New Approach to Teaching of

Engineering

Rana Imam
Craig Childs
Patricia Idaewor

VOLUME 13
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING
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New Approach to Teaching of Engineering
Rana Imam, University College London, United Kingdom
Craig Childs, University College London, United Kingdom
Patricia Idaewor, University College London, United Kingdom

Abstract: In the teaching of engineering in universities, it is a common tendency to emphasise the numerical skills and
methods in the problem definition and solution. While this mathematical approach is right and necessary, on its own it is
not sufficient to prepare graduates to meet the challenges of their future practice. Designing for people with diverse needs,
capabilities and interests requires compromise solutions rather than absolute numerically optimised solutions. This paper
presents the case for integrating consideration of human factors into the teaching of core engineering courses. With this,
engineering graduates will become well-rounded and able to make sound decisions that consider the impact of their designs
on people. If associated learning in primary schools is used to good effect, why not extend the concept and continue to use
this technique in later study? One solution is project-based learning. Problem based learning (PBL) is a huge step forward
from the learn-by-rote methods, but it is not the whole answer. This is because with PBL, the student is always presented
with a problem; however, in real life, the engineer must ask the question "how do you know you have a problem?" If all
you learn is done by PBL, you never quite have to address this really important issue. Failure to do so means that there is
a tendency to approach a problem from the perspective of your pre-existing knowledge - a highway engineer will see every
problem as a highways one, a structural engineer as a structures problem etc: "to a hammer, every problem is a nail". By
developing the skill of determining what the 'problem' is, we can make our engineer(ing student)s much more capable of
bringing fully perceptive approaches to the resolution of the issues facing civilisation in the twenty-first century. The paper
will discuss the above issues, first in the broad conceptual sense and then will consider how this might be incorporated into
engineering degree programmes, using the opportunity afforded by the radical approach to the design of degree programmes
currently being introduced in the Civil & Environmental Engineering department at UCL as a real-world example for study.

Keywords: Current Engineering Education, Numerical Methods lacking Human Factors, Social Sciences Intergrated into
Scientific Degrees, New Approach to Teaching of Engineering

Introduction In this paper, we present our observations of an

issue we consider critical for the relevance of univer-
HE UNDERLYING MOTIVATION for

T this paper has been the collective experience

and observations of the authors that the style
of engineering teaching does not fully pre-
pare the engineering graduate for the requirements
sity education to today’s workplace. We have also
presented suggestions as to how this issue could be
addressed.

Present Way of Teaching Engineering

of the workplace. We have observed problems in the
workplace of a shortfall between the output of the Learning starts in school by association. Learning is
current engineering teaching style and the expecta- achieved by associating abstract concepts to human
tions of the major employers of engineering gradu- situations. Then, as we progress through the school
ates. These observations were confirmed by the As- hierarchy, we begin to learn in categories; mathem-
sociation of Graduate Recruiters survey (2006). atics, English, physics, and biology for example, are
As engineering researchers and not career educa- taught as separate subjects. As the concepts develop,
tionists, we acknowledge that there may be finer the approach becomes more theoretical and the topics
points to this issue than we have considered. This less integrated. At university level, specialty dictates
paper is therefore, our call to educationists to address the type of courses undertaken. These courses are
this issue in greater detail. The issue is how to create often referred to as core courses and for a typical
a holistic engineering curriculum and syllabus that civil engineering program could include the courses
prepares the student for the workplace. presented in Table1.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING,

VOLUME 13, 2006
http://www.Learning-Journal.com, ISSN 1447-9494 (print), 1447-9540 (online)
© Common Ground, Rana Imam, Craig Childs, Patricia Idaewor, All Rights Reserved, Permissions: cg-support@commongroundpublishing.com
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING, VOLUME 13

Table 1
Year 1 Year 2
Physics Statistics
Maths Surveying
Chemistry Construction Materials
Mechanics Information Technology
Thermodynamics Maths
Drawing Environmental Engineering
Computer programming Mechanics of Materials
Electric Circuits Fluid Mechanics
Structures I
Year 3 Year 4
Structures II Construction Management
Concrete I&II Foundation Engineering
Hydraulics and Laboratory Transportation Engineering
Highway Engineering Final Year Project
Soil Mechanics Technical Electives
Hydrology
Water & Wastewater Treatment
Engineering Geology
Technical English

