning may take place through peer mentoring, Web-based modules, courses, or combinations thereof. Where feasible, courses will be divided into modules, which would promote "just-in-time" learning in the project-driven curriculum. For instance, if the student's project assignment requires the use of differential equations, the student could focus on a differential equations module to get the skills necessary to solve the problem. We have already started on this path. For example, a program was instituted in 1998 to have every freshman purchase a laptop computer. An infrastructure was put in place so that the laptops could communicate wirelessly, allowing students and faculty to interact in new ways inside and outside the classroom. OU professors are actively developing new software tools and processes to take advantage of this portability and connectivity. There are some growing pains, such as the need for more "wired" classrooms and educational software modules, but the program is showing promise of demonstrating a new way to teach engineering. The changing world of engineering demands that we alter the way we educate future engineers. We are now well on the way to achieving that goal. Donna Shirley is Assistant Dean of Oklahoma University's College of Engineering. She was the first woman manager of a NASA program-the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Exploration Program-and the original leader of the team that built the Sojourner Rover. This article is based on the work of the students, faculty and staff of the College of Engineering of the University of Oklahoma. |
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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