Engineering the Future: A Conceptual Framework for Evolving Engineering Education (original) (raw)
2017, Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA)
Today, we live in a world of unprecedented challenges, opportunities, and complexities, where advances in technology are transforming the very fabric of our culture, economy, and environment. Engineering education is responsible for preparing students for the unprecedented challenges, opportunities, and complexities of this emerging future. Here, we share our current perspective on the evolution needed in engineering education via a conceptual model we have developed. In particular, we highlight the need for engineers to engage in social agency over technology, which requires them to understand the social context in which they live and work, and explore the kind of ingenuity needed to create a future where technology meets society’s need. We use the model to analyze a number of educational initiatives we have developed at the Lassonde School of Engineering.