1. On the Search of New Engineering Curriculum Model for the 21st Century
B. Rakhshani
University of the Highlands and Islands
Department of Aeronautical and Aircraft Engineering
Perth – United Kingdom

2. Objectivities of the Presentation
Engineering curriculum model definition
Curriculum model requirements
Research-based (PBL) approach
(Aerospace/Aircraft) Engineering curriculum model performance analysis (survey)
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

3. Curriculum for Employability
“To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure” –
Peter Hawkins
It’s all about securing employment
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

4. Definitions
(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 between hands-on engineering technical experience and theory by wide range of technical training and academic study
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

5. Curriculum Model Requirements: Curriculum for Transferable skills
Engineering Leadership: take control of situations in problem solving, design tasks, and managing effectively work loads within a team .
Analytical skills: evaluate information effectively by applying (scientific (technical/theoretical) principles) , attention to detail, perseverance and maintaining focus.
Innovation: having new ideas. It is the ability to identify new opportunities, generate solutions, make improvements and to think creatively and enterprisingly in order to produce an effective outcome.
Adaptability: anticipating and responding to changing circumstances and coping effectively with the transition. Fit into a new environment quickly and easily.
Initiative: Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and to introduce a new course of action. To be resilient, tenacious and determined.
Skills Transferability: Be able to pass existing skills onto different roles that may or may not require (new) different skills.
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

6. Objectives of the Curriculum for Transferable skills
Developing abilities in the students that are broad and multiple and also transferable to other (engineering) contexts
Multiple and/or transferable skills 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
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

7. Curriculum for Transferable skills
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.
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

8. Research- based Approach (Nexus of Healey)
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

9. Research-based and Multiskill Learning
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, which is a key factor in today’s employment success
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

10. Interdisciplinary Approach for Research-based Teaching: the Engineering Modelling
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

11. New Engineering Curriculum at the University of Melbourne (the use of Math- Works Tools (Engineering Modelling))
Engineering students at Melbourne University (Mechanical Engineering department) use MATLAB, Simulink, and other MathWorks software (research and engineering modelling tools)
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.
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

12. Engineering Modelling R&D Investment Growth and Intensity Across Major Countries
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
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

13. Indicative model for educating and training (aerospace/aircraft) engineers which includes three main elements of education, training, and research-based learning (Perth College UHI)
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

14. Curriculum Model Performance
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
Engineering modelling was integrated into course-works and problem solving activities. This has merited the research-based teaching and learning process
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
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

15. Model’s Skills’ Survey
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 skills, Initiative, Skills transferability, Subject specialising, Across-speciality roles)
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

16. Survey Questionnaire
where each of the skills can be developed effectively; at education (University), at work/training, or at spare time (social experience)
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

17. Results of Surveyed Staff and Students on the Capacity of Achieving Employability Skills in Education
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012

18. Conclusion
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
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.
9th Enhancement Themes national conference Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, March, 2012