Rising to the challenge of improving engineering education

The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of 13 universities across Australia and New Zealand collaborating on an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project to enhance the engineering curriculum of tomorrow.

UQ is leading the ‘Curriculum Renewal in Engineering Through Theory-Driven Evaluation’ project, which will evaluate the ‘Engineering without Borders (EWB) Challenge’, a team-based student project currently embedded in the first-year engineering curriculum of many Australian universities.

The EWB Challenge enhances learning by enabling students to work on sustainable development projects and actively engaging them in real-life collaborative project work beneficial to disadvantaged communities.

UQ’s Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, Associate Dean (Academic) and project leader, Professor Caroline Crosthwaite, said the two-year project would help reveal general principles about curriculum renewal and changing pedagogical practice in engineering education.

“There is a need to review engineering education around the world, and we are working to ensure Australian engineering students will be well-prepared for a global environment characterised by rapid social, environmental and technological change,” Professor Crosthwaite said.

“It is important for institutions to tackle social issues and integrate them into our education so that future engineers are equipped to face the challenges ahead.

“A better understanding of how and why the EWB Challenge works will lead to an improved engineering curriculum and enhanced student learning,” Professor Crosthwaite said.

The project is expected to conclude with evidence-based guidelines for change at the end of 2012 with findings to be implemented by participating engineering schools.

Participating universities include UQ, Queensland University of Technology, University of Southern Queensland, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, University of Canterbury, Australian National University, Curtin University, University of South Australia, Charles Darwin University, Central Queensland University, Deakin University, University of Western Australia and University of Melbourne.

Media: Professor Caroline Crosthwaite (07)336 53533 dir.studies@eait.uq.edu.au or (Izzy Koh 07 3346 7696 or i.koh@uq.edu.au)