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Annual Enhancement Themes National Conference, Edinburgh Conference Centre, Heriot-Watt University, 7-8 March, 2012.

On the Search of New Engineering Curriculum Model for the

21st

Century

B. Rakhshani

Aeronautical & Aircraft Engineering

The University of the Highlands and Islands – Perth College

Scotland PH1 2NX

United Kingdom

Abstract

In the current study new visions on developing and improving the engineering curricula

are investigated and new directions are established. Based on a series of investigations

that include students’ and staffs’ survey, feedback, and observation, important factors in

developing multiple and transferable skills are identified. The development of multiple

and transferable skills is emphasised in light with the reflection of employers’ needs.

Indicative teaching model and full training cycle are proposed to comprehend students’

education and training needs, market need and skills for the 21st century. Examples of

enhanced engineering curriculum by means of research-based teaching and hands-on

skills training are discussed in support of the proposed (new) curriculum model. The

scope of developing new engineering curricula is further explored by outlining career

perspectives and latest employment statistics. It was found that integrating problem-

based technique (engineering modelling tools) and structured technical training can help

engineering students develop a wide range of skills and likewise to interact effectively

with other disciplines – making them employable for the 21st century graduate jobs.

Lecturer, Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Brahan Building, Creiff Road, Perth, Scotland, PH1 2NX. E-mail: Bassam.Rakhshani@perth.uhi.ac.uk

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Introduction

In today's technical industry engineers are expected to perform in a wide range of skills

and likewise to interact effectively with other disciplines. Furthermore engineering

products are becoming more sophisticated (although easy to operate) and their lifecycle

is fairly long. As a result it is no longer possible for engineers to acquire complete

experience of the design process in the workplace. Engineers are now required to

develop broad range of design, manufacturing, and analytical skills, ought to face and

solve engineering problems more effectively.

New models of education and training must be developed to provide accelerated

development of engineering staff with potential as skilled specialists and engineering

leaders in the future. As well as providing fundamental knowledge and understanding in

engineering and technology driven subjects, experience must be gained on professional

problem solving, implementation of quality and control in engineering processes and

business awareness of the engineering development. The model should provide a

balance of hands-on engineering technical experience and theory by wide range of

technical training and academic study. It is anticipated that such model should produce

multi-skilled graduates with technical command and management potential, essential for

fast developing engineering and technology world.

The key questions in developing such a model of educational and training curricula are;

1) how effective are the teaching, training and learning programmes, 2) how they can be

gauged against certain criteria, 3) who should set these criteria, 4) how well do

programmes and activities meet the needs and interests of learners, educators, and

employers.

Recognizing the fact that, today’s engineers require skills that span a wide range of

disciplines, many of the world’s top Universities are reorganizing their engineering

curriculum for the 21st century graduates. The Melbourne School of Engineering at the

University of Melbourne recently adapted a model in which students complete a broad-

based curriculum to earn an undergraduate degree in three years and a specialized

Master of Engineering degree two years later. In other cases, a complete department or

graduate school of a university has been restructured in order to create (new) degrees,

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graduate schools or international degrees to meet the demand for broader and

specialised skills and graduates (University of Stuttgart, 2012).

Perhaps, students will become more attracted to new models of engineering courses if

they can easily get good jobs afterwards.

Curriculum for Transferable skills

Due to the global economical instabilities, higher education is facing a tough challenge

in bringing up and developing abilities in the students that are broad and multiple and

also in some way transferable to other (engineering) contexts outside and/or inside their

academic field of study. The value of multiskill and multidisciplinary engineering

education and training is being realised and thought of (Deesha, C., 2006). The debate

now should be on looking at methods to teach (on-demand) skills effectively rather than

expressing interest and free-choice at the first place.

Multiple and/or transferable skills are those that are central to occupational competence

in all sectors and at all levels (Department for Education and Employment, 1997), and

include managerial skills, leadership, communication, working in teams, problem

solving, innovation, flexibility and adaptation to new roles and specialisation.

In current employment environment, graduates and trainees are required to adapt

constantly changing roles, take on new tasks and be able to learn new skills to

accommodate diverse performance. In order to achieve such diverse performance,

educators and work-based training providers should incorporate a variety of appropriate

teaching and learning styles to help learners grasp complex concepts and background

knowledge. Relating theory to practice by using practical examples and technical

equipments is an effective way to stimulate learners and reinforce their understanding.

The Engineering Subject Centre guide (2005) recommends different teaching styles for

developing multiple skills, for example; role play, research exercises and case study.

