… engineers work to solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life. By demonstrating the impact that engineering can have on lives around the globe, engineering will be seen as a top choice of education and an attractive profession … —Society of Women Engineers
Most engineering education hasn’t changed in over 75 years. There needs to be a different approach that will be more attractive to a broader range of candidates. I’ve been thinking about how to explain this.
Start with engineering, then fill in the physics, math, etc as needed. The sequence of engineering drives the learning of the supporting subjects.
Olin College of Engineering
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olin_College
Classes emphasize context and interdisciplinary connections. Freshmen take integrated course blocks that teach engineering, calculus, and physics by exploring the relationships among the three subjects. Arts, humanities, social sciences, and entrepreneurship courses take an interdisciplinary approach to subjects such as the self (“What Is I?”), history (“History of Technology”), and art (“Wired Ensemble” and “Seeing and Hearing”).
One of my son’s high school friends was an Olin Partner who “worked” for Olin the year before being in the inaugural class.
Learning map is one way to visualize this. Paper is way too much information but it shows the idea.
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/3/365
With LLMs and guided/ facilitated personalized learning, this may be more practical. Because students come to engineering with such different prior knowledge, acquiring “the basics” before actual engineering is a big barrier to entry for many who would be great engineers.
engineering 4 kids 