Cape Town - The 2022 World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF) and Global Engineering Deans’ Council (GEDC) Conference in Cape Town has also focused on the future of engineering in education.
The International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), based in Washington DC, hosts the conference in different locations each year - and Cape Town is the first-ever African host.
The South African Society for Engineering Education (SASEE), as a member of IFEES, is co-hosting this event with the University of Pretoria and Central University of Technology, in conjunction with the South African Engineering Deans’ Forum.
Professor Sunil Maharaj from the University of Pretoria is the general conference chair.
Dr Ruth Graham, an independent higher education consultant from the UK held a virtual keynote address discussing emergency teaching in the period since March 2020 when the pandemic hit, and how Covid-19 affected engineering programmes across the world.
She published a report in October titled Crisis and Catalyst on her findings.
“Emergency teaching is the period since February/March 2020 when most, if not all, engineering programmes went online.
“A few years ago, I was asked by MIT to look at the global state of engineering. It looked at a number of things (including) where the sector was going, what kind of changes were happening and what best practices would look like. What was the future of cutting-edge engineering education?
“One of the things that came out of the report was the sense of significant change coming after many decades of talking about the need for change in engineering education, and the need for more graduates to be equipped with a new set of competencies to tackle the problems facing the world in the 21st century,” Dr Graham said.
She published her MIT report Hallmarks of Future Leaders in 2018.
Dr Graham said that when emergency teaching was implemented, she held discussions with various organisations to look at the impact this would have long-term.
Her research involved speaking to 226 people from 36 countries.
Dr Graham said concerns about emergency teaching were raised, and the biggest fell within three categories:
- Students' ability to understand the course expectations and manage their workload remotely when working online.
- Capacity of students to build trusting and supporting relationships with peers during emergency teaching.
- Combatting student motivation and anxiety.
However, she said there was an increase in connection with instructors and students during this time when students were grappling with these concerns.
Dr Graham said what was also highlighted in her research was the impact emergency teaching had on faculty members and instructors, and on their exhaustion and wellbeing.
“Two words that came up repeatedly were uncertainty and exhaustion.”
She said Covid-19 accelerated changes already happening in engineering education.
“The experience of Covid-19 and emergency teaching has accelerated the capacity of engineering schools to deliver these,” Dr Graham said.
Analysing both reports (2018 and 2022), Dr Graham noted the difference in the acceleration and enhancement of trends already in train.
In 2018, education in engineering was conducted in a systemic unified approach; in 2022, a systemic blended approach is taken.
In 2018, fostering skills and mindsets were identified as important; and in 2022, mindsets and wellbeing are noted as important.
In 2018, ethical responsibilities were highlighted as core but in 2022, social and environmental responsibility was identified.
In 2018, multi-disciplinary and global approach was conveyed; in 2022, remote and cross-cultural experiences are important.
In 2018, choice and work-based learning were prioritised, yet in 2022 flexible learning opportunities are used.
The Covid-19 pandemic also enabled new practices and priorities.
In 2018, the dominance of teacher-centred learning was observed; in 2022, active learning and team teaching is taking place.
Exam-based assessments were the order of the day in 2018; however in 2022, broader assessment practices have been adopted.
In 2018, there was top-down policy making; and in 2022, it changed to become inclusive and evidence-based policy making.
Previously, lecturer theatres were the dominant forms of teaching but in 2022, the role of campus in culture and community has taken importance.
In 2018, scattering learning outcomes were focused on but in 2022, progressive competency development has been adopted.
IOL