Currently there is a mismatch between the limited skills that graduates possess and

those that employers expect, which reduce the factor of employability amongst new

graduates leading to job dissatisfaction. A particular strength of developing new

educational model for multiple/transferable skills is that students can

easily transfer their knowledge and skills to other degree courses or to new job’s roles.

A survey has been conducted in Perth College UHI to assess the implication of skills

transferability across different job’s roles (for staff) and degree multiple skills

development for students. Results are discussed in the later sections of the current

study.

New Engineering Curriculum for the 21st Century; Research Teaching and

Engineering Modelling

The current practice of linking research and teaching across universities/colleges is

based on the research-teaching nexus of Healey (Healey, M, 2005) (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 Student’s research-based learning

This research-based curriculum model provides four main elements of teaching and

learning; research-tutored, research-based, research-led and research-oriented. As for

engineering students research findings and new engineering development can help to

finalise the understanding of an engineering concept, or learn about problem solving in

greater scale. Research-oriented teaching places more emphasis on developing new

ideas and multidisciplinary skills (multiple skills), which is a key factor in today’s

employment success. A series of research-based learning activities are developed in

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Perth College-UHI in forms of engineering design and performance analysis.

Engineering scenarios are created where students are asked to investigate the design

and operation features of certain engineering systems (aircraft). Then students must

solve related problems to certify their investigation and/or knowledge – this approach is

also known as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Solving such problems requires

engineering computational skills, IT (modelling) skills, and analytical skills. In that

respect current study found that integrating engineering modelling and simulation (as

research and engineering tool) into the teaching and learning process will enhance the

engineering curriculum greatly. Within the aircraft engineering department in Perth

College-UHI, engineering modelling/simulation was introduced as a complementary skill

to the students’ engineering degree programme. Students were able to ascertain their

numerical and IT skills alongside their core subjects (aircraft engineering subjects). As

the modelling approach is mainly computer-based, students can be flexible in their

learning. Teaching also becomes flexible as problems/tasks can be assigned to

individual students to be accomplished at out-of-class hours.

Universities across the world using the concept of research-based approach to create

engineering modelling platforms that students could use for more advanced courses in

their undergraduate and graduate years and as they began careers in industry and

research. For example engineers tackling design problems require ever greater

computational sophistication. Many problems cannot be solved by analytical

approaches alone. Students need to complement these approaches with a powerful

computing system using simulations and numerical methods.

New Engineering Curriculum at the University of Melbourne (the use of Math- Works Tools)

Engineering students at Melbourne University (Mechanical Engineering department)

use MATLAB, Simulink, and other MathWorks software (research and engineering

modelling tools) as they study basic linear algebra, control systems, signal processing,

mechatronics, and other engineering topics (interdisciplinary approach (Fig. 2)). As Dr.

Doreen Thomas (Professor and Head of the Mechanical Engineering department)

quoted “MATLAB has proved to be a highly effective tool for training engineering

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students,” “They have access to MathWorks software from the day they enter the

university, and this access has benefited students throughout the entire engineering

curriculum, from first-year classes to advanced senior projects and graduate research.”

Students use these tools in coursework in many disciplines, including engineering

science, applied mathematics, finance, economics, and medical science. In a first-

semester workshop students use MATLAB to model fluid mechanics problems. They

solve equations of motion and calculate optimal parameters. In their final year of study,

mechanical and electrical engineering students complete year-long technical projects,

many of which use MathWorks tools. Completed projects are showcased to industry for

evaluation and employability assessment. In addition, because MathWorks tools are

integrated into the curriculum, students and faculty can use them to collaborate on

research projects. Lecturers work with Ph.D. students on a variety of engineering

projects in which they used MATLAB to determine the aspects of solution. University of

Melbourne continue to integrate MathWorks tools into their curricula; a new course in

engineering math will likely have close to 1000 students using MATLAB. As a result of

such curriculum deployment; course planning simplified, workplace skills acquired, and

complex concepts visualized, enabling exploration and problem-solving (Melbourne

School of Engineering, 2011).

Fig. 2 Interdisciplinary Approach for Research-based Teaching

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European countries are taking important measures to provide funding for education and

training in engineering modelling, including initiatives to foster industrial collaboration to

be able to compete with the global engineering modelling innovation environment.

