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The Creative Minds Behind Engineering Projects

 


  What is Required to Be an Engineer?

Whenever anyone observes any engineering project such as an extraordinary construction site or modern features on a mobile phone or 3D modeling products, it is always a big question that comes to mind. “Who are the leaders behind these modern developments?”. The answer is simple. All these advanced projects come from the creative minds of engineers.

In this article, we will discuss how engineers and their creative minds can solve problems and improve our world and the journey that engineers take from the beginning of their education until after their graduation when they take part in real engineering projects.

Problems are the Engineer’s Inspiration

Undeniably, engineers have the creative minds to generate multiple solutions for every problem. They generate multiple solutions and choose the best answer depending on the interrelated situations. Engineers are advanced in problem-solving and usually have the passion to help people and make their environment a better place to live in. Basically, the engineering process begins when there is a defined problem that needs to be addressed. Problems are the engineer’s inspiration. Engineers can turn ideas and dreams into reality and they are real artists who can turn rigid formulas from math and science into wonderful projects.

Typical Design Process

To understand more about the role of engineers for each grand project and to also clearly realise engineers’ creative minds, we should look into the typical design process. The typical design process starts by defining the problem itself. At this stage, the engineer has to consider numerous conditions to better understand the problem and to find out the best possible solution. 


For instance, the design must be low-cost, safe and environmentally friendly. Various skills are involved at this stage, such as understanding the range of conflicting requirements, relating engineering to society, and evaluating the environment and sustainability.

The second stage will be searching for information and recording the results. The conditions need to be determined at this level, including searching for existing solutions for the defined problem, finding out what the limitations and drawbacks are, and what the advantages are for the current available solutions. What is the manufacturing process currently available to address this problem, what are the economic factors which may be involved for this problem, and what are the related solutions? The main skill needed at this stage is to understand the overall involvement of the stakeholder in this problem to decide the range of conflict requirements.

Liew, CAFEO36, 2018

In the next phase (Phase 3), engineers are ready to generate multiple solutions based on the all the information collected during the previous stages. In this phase, engineers are able to show their ability to analyse and evaluate all the information available for any particular problem and they can come out with techniques to provide creative solutions and generate numerous ideas. At this stage, besides the ability to investigate, group working and communication skills also play an important part in brainstorming to create various suitable solutions. The best solutions cannot be created individually but by a group of technicians with various backgrounds. This multidisciplinary task is always an advantage and a great part of each engineering project which may lead to various perspectives. 

Step four is the analysis of all the solutions and selection of the best one by considering the situations which need to be addressed. At this stage, engineers must consider the codes and standards, and the rules and regulations for the particular location and desired situation. They must apply their depth of engineering knowledge and make the best evaluation of all parameters. The selected answer must have the best response for functionality, economic factors and safety, liability, and the response of the society to this solution.

Finally, the last stage of the design process is the implementation of the selected solution by generating the prototype. This stage allows engineers to show their skills in managing, scheduling and planning the project on top of all the skills mentioned earlier. 


  The Role of Educational Institutions in the Development of Creative Engineers

Educational institutions play a crucial role in the training of engineers with the right skills. Engineering councils set standards globally for the desired attributes of engineering graduates, which makes it necessary for all the institutions that offer engineering programmes to meet these preset standards and make sure that all graduates gain sufficient skills by the time of they graduate.

A total of twelve attributes have been defined for engineering programmes. They can be divided into various categories such as skills for problem-solving, skills which improve ethical behavior and their responsibility to society, and skills which engineers are required to apply in the workplace. 

Graduate Attributes, Liew, CAFEO36, 2018


  Student Learning Outcome (SLO) / Programme Learning Outcome (PLO)

The engineering graduate’s attributes can be mapped out through Students Learning Outcomes (SLO) or Programme Learning Outcomes (PLO). These SLOs or PLOs describe what students are expected to know and the skills they should be able to perform by the time of graduation. They are related to the skills, knowledge, and behavior that the students acquire in their courses through the programmes.

