Structural and didactic methodologies for promoting professional orientation within engineering courses

The author analyzes the four course structures common in the UK and Australia, and argues that courses which extend the normal academic course time by up to one year and have strongly integrated industrial periods are likely to be most cost-effective in improving the professional orientation of engineering graduates. The development of such industry-linked programs in the United Kingdom and at the University of New South Wales is discussed. Some aspects of professional orientation can also be included successfully in the early stages of engineering courses. The author discusses the implementation and initial evaluation of such an introductory subject in the electrical engineering course at the University of New South Wales. The subject design recognizes that most undergraduates enter courses directly from high school with good motivation towards their studies, but relatively little understanding of the nature and purpose of engineering. The subject's lectures introduce key areas of electrical and electronic engineering by relating their physical principles to everyday artifacts, such as the electricity power supply, telecommunications, and electronic audio systems. The roles and responsibilities of engineers in the economy are also discussed. The students develop their communication skills-information gathering, report writing and oral presentation-through small group tutorials.<>