Designing the curriculum to cater for generic skills and student diversity: a shift in thinking

Article


Walkington, Jackie. 2001. "Designing the curriculum to cater for generic skills and student diversity: a shift in thinking." Australasian Journal of Engineering Education. 9 (2), pp. 127-135.
Article Title

Designing the curriculum to cater for generic skills and student diversity: a shift in thinking

ERA Journal ID40310
Article CategoryArticle
Authors
AuthorWalkington, Jackie
Journal TitleAustralasian Journal of Engineering Education
Journal Citation9 (2), pp. 127-135
Number of Pages9
Year2001
Place of PublicationMelbourne, Australia
ISSN1324-5821
1325-4340
Web Address (URL)http://www.aaee.com.au/journal/AJEEv9n2_2001.pdf
Abstract

The engineering profession requests that graduates exhibit particular generic skills as well as an understanding of the traditional content in engineering education. This is a challenge when also trying to cater for the needs of an increasingly diverse group of students. To truly acknowledge the role of these skills in engineering subjects or courses requires an adaptation to the general model used for curriculum planning and implementation. This paper briefly establishes the rationale for the consideration of generic skills, and suggests an additional element of design to enable their integration into educational programs. It suggests that integration is the key concept that affects the definition of goals, content, teaching strategies and assessment. The views expressed are based upon two dominant assumptions evident in engineering education discussion at present; firstly, that the graduate qualities required for professional practice are being emphasised in industry; and secondly that the diversity of engineering students is increasing. In terms of curriculum development, a philosophical shift in thinking is necessary towards a more holistic and integrated approach.

Keywordsengineering education; curriculum development; student diversity; higher education
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020520102. Educational psychology
390303. Higher education
390113. Science, technology and engineering curriculum and pedagogy
Public Notes

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Byline AffiliationsFaculty of Education
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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An assessment paradox: striving for best practice in an environment of increasing constraints
Walkington, Jackie and Dowling, David. 2002. "An assessment paradox: striving for best practice in an environment of increasing constraints." Shankar, K. and Burrowes, G. (ed.) 13th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2002). Canberra, Australia 30 Sep - 03 Oct 2002 Canberra, Australia.