Engineering education for the future

Who do you trust with the future? STEM students now will tackle some of the greatest challenges of our times. We need them to be well prepared. Flipped classrooms, role-playing games, micro-credentials. From engineering, computing, AI and cyber-security, our guests explain how they’re co-creating knowledge with the next generation of engineers and computer scientists to help them shape a better future for us all.   A note from our host on COVID-19 Hello listeners. Short months ago we recorded these conversations about the future of engineering and computer science education, including a lot of discussion about online delivery. We had no idea how relevant that conversation would be now, as the world responds to COVID-19. Along with other lecturers at the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, I'm now working from home and reformatting my courses for remote delivery. It’s not just theoretical anymore. This is something we need to do now, and do right. As we rapidly adjust to a new learning landscape, I can’t help but think of the topics covered in this podcast. Comments from this episode, as well as Cameron Tonkinwise’s thoughts in our episode on social impact, predicting large wicked problems that will fundamentally change the way we live all seem especially relevant. Now is the time to reassess our approach to pedagogy and adapt to new situations. I hope you find this discussion helpful as we face that challenge together - Dr Kiara Bruggeman.    Guests Callie Doyle-Scott is a writer, storyteller and creator of interactive games. She made the role-playing game “Logic Error Detected” to challenge people’s own assumptions and how these influence AI algorithms. She explains that computers don’t understand nuance or context, taking instructions to their logical extreme – making humans responsible for the ethical, or unethical, behaviour that eventuates. Kathi Fisler is a Research Professor in Computer Science at Brown University (USA). Along with Shriram Krishnamurthi (also a computer science Professor at Brown), they run a school-based computing program for physics, algebra and data science that makes these topics accessible. The program is based on the principles of equity, scale, and rigour. It’s designed to be modular and not necessarily require computing hardware, so all students and schools can participate. Abel Nyamapfene is a Principal Teaching Fellow at the Department of Engineering Science, University College London. Using flipped classrooms, case studies and engineering exchanges (where students work alongside companies), he collaborates with students to become co-creators of knowledge. Elanor Huntington, Dean of the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, talks of her belief in the power of transformative education. She describes the College’s bold new approach to education, and our “responsibility to bring about a better future”. Euan Lindsay is the Director of Engineering at Charles Sturt University. He outlines the innovative, modular approach they’ve taken to engineering education; where students can learn at their own time, pace, and in the order they need to. Lesley Seebeck is CEO of the ANU Cyber Institute. She says human behaviour, not technology, is key. Using immersive experiences, micro-credentials, small-group learning and teaching emotional literacy, she hopes to “do for cyber what the MBA did for business”. James Sedgwick is an Educational Design Manager at the ANU Cyber Institute. He discusses how innovative role-playing games such as Callie’s help students crack open their underlying assumptions, and how micro-credentials can help education stay current in such a fast-moving industry.  Cameron Tonkinwise is a Professor of Design Studies at the University of Technology Sydney and Director of the Design Innovation Research Centre. He encourages us to learn slowly and savour it. Not to squeeze education into our day, but reimagine what it is to learn… and do so for the rest of our lives!   Further reading Bootstrap – school-based computing education What does it mean for a computing curriculum to succeed? Global state of the art in engineering education Education for the cyber age Music credits Our theme music, Anders by Blue Dot Sessions, is licensed under an attribution non-commercial licence. We’re also grateful for the use of the song So Far Away by Daniel Birch, licensed under an attribution non-commercial licence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.