Karin Wolff

Integrating multidisciplinary engineering knowledge

In order to design two distinct engineering qualification levels for an existing University of Technology programme, empirical evidence based on the current diploma is necessary to illuminate the nature of and the relationship between the contextual and conceptual elements underpinning a multidisciplinary engineering curriculum. The increasing focus on contextual application could result in decreasing opportunities to develop the conceptual disciplinary grasp required for a dynamic, emerging region at the forefront of technological innovation. Using the theoretical tools of Bernstein and Maton to analyse final year student practice, the research addresses the question of how multidisciplinary knowledge is integrated by students, and what this reveals about the nature of such knowledge. The paper presents a conceptualisation of multidisciplinary knowledge integration practices as a dynamic process along two axes simultaneously, shifting between different forms and levels of conceptual and contextual knowledge.

Engineering Problem-Solving Knowledge: The Impact of Context.

Abstract Employer complaints of engineering graduate inability to ‘apply knowledge’ suggests a need to interrogate the complex theory-practice relationship in twenty-first century real world contexts. Focussing specifically on the application of mathematics, physics and logic-based disciplinary knowledge, the research examines engineering problem-solving processes as enacted by recent graduates in a range of industrial settings. Theoretically situated in the sociology of education, the Bernsteinian concept of knowledge structures and Legitimation Code Theory epistemic relations are utilised to surface the disciplinary basis of problem solving in different sociotechnical contexts. It is argued that the relationship between the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the problem gives rise to significantly different practice ‘codes’ between which successful engineering problem-solvers are required to shift. This paper presents two contrasting case studies which demonstrate the impact of the environment on code-shifting practices. Findings suggest that engineering curricula need to facilitate a more conceptual grasp of contextual complexities.

Learning to teach STEM disciplines in higher education: a critical review of the literature

ABSTRACT Enrolments in STEM disciplines at universities are increasing globally, attributed to the greater life opportunities open to students as a result of a STEM education. But while institutional access to STEM programmes is widening, the retention and success of STEM undergraduate students remains a challenge. Pedagogies that support student success are well known; what we know less about is how university teachers acquire pedagogical competence. This is the focus of this critical review of the literature that offers a theorised critique of educational development in STEM contexts. We studied the research literature with a view to uncovering the principles that inform professional development in STEM disciplines and fields. The key finding of this critical review is how little focus there is on the STEM disciplines. The majority of studies reviewed did not address the key issue of what makes the STEM disciplines difficult to learn and challenging to teach.

Developing employability in engineering education: a systematic review of the literature

ABSTRACT In this systematic review of the research literature on engineering employability, curricular and pedagogical arrangements that prepare graduates for work in the twenty-first century were identified. The research question guiding the review was: Which curricular and pedagogical arrangements promote engineering students’ employability? The particular focus of the study was on how authors prioritised engineering knowledge and professional skills. The review drew on a theoretical framework that differentiated between engineering knowledge and professional skills to explain how employability could be included in engineering programmes. Data was obtained from research studies over the period 2007–2017. We found an interdependent relationship between engineering knowledge and professional skills that enabled engineering graduates to attain employability. The com of engineering problems require students to master engineering knowledge, while the ability to work with others across contexts requires professional skills. Both are necessary for deep understanding of engineering principles and a focus on real world problems.

Researching the engineering theory-practice divide in industrial problem solving

ABSTRACT Employer complaints of engineering graduate inability to ‘apply knowledge’ call for a better understanding of the theory-practice relationship in technology-driven twenty-first century industries. A novel systems-based model was developed to analyse how mechatronics engineering practitioners apply mathematics, physics and logic-based knowledge to practical problems in different industrial systems contexts. Theoretically and methodologically, the research draws on the work of Herbert Simon, Basil Bernstein and Legitimation Code Theory. The graphic analysis of the relationship between the problem solver and problem structure in different industrial contexts demonstrates that different ways of thinking are required in considering the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of the problem under different conditions. Current curricula not only need to explicitly enable the shifting between different engineering thinking ‘codes’, but also need to promote a more conceptual grasp of contextual factors. This paper offers a research-informed perspective on what ‘apply knowledge’ really means in twenty-first century engineering contexts. (149)

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater? The role of fundamentals in 21 st century engineering education

As the labor market increasingly demands equipped, problem-solving practitioners, engineering curriculum review is seeing a shift away from theory and towards practice. And yet, employers continue to highlight engineering graduate Inability to ‘apply theory’ or effectively solve real world problems. The research on which this paper is based seeks to better understand the relationship between engineering theory and practice. Drawing on research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Sociology of Education, the research project entailed the graphic analysis of the disciplinary basis and socio-technical contexts of 18 mechatronics engineering technician case studies. The problem-solving ‘maps’ reveal that key to successfully navigating the epistemic terrain of a real-world problem requires the recognition and realization of the different disciplinary rules, and an ability to code-shift between the different engineering disciplines. This paper presents two contrasting case studies which demonstrate the significance of disciplinary thinking and highlight the importance of explicitly integrating disciplinary ‘code-shifting’ opportunities into engineering curricula and teaching.