01 September 2008

UNSW academic Dr Carl Reidsema has received a $220,000 grant from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council to investigate possible reforms of the way engineering is taught in the nation’s universities.

Australian engineering faculties face numerous challenges: a new generation of students less willing to accept traditional lecture-based education; large numbers of “baby boomer” engineering educators nearing retirement; and increasing demand from industry for work-ready graduates.

Dr Reidsema, from UNSW’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, is leading research involving UNSW, the University of Melbourne, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Sydney, aimed at identifying how to change Australia’s engineering education to meet the needs of industry and students.

Dr Reidsema said the traditional model of engineering education in Australia “requires renewal” – with a move away from theory-heavy lectures towards teaching fundamentals and professional competencies through design-centred projects. Dr Reidsema led the creation of the UNSW Faculty of Engineering's first year Design and Innovation subject - a course created in response to industry feedback.

“We’ve got to rethink how we educate students,” he said. “Students are paying a major component of engineering schools’ budgets. Without a high quality education product in our universities we are going to lose that base funding.

“Students learn differently now. They are IT-savvy, they are a bit more cynical and they need to be convinced. But in terms of aptitude my view is that they are every bit as smart as the students that have come before them or smarter.”

One of the challenges for Dr Reidsema’s team is the structure of the next generation of academics as current “baby boomer” engineering educators approach retirement.

“New appointments are increasingly influenced by the potential research output without explicit coupling to teaching, thereby undermining the ability to develop and deliver inquiry based curricula and courses,” he said.

Dr Reidsema’s research will follow the US-originated CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) Initiative – an international collaboration of leading engineering schools developed with input from universities, industry and students. The two-year ALTC grant will fund a study of engineering curricula at the four partner universities, evaluation of those curricula against international best practice, and the design of an Australian curriculum which builds technical and professional competencies through practical, project-based education.

Dr Carl Reidsema.