Engineering education: research and development in curriculum and instruction

Unknown author(s)

Choice Reviews Online · 2006 · 190 citations · 0 references

Concepts

TL;DR

Engineering education research has grown substantially, yet most findings remain confined to scholarly journals and have not reached a broad audience. The paper aims to review nearly 2,000 engineering education studies to equip engineers with better teaching, curriculum design, assessment practices, and leadership skills. The authors organize the review into four parts covering educational foundations, curriculum content and structure, interdisciplinary and project‑based models, and problem‑solving and design.

Abstract

A synthesis of nearly 2,000 articles to help make engineers better educators; While a significant body of knowledge has evolved in the field of engineering education over the years, much of the published information has been restricted to scholarly journals and has not found a broad audience. This publication rectifies that situation by reviewing the findings of nearly 2,000 scholarly articles to help engineers become better educators, devise more effective curricula, and be more effective leaders and advocates in curriculum and research development.; ; The author's first objective is to provide an illustrative review of research and development in engineering education since 1960. His second objective is, with the examples given, to encourage the practice of classroom assessment and research, and his third objective is to promote the idea of curriculum leadership.; ; The publication is divided into four main parts:; ; Part I demonstrates how the underpinnings of education—history, philosophy, psychology, sociology—determine the aims and objectives of the curriculum and the curriculum's internal structure, which integrates assessment, content, teaching, and learning; Part II focuses on the curriculum itself, considering such key issues as content organization, trends, and change. A chapter on interdisciplinary and integrated study and a chapter on project and problem-based models of curriculum are included; Part III examines problem solving, creativity, and design