On the Search of New Engineering Curriculum Model for the 21 st Century B. Rakhshani University of the Highlands and Islands Department of Aeronautical.

On the Search of New Engineering Curriculum Model for the 21st Century

B. Rakhshani University of the Highlands and Islands

Department of Aeronautical and Aircraft Engineering

Perth – United Kingdom

9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

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Objectivities of the Presentation

Engineering curriculum model definitionCurriculum model requirementsResearch-based (PBL) approach(Aerospace/Aircraft) Engineering curriculum

model performance analysis (survey)

Curriculum for Employability

“To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure” –

Peter Hawkins

It’s all about securing employment


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Definitions (New) models of education and training must be developed to provide

accelerated development of engineering staff with potential as skilled

specialists and engineering leaders in the future

As well as providing fundamental knowledge and understanding in

engineering and technology driven subjects, experience must be gained

on professional problem solving, implementation of quality and control in

engineering processes and business awareness of the engineering

development

The model should provide a balance between hands-on engineering

technical experience and theory by wide range of technical training and

academic study9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

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Curriculum Model Requirements: Curriculum for Transferable skills

Engineering Leadership: take control of situations in problem solving, design tasks, and managing effectively work loads within a team .

Analytical skills: evaluate information effectively by applying (scientific (technical/theoretical) principles) , attention to detail, perseverance and maintaining focus.

Innovation: having new ideas. It is the ability to identify new opportunities, generate solutions, make improvements and to think creatively and enterprisingly in order to produce an effective outcome.

Adaptability: anticipating and responding to changing circumstances and coping effectively with the transition. Fit into a new environment quickly and easily.

Initiative: Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and to introduce a new course of action. To be resilient, tenacious and determined.

Skills Transferability: Be able to pass existing skills onto different roles that may or may not require (new) different skills.


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Developing abilities in the students that are broad and multiple and

also transferable to other (engineering) contexts

Multiple and/or transferable skills include managerial skills,

leadership, communication, working in teams, problem solving,

innovation, flexibility and adaptation to new roles and specialisation

In current employment environment, graduates and trainees are

required to adapt constantly changing roles, take on new tasks and

be able to learn new skills to accommodate diverse performance


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Objectives of the Curriculum for Transferable skills

Curriculum for Transferable skills

A particular strength of developing new

educational model for multiple/transferable

skills is that students can easily transfer their

knowledge and skills to other degree courses or

to new job’s roles.


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Research- based Approach (Nexus of Healey)


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Research-based and Multiskill Learning

As for engineering students research findings and new

engineering development can help to finalise the

understanding of an engineering concept, or learn about

problem solving in greater scale. Research-oriented

teaching places more emphasis on developing new ideas

and multidisciplinary skills, which is a key factor in today’s

employment success


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Interdisciplinary Approach for Research-based Teaching: the Engineering Modelling


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New Engineering Curriculum at the University of Melbourne (the use of Math- Works Tools (Engineering Modelling))

Engineering students at Melbourne University (Mechanical

Engineering department) use MATLAB, Simulink, and other

MathWorks software (research and engineering modelling tools)

Benefited students throughout the entire engineering curriculum,

from first-year classes to advanced senior projects and graduate

research

Students use these tools in coursework in many disciplines,

including engineering science, applied mathematics, finance,

economics, and medical science.


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Engineering Modelling R&D Investment Growth and Intensity Across Major Countries European countries are taking important measures to provide funding for education and training

in engineering modelling, including initiatives to foster industrial collaboration to be able to

compete with the global engineering modelling innovation environment


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Indicative model for educating and training (aerospace/aircraft)

engineers which includes three main elements of education, training,

and research-based learning (Perth College UHI)


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Curriculum Model Performance The model is built based on the performance observation of undergraduate degree and non-

degree trainee students (mechanics) in Perth College UHI and AST (Air Service Training –

aircraft engineering training organization) respectively

Engineering modelling was integrated into course-works and problem solving activities. This

has merited the research-based teaching and learning process

Students can now bridge between the context of a theory and the actual system’s practical

aspect of design, operation and maintenance.

The modelling technique for example, helps the students with understanding and applying an

underlying physical process of an engineering system into simulated environment where a

thorough (numerical) engineering analysis is configured.

Students’ feedback indicates how they are comfortable with processing the received

information/knowledge from the course and the application into realistic practical problems


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Model’s Skills’ Survey

Working with others (communication, team working, leadership,

negotiation, networking)

Solving problems (innovation, research, analytical skills, problem

solving)

Work ready skills (Commercial awareness, Adaptability, Decision

making, Flexibility, Numeracy skills, IT Skills, Time Management,

Organisation skills, Initiative, Skills transferability, Subject

specialising, Across-speciality roles)


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Survey Questionnaire

where each of the skills can be developed

effectively; at education (University), at

work/training, or at spare time (social

experience)


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Results of Surveyed Staff and Students on the Capacity of Achieving Employability Skills in Education


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Conclusion Engineering curricula need to adapt new directions in teaching and training to

accommodate for the diverse and challenging employment environment.

How students can develop multiple and transferable skills for the 21st century to

meet the demand for broader and specialized skills on graduation

Developing and maintaining a teaching model must comprehend students’

education and training needs, market need and skills for the 21st century.

Implementing the problem-based teaching technique by means of engineering

modelling proved to be an effective approach in complementing theoretical

knowledge and developing a wide range of engineering disciplinary skills.


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On the Search of New Engineering Curriculum Model for the 21 st Century B. Rakhshani University of the Highlands and Islands Department of Aeronautical.

Documents

new engineering development

new skills

engineering science

engineering processes

engineering concept

entire engineering curriculum

heriotwatt university

new different skills