UNESCO International
Centre for Engineering Education (UICEE)Faculty of Engineering
Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia
Published in Australia by
UNESCO International
Centre for Engineering Education (UICEE)
Faculty of Engineering
Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia
©1998 UICEE
ISSN 1328 - 3154
Papers published in the GJEE have undergone a formal process of peer review.
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Responsibility for the contents of these papers rests upon the authors and not the publisher. Data presented and conclusions developed by the authors are for information only and are not intended for use without independent substantiating investigations on the part of the potential user.
An address by Professor Burckhard Simmen, Rector of Hochschule Wismar, the University of Wismar, and Seminar Patron, on the occasion of the 90th Anniversary Jubilee Official Ceremony, held on the last day of the week-long celebrations. The history, development and achievements of the University are detailed, and a perspective on the future of the institution is offered.
The term sustainability appears throughout this paper, which is divided into four parts, the first concerned with the term sustainability itself. Its ideal character and history, threats to sustainability and conflicts in its practice are described. In the second part the problem of developed societies is brought to light using three examples: the 1950s syndrome, the increasing gap between gross national product and quality of life, and three traps of civilisation: acceleration, innovation and progress. In the third part the question of what we can know about the future is considered. Following a description of the present situation and the strong influence by technology, the prognosis, which is shockingly time limited, is handled, and obviously unavoidable developments are indicated. The first three parts are limited to generally recognised facts and diagnoses. Either we chose to be aware of these facts or we choose to ignore them. Therapies are suggested in the final part of the paper, along with a description of what we should and can do.
On a daily basis we make use of the advantages offered by science and technology, but every now and again we stumble over one or another unpleasant side effect and, all too often inappropriately, offer criticism. In order to understand the direction that the future is taking - if we are making the right decisions in the present for what we want to undertake in the future - a minimum technical, scientific and sociological knowledge is required in order to communicate at a general level. Neither high-quality products, good service nor qualified training can be had for free. Activating the innovative potential of every citizen who is willing to work and to learn is an urgent demand that must be made of societies worldwide.
Globally, there is a shift from industrial society to one governed by information and knowledge. Such an information and knowledge society will require, and make possible, new teaching and learning methods, at the same time that it will demand a new educational policy and educational content. One development in this direction in the German education system is the introduction of Bachelor and Master’s degree courses similar to those in the Anglo-Saxon system. This paper considers the implications, advantages and problems of the introduction of Bachelor and Master’s degree courses at the University of Wismar.
A new interest in the existence and operation of the many small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) as active partners for the newborn regional universities in Norway has recently been registered. This interest has been expressed by the political parties, the employees and employers’ organisations, and from the universities and colleges themselves. This paper will point out and discuss some of the SME’s expectations and relate these to the powers of the newborn Högskolen i Telemark’s College of Engineering (HiT-TF). The SME’s expectations are, in short, that graduating engineers have a practical and broadbased background and, in addition, that these engineers should recognise the need for human and organisational matters as equally important as technical literacy. Finally, the SMEs expect the Engineering College to reflect their real-life operating problems when choosing their curricula, working methods, and forms for contact/co-operation with local enterprises. Provided that the definition of academic excellence is expanded to cover co-operation along three axes, the auspices for a future close co-operation between HiT-TF and local industry, including the SMEs, look promising.
This paper reports on the recognition of studies abroad through the tripartite collaboration between the University of Siegen, Germany, the University of Portsmouth, Great Britain, and École National d’Ingenieurs in Saint Etienne, France. The objective of the collaboration is to provide two diplomas by two institutions to those students taking part in a study programme common to the co-operating institutions. Further advancement of the common study programme between the three institutions will be outlined. It will also be explained how to extend this collaboration by overcoming the biggest handicap, that the desire of engineering students in England and France to study in Germany does not match the desire of German students to study abroad.
