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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities

Summary of a Workshop

Ryan C. Davison, Rapporteur

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Academies, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through Grant No. 0632843 and the United Engineering Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessary reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number 13: 978-0-309-14831-3

International Standard Book Number 10: 0-309-14831-6

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE WORKSHOP ON ENGINEERING CURRICULA: UNDERSTANDING THE DESIGN SPACE AND EXPLOITING THE OPPORTUNITIES

ELI FROMM, Chair,

Drexel University

WOODIE FLOWERS,

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

SHERRA KERNS,

Olin College of Engineering

LUENY MORELL,

Hewlett Packard Company

TERI REED-RHOADS,

Purdue University

ALAN TUCKER,

SUNY Stony Brook

Rapporteur

RYAN C. DAVISON, Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Staff

RICHARD TABER, Program Officer,

Committee on Engineering Education (through February 2009)

NORMAN L. FORTENBERRY, Director,

Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education

ELIZABETH T. CADY, Associate Program Officer

NATHAN KAHL, Program Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
×

Acknowledgments

The committee wishes to thank the individuals that participated in the March 2009 workshop on engineering curriculum. The conversations and insights gained in that workshop provided excellent guidance for the structure of this report. Special thanks are extended to the supporters of this activity: the National Science Foundation (under grant DUE-0632843) and the United Engineering Foundation.


This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the author and the NAE in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the workshop summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this workshop summary:

Eli Fromm, Drexel University

Hayden Griffin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Lueny Morrell, Hewlett Packard Company

Stanley Napper, Louisiana Tech University

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this workshop summary was overseen by Michael Corradini of the University of Wisconsin. He was responsible for making sure that the independent examination of this workshop summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this workshop summary rests entirely with the author and the institution.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academy of Engineering. 2010. Engineering Curricula: Understanding the Design Space and Exploiting the Opportunities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12824.
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In April 2009 a workshop was held to explore how engineering curricula could be enhanced to better prepare future engineers. The workshop, summarized in this volume, included individuals from industry, academia, government agencies, and professional societies.

During the workshop participants addressed the rationale for the scope and sequence of current engineering curricula, considering both the positive aspects as well as those aspects that have outlived their usefulness. Other topics of discussion included the potential to enhance engineering curricula through creative uses of instructional technologies; the importance of inquiry-based activities as well as authentic learning experiences grounded in real world contexts; and the opportunities provided by looking more deeply at what personal and professional outcomes result from studying engineering.

General themes that appeared to underlie the workshop attendees' discussions included desires to (a) restructure engineering curricula to focus on inductive teaching and learning, (b) apply integrated, just-in-time learning of relevant topics across STEM fields, and (c) make more extensive use and implementation of learning technologies. During breakout discussions, many additional suggestions were offered for means by which to facilitate curricular innovation.

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