The first and most fundamental skill is engineering knowledge. This includes engineering fundamentals and engineering specialisations which can be applied to solve any kind of engineering problem.

The second skill is the problem analysis, which includes identifying and formulating research literature and analysing complex engineering problems and reaching substituted conclusions using the principles of mathematics, the natural sciences, and the engineering sciences.

The third skill is design or development of solutions. This skill basically involves the knowledge that supports engineering design in practice area. To address this skill, one must consider design solutions for complex engineering problems and design systems, components of processes that meet specified needs with appropriate consideration for public health and safety, as well as cultural, societal and environmental considerations.

The fourth skill focuses on investigation. With this skill, engineers conduct investigations of complex engineering problems using research-based knowledge and research methods, including the design of experiments, the analysis and interpretation of data, and the synthesis of information to provide conclusions. In this learning outcome, a high level of cognitive knowledge and hands-on activities are practised.

The fifth skill is the application of modern tools for engineering practice. For this skill, students create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources and modern engineering and IT tools, including prediction and modelling, to complex engineering activities. This skill mainly focuses on psychomotor and hands-on activities.

The sixth skill is the understanding of the role of the engineer and society. For this skill, students apply reasoning informed by contextual knowledge to assess the societal, health, safety, legal and cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities relevant to the professional engineering practice.

The seventh skill focuses on the environment and sustainability. The important point for this skill is to understand the impact of professional engineering solutions in societal and environmental contexts and to demonstrate a knowledge of and the need for sustainable development.

Skills 8, 9 and 10 focus on the qualities which must be applied as professional engineers in the workplace. These are ethics, individual and team work and communication skills. With these skills, students will understand how to commit to professional ethics which must be applied effectively as an individual, as a member or leader in a diverse team, and in a multidisciplinary environment. They must realise the importance of advanced communication for various engineering activities and they be able to write effective reports and design documentations, make effective presentations, and give and receive clear instructions.

The eleventh skill focuses on project management and finance aspects. Engineering graduates must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of engineering and management principles and economic-decision making. The final engineering graduate’s attribute is long-life learning. They must be ready and able to engage in independent and lifelong learning in the broader context of technological change.

All these comprehensive skills help engineering students to develop a range of cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills. As a consequence, all engineering graduates will be well prepared to join industry and solve real-work issues immediately after their graduation.


   Implementation of the Engineering Graduate’s Attributes for Engineering Programmes


·       Outcome Based Education (OBE)

Outcome-based education (OBE) means starting with a clear picture of what is important for students to be able to do, then organising the curriculum, instruction, and assessments to make sure that this learning ultimately happens.” (Spady, 1994). It focuses on student-learning by using learning outcome statements to make explicit what the student is expected to be able to know, providing learning activities which will help the student to reach these outcomes and assessing the extent to which the student meets these outcomes through the use of explicit assessment criteria.

 

·       The Outcome Based Education Process

 The overall Outcome Based Education (OBE) process will start by planning, which is following by institutional vision and mission, programme standards and what graduates are expected to achieve. In this planning stage the curriculum will be developed and the programme structure will be created.


The second stage is developing accurate teaching and learning methods by setting a suitable level of student learning and appropriate amount of student learning time (SLT). The implementation is the next stage, which will be through the formative and summative assessment and by creating the rubrics to measure all students’ achievements related to each attribute. The final and most important section is the evaluation the achievement based on the evidences and results. Continued Quality Improvement (CQI) will be completed at this stage by accurately analysing all the results and evidence from the previous stages. Based on this CQI, the curriculum designed at the first stage will be updated and improved to make sure that the teaching and learning methods are always in line with the student’s objectives and to keep it at its highest quality.


·       Learning Domains and Blooms Taxonomy

The learning domain refers to a classification of the different objectives that educators set for students (learning objectives/outcomes). Bloom's Taxonomy divides educational objectives into three "domains": 1. Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge), 2. Affective: growth feelings or emotional areas (attitude), 3. Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (skills).