Initiated by the Ministry of National Education (MNE), Poland is undertaking a radical reform of its education system. In response to changing societal needs and the requirements of industry, the system of engineering and technology education is being revamped with the introduction of new education establishments, so-called Higher Education Vocational Schools (HEVS), which will establish professional engineering courses leading to the award of a Bachelor's degree. This paper presents the authors’ response to the Polish MNE’s recent proposal of the Reform of the Education System in Poland and examines the new approach to educating professional engineers in the HEVS (Polytechnic Colleges). The paper also discusses steps that have been undertaken for the establishment of a Polytechnic College in Tarnów, Poland.
As the developed market economy moves towards a new stage grounded in international business, new challenges arise for the model of social development, with the emergence, globally, of notions of Business Excellence, the Information Society, and Total Quality Culture. These have no respect for borders and deeply affect economies, politics, culture, public administration, public and private enterprises and services, and the everyday life of citizens. The practical realisation of the new challenges in Latvia is based on the integration of research, development and education, the enhancement of quality technology, and hightech and technology transfer.
The authors’ experiences of the co-operation between industrial enterprises in Kosice and the Technical University of Kosice are described, with particular emphasis on co-operation in the area of computer-aided engineering.
Higher education is infatuated with technology applications for education. Our interest here is twofold. First, what is the future role of the university teacher in the new media environment, and second, is the development of these technologies changing the pattern of education in a transnational context?
The training of engineers in the UK is controlled by the Engineering Council in collaboration with the engineering institutions. The whole process is governed according to an agreed set of rules embodied in the SARTOR document. This paper outlines the general principles embodied in SARTOR and the ways in which the universities and engineering institutions implement them.
This paper is based upon a research survey conducted in two tertiary institutions in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The survey questionnaire consisted of two parts. The purpose of the first part was to investigate the existence and availability of environmental education in engineering curricula. The second part dealt with the issue of what particular skills and attributes an engineer is expected to acquire to be able to practise his or her profession. The results of this research should provide valuable information on the status of environmental education in developing countries, in this case RSA, and what further development would be needed to improve the educational system.
The authors describe their project to reform the mathematics and computer science curricula in engineering degree programmes. This project focuses on the creation of defined links between mathematics and application-oriented engineering subjects in the introduction of computer algebra systems (CAS) into the teaching of mathematics. Experiences and results of the first year of project realisation are detailed.
It is essential that engineering education meets the demands of industry, and to that end, the so-called key competencies, as well as specialised knowledge, must be taught to students. This paper describes key competencies and the effectiveness of project-oriented education to improve them. The basic requirement is a cross-discipline co-operation to teach specialised knowledge just-in-time and on-the-job.
This paper discusses the use of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) in engineering education. A brief overview of the challenges and problems of computer and network-based lecturing and distance learning is given. From this general point of view, the power and limitations of CAS as systems for doing mathematics and simulations; calculators with infinite precision; teaching-tools for non-trivial examples; and learning-tools for experimental mathematics are shown. Examples tracing the use of CAS from the very first lectures to dissertations are then provided. New skills are necessary in order for students to manipulate algebra systems and to judge the results; the new skills are discussed and it is argued that the fear that students will forget their basic mathematical knowledge is unjustified.
Liverpool John Moores University has established an academic framework based on a close working partnership between employers, employees and the University. The Learning at Work Programme, as it is called, allows for the development of individualised learning agreements tailored to meet the needs of the employer and the employee, but within a framework that is recognised within the academic community. The programme has been used within the Ford Motor Company on Merseyside to develop the knowledge and skills of managers who, at the same time, will qualify for a Master of Science in Manufacturing Management. The programme allows for the accreditation of prior experiential learning and in-company training and contains a substantial part of work-based learning. The curriculum and assessments are determined by senior staff within the company.