Table 2
Electives
Biology
Environmental Microbiology
Social Sciences
Economics

From looking at the output of university teaching, including: economics/politics; law and legislation;
we must consider the requirements of recruiters. social sciences; environmental issues; end-user in-
From a review of advertisements for engineering terests; management; leadership; communication;
jobs in civil, mechanical and transport engineering writing and presentation.
journals, key phrases have been summarised in Table There is therefore a need for soft skills and the
3. The engineering degree is a base requirement, with ability to apply the knowledge of external course and
chartered engineer status showing a commitment to topics in engineering practice. In addition, we would
the profession. Each job will require some specific argue that there is an overlooked element of the re-
technical knowledge. Once these elements have been quired soft skills: human issues and disability
included, the adverts list a number of soft skills. It awareness. It is better to consider the human impact
is the lack of these skills that contributes to the of designing a new road junction before implement-
problem in filling graduate vacancies (Association ation; hearing about problems later that have to be
for Graduate Recruiters). rectified at considerable cost.
Table 3 indicates that engineering students need
to have knowledge of and skill in the many fields,

Table 3
Job Adverts - Key Phrases
Engineering graduate
CEng or working towards it
Topic Specific Knowledge/Experience: for example, mechanical design/ finite element modelling/ computer
aided design/ transport planning
Enthusiastic, self-motivated, good team player, flexible, creative
Leadership skills, coach and motivate others
 RANA IMAM, CRAIG CHILDS, PATRICIA IDAEWOR

Numerate, analytical skills, interpretative reporting

Good writing, communication, presentation and IT skills
Commercial awareness, business skills, awareness of relevant legislation

Table 4: UCL Student Key Skills Portfolio

Academic Skills Self-Management Skills
Library Research Reflection on Learning
Synthesis of Data Self-awareness/Assessment
Critical Thinking Action planning/Decision making
Active Learning Time management/Self discipline
Problem Solving Independence
Project Management Initiative/Proactive approach
Creativity/Innovation Budgeting
Communication Skills Interpersonal Skills
Written materials Groupwork /Teamwork
Oral/Visual presentations Understanding/Tolerance of others
Active Listening Negotiation
Foreign Language(s) Peer assessment
Numeracy Leadership
Information Skills Manage change/Adaptability
IT Skills Other

Discussion a component in his designs as safety, serviceability,

and economy.
We believe that it is necessary that science, engineer- Language itself is an issue. If taught in the engin-
ing, and technology subjects incorporate individual eering context and not as an elective, it would enrich
and collective human social elements that link the communication skills and expand the library of ana-
social to the technical science. logies for writing technical reports and conveying
Not every soft skill would be relevant to every ideas to policy makers and the common public.
problem encountered in an engineering course. UCL’s Department of Civil and Environmental En-
However, if the issues learned are considered for gineering have resorted to a freelance writer, Paul
each problem, this reinforcement will improve the Brown, who is former Environment Correspondent
possibility that the students will, as a matter of daily for the Guardian Newspaper to run workshops for
practice, apply the same thought processes to their students. The six to eight workshops per year for
work after graduation. first year students are mainly on communication
Stretching the professional qualification to include skills including: research skills, analyzing informa-
human factor considerations would enable the prac- tion, structuring the information, getting the story
titioner to incorporate these elements in the design straight and finally putting in into different genres.
process rather than add them as a secondary thought The additional topics could equally be taught by
at a later stage. specialists within the different departments, special-
With some knowledge of psychology, a transport ists invited to the department, the local lecturers, or
planner might predict better the thinking process student self study. The optimal solution will depend
dictating travel decisions and behaviour. Most mod- on the local situation. Courses taught in outside de-
els assume that time and costs are the most important partments may have the advantage of being covered
factors behind choices, thus not accounting for other by specialist educators, but may suffer from a lack
equally important factors like safety, comfort, access- of relevance or application to the core subject. Invit-
ibility and convenience. ing specialists to the department (from both industry
Similarly consider designing an interface for a and other academic departments) and incorporating
software application: with insight into the psychology them into the whole course may be the ideal solution.
of human-computer interaction, one can optimise This could give industrial relevance thereby encour-
the overall ergonomics of the software tool; hence aging and enthusing the students, whilst keeping the
making it more user-friendly and popular. specialist topic closely related to the core subject.
Take the case of a civil engineer: stretching the However, this option requires considerable time
artistic dimension of his profession brings him close commitment from the invited specialists and may be
to architecture. Aesthetics readily become as integral expensive. Local lecturers could help keep the topics
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING, VOLUME 13