Across the European Union new BSc and MSc degrees are being offered in numerical

simulation and modelling. Due to the amount of investment, (new) training centres,

university departments, and laboratories are setting up programs for education, training

and consultancy in engineering modelling (Rakhshani, B., 2010). Currently, modelling

education and training are cutting through a wide range of programs, group of

students/engineers, world-class university departments, and even commercial

environment. At some extent a payback has been achieved. Nowadays, researchers,

engineers, (postgraduate) students, are more interested in computing and modelling

than ever before. This is due to the fact that simulation is proven to be a successful and

reliable research/engineering tool. Moreover, important changes have occurred in

industrial attitude (significant attention is paid to modelling), therefore the demand for

qualified computational engineers/scientist in all areas of R&D has risen. Computer

modelling is regarded as virtual experimentation, powerful enough tough to be capable

for explanation and prediction. It is rapidly gaining ground across a wide spectrum of

industrial and academic activities. The development and improvement of computer

based-modelling programs require considerable effort and expertise. The level of

education and training in creating such programs is mostly limited to University

departments. Therefore, expanding the (proper) teaching of computer modelling and

simulation methods and tools to Colleges, Universities, and laboratories becomes

important. Countries like The United States, Switzerland, Japan, and Sweden are

intensely providing strong public investment in R&D which regards as a highest level of

investment in the world (see figure 3). But for a long term, countries like China and

Singapore have faster growth rate in R&D investment (China up to 19.8%) (Ministry of

Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2000).

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Figure 3. R&D investment growth and intensity across major countries (OECD, 2008)

Educational and Training Skills for Aerospace/Aircraft Engineers

Aeronautical engineers are integral to the design, development, manufacture and

maintenance of aircraft fleets. As such the course of study should cover a wide range of

science and math-based subjects alongside core ones. Basically the aerospace

engineering curriculum is designed to produce qualified academic engineers with a

degree in the field of aerospace/aircraft engineering. These types of engineers are

trained differently than mechanics (trained engineers without a degree). Academic

engineers are trained in the basics of science and engineering; in the techniques of

inductive and deductive reasoning; as well as in the areas of statistical analysis,

problem solving, and engineering system performance. Academic engineers also can

be specialized in one particular engineering discipline and/or subject. These engineers

should be able to pick up a problem where the mechanics leave off. If all the common

and usually effective procedures applied by the mechanics did not work, then the

engineers must begin by looking at the problem from a new angle (analytical insight).

This requires that the engineers understand more than the basics of system operation,

i.e. analysing the system performance form the design point of view and also by its

technical and operational characteristics. In that respect, (academic) engineers must be

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able to develop new and innovative procedures for studying and analysing problems

and must understand the bigger picture to effectively come to an appropriate answer.

Will the educational environment be enough to provide these engineers with bigger

picture of the engineering problems? The answer depends on the effectiveness of a

(new) curriculum model designed for (aerospace) engineering students. The benefit of

hands-on skills and technical experience becomes paramount to these students as the

requirements for problem solving include not only analytical approach but also good

understanding of systems’ technical characteristics. Therefore, educators/trainers

should use varied teaching and learning styles and well-adapted prescribed training

manuals to enhance the teaching and learning of background theory in

aerospace/aircraft engineering. It effectively will help learners relate the theory to the

practical aspects of their study and training. Moreover, teaching in the workplace,

workshops and industrial environment makes the input more relevant to the learners by

using current industrial examples and equipments. This is in contrast with pure training

programmes based on hands-on skills only (mechanics), where trainees learn to solve

technical problems by means of routine procedures and developed workshop skills.

Example of such programme is apprenticeship in aerospace/aircraft engineering run by

many organizations; The MAEL (Monarch Airlines Limited) training provision comprises

advanced modern apprenticeships in aerospace engineering. This apprenticeship

programme lasts for four years. In the first year of training, all learners have basic

engineering skills training in the training centre. Lecturers from a local College attend

the training centre two days each week to train learners in the skills needed to achieve

the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR 66). In subsequent years, when learners are

trained and assessed at work in the training centre, support is provided by a training co-

ordinator, mentors, work-based assessors and licensed engineers. Learners attend

local Colleges on day release to study for further JAR 66 modules (such a training

scheme currently may not exist within the MAEL, as various other

training/apprenticeship programmes may be implicated and/or replaced).

Engineering training is an ongoing process and it is paramount to industry and/or

employers. Although most engineers do get initial training through certain phases of

their study and employment. Programmed and structured hands-on skills training keep

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engineers to be current with the latest technological advancement, embrace new

processes and procedures and develop new skills. In aerospace/aircraft engineering,

training is a main part of educational curriculum and is directly reflected on the demand

formed by engineering organizations. Depends on the route that engineers qualify for an

aerospace engineering role (degree or workshop training and experience), aerospace

organizations implement prescribed definitions for their personnel, where salary,

responsibilities, and career progression will depend on.