Content analysis plays an important role in the development of hypermedia-assisted learning systems. To achieve the effectiveness of content analysis, it is necessary to employ an appropriate theoretical model. This paper presents a three-dimensional theoretical model that has been developed based on learning and instructional design theories. By applying the model to the content analysis for the design of hypermedia-assisted self-study procedures in engineering, one can increase the effectiveness of the entire design process, and would enhance the quality of the developed teaching-learning system.
This paper describes the rationale for the incorporation of engineering topics in environmental science and environmental management courses at La Trobe University in Wodonga, Australia. The environmental science course is an undergraduate programme with the dual focus of natural resource management and waste management, thus offering potential employment in two distinct fields. The environmental management course is a postgraduate diploma programme based on waste management and catchment management, and is well supported by local industries and organisations.
In this paper an international study course (ISC), based on an agreement between Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and the FH Lübeck (FHL), is presented. The ISC started in 1994 and was followed by further groups of students in the next three winter semesters, which is why it is possible not only to give a description of the structure but to discuss first experiences in more detail. A view of the future development of the international activities of the FHL is also considered.
This paper provides an overview of research carried out in the School of Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), in particular the current research collaboration between the School of Engineering and the Department of Mechanical, Process and Environmental Engineering, Fachhochschule Wismar, Federal Republic of Germany.
This paper describes the results of co-operation between universities and research institutions from more than ten countries in Europe within the framework of the TEMPUS, EUROPRACTICE, COPERNICUS and ESPRIT programmes. As a consequence of these projects, a new competence centre in the field of electronics and systems engineering was created at the Technical University of Tallinn. A new set of research and teaching-oriented tools, TURBO-TESTER, has been developed and introduced into courses on system dependability issues. The courses are oriented to the concept of learning by doing, and to instilling in students problem-solving, teamwork and self-learning skills. An international virtual laboratory is being established to support joint research and co-operative activities in order to increase the quality of teaching.
The paper describes the restructure of the educational system in the Technical University of Szczecin (TUS) supported by European aid provided within the TEMPUS programme. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the TUS benefits from the S-JEP 12201, which is aimed at: introducing a two-stage system instead of the uniform five year Master of Engineering, modernisation of all curricula and introduction of a clearly specified credit system fully compatible with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The paper deals with basic assumptions, prospective advantages and misgivings concerning the introduction of the credit system.
Effective and efficient approaches to teaching now require the application of modern technology in engineering education. Modern Computer-Aided Education (CAE), which uses contemporary multimedia technology, has made the teaching and learning process much more exciting for both the academic teacher and the student. This paper presents a set of computer-based teaching instructions being used in the teaching of engine room officers in the Department of Marine Power Plants at the Gdynia Maritime Academy, Gdynia, Poland. Some practical applications of interactive computer-assisted teaching programs are demonstrated and discussed. Their benefits and advantages in the education of ship engineers are also indicated and discussed. The method of training marine professional engineers considered here can be successfully replicated in teaching other complex technical subjects.
This paper describes and discusses the purpose and range of the education of marine engineers in control engineering within the context of international requirements. It introduces the concept of a three level system of education and formulates concise characteristics of particular subjects. The practical aspects have been presented through two representative examples. The conclusions are drawn in the light of ever-developing shipbuilding technologies, reliability of shipboard equipment, costs of servicing and continually increasing requirements concerning the safety of shipping.
This paper describes the historical background to, and the development of, a co-operative agreement between the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) of Ireland for the accreditation by DIT of largely ESB based and taught courses for the training of ESB Unit Assistant and Operator grade staff. In 1996 the Quality Assurance Committee of the DIT considered the ESB application and in principle was pleased to pursue the possibility of a formal academic association. A Joint Course Committee was formed in October 1996 and commenced work on the drafting of a submission document for accreditation of the programmes for the awards of Preliminary Certificate in Power Plant Operation, and Certificate in Power Plant Operation.
This paper analyses the various benefits of acquainting students with the concept of intellectual property and its protection, and suggests sowing the seed of patent education at college level itself so that students, as well as society, can reap the fruit at a later date.