relevant throughout the student’s undergraduate The programme is structured around a series of
programme, but would have to be interested in the scenarios-eight during the first two years-which put
specialist subject to ensure that it continues to have the teaching into context. A scenario might consist
the required importance in the curriculum. of four weeks of teaching followed by one week in
which the students combine their learning to solve
a problem, or at least some aspect of it, in a large-
UCL “Problem Based Learning Plus”
scale example of a real design project. This might
Approach
be a nuclear-waste recycling plant, an urban regener-
While other universities continue to train civil engin- ation scheme or an island-based airport complex.
eers to design and construct roads, bridges, tunnels In this way they learn from the outset how to
and docks. UCL’s Civil & Environmental Engineer- combine subject areas and how these combine to
ing Department is taking a radical approach to its cause – and provide solutions for – real multidiscip-
October 2006 degree courses, including modifying linary problems. The projects allow them to think
the entry requirements so that high grades at maths through the progression of teaching material, its
and physics at A-level are no longer required. breadth and depth, so that even the smallest, most
Although students will still need to learn about detailed theoretical work is seen and understood in
the properties of concrete, the new degrees will the context of the programme as a whole rather than
cover political science, economics, ethics, public within each subject in isolation.
participation and entrepreneurship. More than any- Of the four clusters, Context is the most innovat-
thing, they need to learn to communicate effectively. ive, addressing issues such as society, politics, ethics,
The prospectus for the new degree course says history and environment. No project ever occurs in
that engineers must be able to put an idea into oper- isolation or without impact on the world around it.
ation. “This includes the process of persuading Context will facilitate analysis of factors such as:
people, politicians, and investors to support it, find- sourcing materials, dealing with by-products and
ing the resources to make it happen and displaying environmental impact assessment; interactions
it to the world.” between global, national and local economics; the
The new curriculum is no less detailed in terms impact of the built environment on society; and im-
of the technical knowledge students acquire, but two plications of new technologies.
aspects make it unique: it is studied through group
design projects that will involve students in every Conclusions
year, and through the interdisciplinary ‘clusters’ of
Context, Change, Mechanisms and Methods (UCL The objective of this paper has been to draw attention
website). to the view that there is a need within engineering
education to adjust the teaching style to focus on in-
• Context: This element of the programme helps tegrating external topics (so-called electives) within
in appreciating the various aspects of context, the core engineering subjects and that there is a need
whether these are technical, political, cultural or to accommodate within the curriculum, opportunities
the result of interactions with the environment. for students to develop the non-technical / people
• Change: This element of the programme builds skills and environmental awareness required of them
on the understanding gained in the Context ele- in the workplace.
ment to develop skills in making the necessary As demonstrated with the UCL example, the Civil
changes to help reach that vision. It includes & Environmental Engineering Department has adop-
design skills, management of projects and creativ- ted a combination of methods in their new approach:
ity development. including specialist speakers, seeking a journalist’s
• Mechanisms: Many of the processes involved in help in writing skills and a modified problem based
the development of Civil and Environmental learning technique. This is surely a demanding task
Engineering are subject to some form of mechan- that requires a lot of hard work in coordination and
ism. This element of the course helps develop setting up, but any attempt towards integration or an
the understanding of these mechanisms, where integrated learning style is an improvement with a
and why they are similar in different fields and higher possibility of achieving more rounded gradu-
where and why they are different. ates who are capable of applying their studies in real-
• Methods: these are the skills, whether in mathem- life problems outside academia.
atics, English, and/or another language, comput-
ing or others needed in order to progress through
the whole programme.
 RANA IMAM, CRAIG CHILDS, PATRICIA IDAEWOR

References

AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey Winter Review 2005/6: Survey for the Association of Graduate Recruiters, Hobsons;
Feb 2006
UCL Website, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, May 2006

About the Authors

Rana Imam
University College London, United Kingdom

Craig Childs
University College London, United Kingdom

Patricia Idaewor
University College London, United Kingdom
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEARNING

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