Now as for a University/College student interested in aerospace/aircraft engineering, the

aspects of the course of study, skills and career development are described by the

following elements: roles of aerospace engineers, educational and professional

requirements, skill requirements, employment outlook, opportunities for advancement,

and career advantages and disadvantages. By comparing these areas with the

educational background and experience, students able to determine the answers to the

following questions:

Is aerospace engineering the best career for them?

Are they preparing correctly to enter the field?

What other steps should they take before entering the field?

What steps should they take to remain current after entering the field?

A complete indicative model for educating and training (aerospace/aircraft) engineers is

presented in figure 4(a), which includes three main elements of education, training, and

research. Engineers (to be) are initially educated and trained based on knowledge-

based skills, i.e. fundamental of engineering sciences are taught. Perhaps this is the

most theoretical part of the model that exists in any degree-based curriculum model.

The interplay between the technical training and the research-based engineering

modelling learning (PBL) will form a compromise with the amount and level of practical

skills required for the curriculum. Engineering modelling learning is the technique of

implicating various engineering IT-based platforms to perform design tasks, engineering

process simulation, engineering system performance analysis, and engineering problem

solving. Likewise, this will supplement the various theories acquired in the course for a

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simultaneous understanding and application (in simulated physical environment).

Students will possess hand on analytical skills, understanding engineering concept in

more efficient way, and a better/quicker mile-stoning to physical and/or practical

applications. Various engineering systems can be generated on computer platforms like

CAD-based environments. Computer generated systems can be studied,

designed/redesigned, practiced, and analysed thoroughly. Example of such training is a

common practice in aviation industry where trainees use simulators and virtual system

familiarization computer programmes. Therefore in the academic stage and within an

adapted curriculum model, technical elements of the course can be complemented by

modelling techniques. The problem based approach will help students to apply their

theoretical and technical knowledge in exploring deeper engineering problems in which

they will develop adequate analytical skills. The full extent of the model implication

requires further investigation and substantial evidences, which is beyond the scope of

current study. Nevertheless in Fig. 4(b) the cycle of education and training scheme

under the provision of the proposed model is presented. It is based on the fact that once

demand criteria for skills are established by educators and/or training organisations, or

most importantly by employers (industries), the education and training model including

methodology will be maintained in respect of the required criteria for skills and model

performance.

Fig. 4(a) Curriculum Model for

Engineering Skill Development

Fig. 4(b) Cycle of Education & Training

Model Performance

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The model is built based on the performance observation of undergraduate degree and

non-degree trainee students (mechanics) in Perth College UHI and AST (Air Service

Training – aircraft engineering training organization) respectively. The degree

programme for aircraft engineering courses at Perth College UHI is influenced by the

technical training requirements of aircraft engineering licence course – as the course

aims to prepare the students for hand-skills based aircraft maintenance and operation

engineering. During the observation period (2010-2012) a vision for restructuring the

course was implemented, where intensive science and research based teachings were

exercised. Engineering modelling was integrated into course-works and problem solving

activities. This has merited the research-based teaching and learning process. Keeping

the hand-skill training alongside other subjects and activities, a fair comprehension of

engineering theories and concepts were achieved by the course objectives. Students

can now bridge between the context of a theory and the actual system’s practical aspect

of design, operation and maintenance. The modelling technique for example, helps the

students with understanding and applying an underlying physical process of an

engineering system into simulated environment where a thorough (numerical)

engineering analysis is configured. Students’ feedback indicates how they are

comfortable with processing the received information/knowledge from the course and

the application into realistic practical problems. Students were encouraged to work in

team on design and modelling problems. They were also asked to always reflect on

their (engineering) performance as per course work, project and/or training

assignments. The complex elements of the (new) curriculum model were assessed

primarily on the basis of students’ survey and observation. The observation form used

to carry out the study was designed to gauge students’ developed (or expected to be

developed) skills on the following aspects;

working with others (communication, team working, leadership,

negotiation, networking)

Solving problems (innovation, research, analytical skills, problem solving)

Work ready skills (Commercial awareness, Adaptability, Decision making,

Flexibility, Numeracy skills, IT Skills, Time Management, Organisation

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skills, Initiative, Skills transferability, Subject specialising, Across-speciality

roles)

These aspects tend to reflect the effectiveness of the teaching and training programmes

at Perth College UHI and AST. As well as the students, members of academic staff

were also surveyed on the abovementioned skills. Both students and staff were asked

to indicate where each of the skills can be developed effectively; at education

(University), at work/training, or at spare time (social experience). Students from Perth

College who are studying towards their degree course of aircraft engineering are found

to be more skilled in solving problems and be analytic towards understanding

engineering problems – skills that they believe they have developed (or are developing)

during their course of study at the University/College. However there is an absolute

agreement between students and academic staff on developing analytical skills in

education rather than in work or spare time (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5 Results of surveyed Staff and students on the capacity of achieving

employability skills in education

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The disagreement (between staff and students) on skill development is evident for the

adaptability, initiative and skills transferability. Students are mostly convinced that these

skills are developable in education, where the rest think that they can develop them at

work, internship, training, and even at their own social time. In contrast the members of

staff believe that these skills are developed (or can be developed) at work environment.

