Beyond problem solving: Engineering and the public good in the 21st century

El-Zein, Abbas; Hedemann, Christopher

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.129

Cited by 41 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Students in the programs we studied learned about the ethical dilemmas and social consequences of their work. However, because many ethical questions regarding the social impacts of engineering do not have well-defined answers, addressing ethical dilemmas and ambiguous questions also challenged engineering's typical focus on measurable constraints and clearly identifiable solutions (Baillie and Armstrong 2013;El-Zein and Hedemann 2016;Godfrey and Parker 2010;Riley 2008). At other times, students expressed the view that ethical questions seemed overly-simplified, which also detracted from their value and relevance.…”

Section: D) Addressing Ambiguous Questions and Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resisting and assisting engagement with public welfare in engineering education

Niles

Contreras

Roudbari

et al. 2020

J of Engineering Edu

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Section: D) Addressing Ambiguous Questions and Ethicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resisting and assisting engagement with public welfare in engineering education

Niles

Contreras

Roudbari

et al. 2020

J of Engineering Edu

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“…Generally, there are three types of education: academic, market-oriented, and integrative [28]. The integrative approach appeases the capacity to solve problems based on technical and scientific knowledge with critical analyses of the problems [31]. However, many engineering instructors experience issues embedding the sustainability concept into their disciplines because the concept envelops wide knowledge in the subject matter.…”

Section: Higher Education and The Challenge Of Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Analyzing Sustainability Awareness among Higher Education Faculty Members: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

et al. 2019

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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the understanding of sustainability of the faculty members in higher education in Saudi Arabia. One of the main objectives is to explore how they implement sustainability in the courses offered in one of the major non-profit private universities in Riyadh. Findings: A survey was conducted among the faculty members to investigate their awareness on this topic. Survey results were compared between the different departments to understand how the faculty members can contribute to sustainable education if they increase their knowledge through training and workshops related to the topic. The comparative analysis allows us to define the guidelines to build a strong institution that presents itself as a leader and change-driver in the Gulf region. The survey was done among the limited number of faculty members in the benchmark university, searching for answers about sustainability using the top-down methodology. The survey fulfilled the original aim of developing an evidence base of faculty members existing expertise, experience and interest in sustainability. The survey is also an important step to embed sustainability into the benchmark university. It also provides an opportunity to reflect and put forward suggestions on what it means to have sustainability as a core value and strategic priority.

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“…In contrast, only 43.2% of respondents embraced corporate social responsibility as part of the scope of sustainability, which indicates a lack of consideration for social dimensions in sustainability. Notably, it will be a requirement for future engineers to be socially responsible in their respective professions (El-Zein and Hedemann, 2016). The results demonstrate the majority of respondents believed sustainability encompasses the environment; however, as previously stated, their responses do not fully reflect consideration for the social and ethical dimensions of sustainability (Azapagic et al, 2005; Figure 2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…A common theme in the literature on learning pathways shows that curricula constitute the central component in guiding educational activities both in teaching and learning processes (Pauw et al, 2015). However, due to the "technocratic identity" of engineering education, little emphasis has been placed on the social and political dimensions of sustainability in the teaching syllabus (El-Zein et al, 2008;El-Zein and Hedemann, 2016). Importantly, in the time of Industry 4.0, the significance of adding ethical considerations to engineering education matters more than it did in the non-artificial intelligence era (Takala and Korhonen-Yrjänheikki, 2019).…”

Section: Implementation Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying sustainability into engineering curriculum under the background of “new engineering education” (NEE)

Huang

Zheng-jun

2020

IJSHE

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of applying sustainability to the engineering curriculum at a university in China. Design/methodology/approach A new curriculum, “ethics, involvement and sustainability,” was designed and presented to engineering students from an undergraduate major in quality management engineering. This curriculum incorporated knowledge acquisition and skills training into sustainability via various teaching approaches in a mandatory curriculum at Tongling University, China. Pre- and post-questionnaire surveys, as well as a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, were adopted to evaluate the changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of respondents before and after curriculum implementation. Findings Significant changes in knowledge and attitudes were observed following the implementation of the curriculum. In terms of the development of new behaviors, the changes tended to be moderate. Generally, respondents were satisfied with the effectiveness of the new interdisciplinary curriculum post-implementation. Practical implications Positive results were observed for the pilot and practice of the new engineering education (NEE) strategy at the cooperating university in China. Specifically, the integration of sustainability into curriculum design, implementation and evaluation inspired greater social responsibility in engineering students’ decision-making processes. Additionally, it shed light on how to integrate the concept of sustainability into curricula. One limitation of this study was the absence of a comparison group that did not experience the new curriculum. Originality/value Scant attention has been paid to local universities in the context of the newly-launched NEE strategy. This study provides new insight regarding the implementation of sustainability into engineering curricula and practice via formal, but diversified, teaching approaches.

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Beyond problem solving: Engineering and the public good in the 21st century

Cited by 41 publications

References 28 publications

Resisting and assisting engagement with public welfare in engineering education

Resisting and assisting engagement with public welfare in engineering education

Analyzing Sustainability Awareness among Higher Education Faculty Members: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

Applying sustainability into engineering curriculum under the background of “new engineering education” (NEE)

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