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom along with a group of like-minded educators developed a framework for classifying educational goals and objectives into a hierarchical structure representing different forms and levels of learning. This framework was published as Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and consisted of the following three domains:

The Cognitive Domain – knowledge-based domain, consisting of six levels, encompassing intellectual or thinking skills

The Affective Domain – attitudinal-based domain, consisting of five levels, encompassing attitudes and values

The Psychomotor Domain – skills-based domain, consisting of six levels, encompassing physical skills or the performance of actions

Each of these three domains consists of a multi-tiered, hierarchical structure for classifying learning according to increasing levels of complexity.


 The understanding of Bloom’s taxonomy and various domains is critical as it cause easy understanding and great guideline to develop appropriate teaching and learning method based on the nature of each learning outcome.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is concerned with the accurate measurement of the level of students’ learning and understanding and ajout developing appropriate levels and methods of learning which will enable students able to what is expected of them. Having intended student learning outcomes based on Bloom’s Taxonomy helps to ensure that instruction and assessment are appropriately aligned with the intended outcomes.

Using the correct Bloom’s level helps in the design of suitable assessment methods. For instance, for the cognitive domain, the teaching method will be through lectures and tutorials and the students will be assessed through tests and examinations. For the affective domain, the teaching method can be through case studies, for example, and the students will be evaluated through, présentations, group work or similar activities. The psychomotor domain is related to hands-on training and physical skills. Learning and assessment will be in the laboratory session working with lab equipment or applying computer software.

·       Complex Engineering Problems

Complex engineering problems are affected by various factors and require multiple solutions from which to select the best. They involve multiple criteria for evaluating solutions and often, personal opinions or beliefs are involved. In engineering education it is essential to develop creative engineering graduates who have the ability to solve complex engineering problems by studying real case studies and applying sound engineering judgment.


 Final Thoughts

In line with the high standards set by international engineering institutions, MAHSA University’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FOEBE) implements each and every point to our teaching and learning activities to make sure that all our engineering graduates are ready to enter the engineering industry as soon as they complete their studies. MAHSA University sets learning activities appropriate to the current standards and current industry demands by applying IR4.0 and Green technologies to the curriculum and co-curriculum activities as much as possible.

Our Master Classes are all designed as per the current industry demands such as 3D printing, additive manufacturing, 3D Modelling and many more IR4.0 and green tech-related courses. Our laboratories are some of the most comprehensive ones available in the country. Also, our MAHSA Hospital grand project is part of the initiative of MAHSA Group  to ensure that all our students can be involved in real case scenarios during their studies and not be confined to just theoretical learning in the classroom. The MAHSA Hospital project guarantees all our engineering students internships and even job opportunities.

Words by: Dr Iman Farshchi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, MAHSA University

 Acknowledgement:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ir. Che Maznah Mat Isa, School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor; Associate Director (Civil), Engineering Accreditation Department, Board of Engineers Malaysia

Er. Dr. Lock Kai Sang, Past Chairman, Engineering Accreditation Board, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore

Prof. Pey Kin Leong, Associate Provost, Education, SUTD Academy & Digital Learning

Prof. Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor, Founding Director, Engineering Accreditation Council, Board of Engineers Malaysia

Dr. Teo Tee Hui, Senior Lecturer, Engineering Product Pillar, SUTD

Prof Wan Hamidon Wan Badaruzzaman, Chairman, Smart and Sustainable Township Research Centre (SUTRA); Professor, Civil Engineering Programme, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Ir. Liew Chia Pao, Principal Lecturer, Engineering and Technology, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), Malaysia

Dr. Foo Yong Lim, Assistant Provost, Singapore Institute of Technology

Dr. Peter David Looker, Head, Teaching, Learning and Pedagogy Division, Nanyang Technological University

International Engineering Alliance (IEA)

Engineering Programme Accreditation Manual 2020

Words by: Dr Iman Farshchi, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, MAHSA University

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