It is difficult however at this stage to conclude the findings, as further research and

investigation are needed. But it is important to point out that the (new) curriculum model

is student centred (Fig. 4a), i.e. it must be gauged against students’ achievement and

skills development.

The Aerospace Engineering Career

Aerospace engineering is an exciting, demanding, and dynamic career. Dealing with

everything from aircraft and spacecraft to cars and ships, aerospace engineers perform

a variety of tasks, including research, design, testing, maintenance, teaching, and

management.

Currently, the employment outlook and chances for advancement in the field are

favourable, although engineers may be required to relocate, work long hours, and travel

often. Another downside is the aerospace industry's 15-year employment cycle, but

these fluctuations are usually offset by fringe benefits. Current projections forecast

growth in the civil aviation and space sectors, increasing the need for aerospace

engineers. Because the current job market may discourage many engineering students

from aerospace, qualified graduates will find the industry waiting for workers, both to

replace outgoing engineers and to fill the need created by the new growth (Braddock,

"Aerospace Engineers"). Aviation is a dynamic, fast moving and technologically

advanced industry – the need for skilled engineering staff is high. Lockheed Martin

alone will need an additional 95,000 engineers over the next decade (Aerospace

Industries Association). Meanwhile the source for filling the aerospace market is

twofold; engineers who are academically qualified with no much of hands-on skills and

the later is experienced personnel who usually leaves arms forces or trained mechanics

with no high level of educational qualification.

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UK aerospace industry is second only to that of the USA and owns some of the world’s

largest aerospace companies. It has a very advanced aerospace industry, which is at

the forefront of technological and scientific development. Key UK aerospace

manufacturing ‘hotspots’ are: the South West, Midlands, North West, Northern Ireland,

South East and Wales. There are opportunities to work in both UK-owned and

internationally-owned aerospace firms and there are also hundreds of smaller

engineering companies (known as SMEs, Small and Medium-sized enterprises). In

total, SEMTA (SEMTA (The Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering, and

Manufacturing Technology), 2012) recently estimated around 780 UK companies in

aerospace engineering.

As shown in figure 6, a survey by Glasgow University showed that 40% of aeronautical

engineering graduates (from Glasgow University) were joined employment, where 37%

had been remain in education and training with another 23% with employment and/or

training (Glasgow University, Careers Service, 2009).

Fig. 6 Aerospace engineering graduates Survey (Glasgow University, 2009)

Once in the aerospace industry, aerospace engineers have great potential for

advancement when compared with other engineering specialties (as shown in Figure 7).

After gaining experience as a member of a research or design team, an engineer may

be promoted to a larger, more complex project. Following that, further promotions may

bring a supervisory post, or following further training, which is often funded by the

company’s management assignment.

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According to the graduate careers information Prospects (Prospects, 2012), the salary range for aerospace engineer follows the three-phase scale order;

Starting salaries: £20,000 - £25,000.

Salaries for aeronautical engineers with experience: £28,000 £40,000.

Range of typical salaries at senior levels: £45,000 - £65,000.

Higher starting salaries may be offered to those with Masters or research qualifications.

Larger, more renowned employers may offer higher salaries.

Fig. 7 Salary Comparison for Various Engineering Fields (prospects, 2012)

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Conclusion

The current study focused on how (new) engineering curricula need to adapt new

directions in teaching and training to accommodate for the diverse and challenging

employment environment. How students can develop multiple and transferable skills for

the 21st century to meet the demand for broader and specialized skills on graduation.

Also, the study has been conducted to assess the effectiveness of (new) proposed

aerospace/aircraft engineering degree and training programme, where new visions on

developing and improving the engineering curricula were investigated. Based on

students’ and staffs’ survey, feedback, and observation, important factors in developing

employability skills including (but not limited to) multiple and transferable skills were

identified. The capacity of developing employability skills in education was gauged

accordingly. Developing and maintaining a teaching model must comprehend students’

education and training needs, market need and skills for the 21st century. Implementing

the problem-based teaching technique by means of engineering modelling proved to be

an effective approach in complementing theoretical knowledge and developing a wide

range of engineering disciplinary skills.

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