the missing basics: what engineers don't learn and why they need to learn it
DESCRIPTION
Lecture 1 from ENG100++ (ENG 198) for iFoundry freshmen at the UIUC. Considers what engineering is, what engineers don't know when they graduate and why they need to learn it.TRANSCRIPT
© David E. Goldberg 2009
The Missing Basics:What Engineers Don’t Learn & Why They Need to Learn It
David E. GoldbergIllinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL 61801 [email protected]
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Engineering Education Reform in the Air
• Many calls for reform.• Many lists the same:
– Need more “design.”– Need more people skills.– Need better “communications.”
• Yet change comes slowly, if at all.• Can we be more systematic about
understanding basis for reform?• What don’t engineers learn and why
do they need to learn it.
Roadmap
• Who am I?• Why is curriculum change hard? What is iFoundry?• What is engineering? Student reflections.• Begin with the end in mind: Seniors in design
project course.• 7 things engineers don’t learn: the missing basics.• 3 reasons they need to learn them: historical,
philosophical, and utilitarian.• How this connects to ENG100++.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Who Am I?
• David E. Goldberg, Jerry S. Dobrovolny Distinguished Professor in Entrepreneurial Engineering, Industrial & Enterprise Systems Engineering.
• Project engineering & marketing manager, Stoner Associates, Carlisle, PA, 1976-1980.
• Asst/Assoc Prof Engineering Mechanics, University of Alabama, 1984-1990.
• Came to UIUC in 1990 in General Engineering.• Research in genetic algorithms & philosophy
of engineering.• Co-Founded ShareThis in 2004
(Formerly Nextumi).
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Why is Curriculum Change Hard?
Academic NIMBY problem.NIMBY = Not in my backyard.“It is OK to change the
curriculum…”“….just don’t change MY
course.”Politics of logrolling: You
support my not changing. I support your not changing.
Even though agreement for change is widespread, specific changes are resisted.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
iFoundry: Org Innovation for Change
• Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education:– Curriculum change incubator. Permit change.– Collaboration. Large, key ugrad programs work together. Easier approval if
shared. – Connections. Hook to depts, NAE, ABET (?), industry. – Volunteers. Enthusiasm for change among participants. – Existing authority. Use signatory authority for modification of curricula for
immediate pilot. – Respect faculty governance. Get pilot permission from the dept. and go
back to faculty for vote after pilot change– Assessment. Built-in assessment to overcome objections back home. – Scalability. Past attempts at change like Olin fail to scale at UIUC and
other big schools. • www.ifoundry.illinois.edu
© David E. Goldberg 2009
What is Engineering?
• You’re sitting in class at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• You signed up for engin school.
• Came to one of the best on the planet.
• First day of your freshmen year.
• What is engineering?
Mechanical Building & Drill Hall 1871
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Begin with the End in Mind
• Senior design as way to see the end.• General Engineering at UIUC established
in 1921 following curriculum study.• Grinter report of 1955 led to more math
and engineering science at expense of design.
• UCLA conference 1962.• Ford Foundation grant 1966.• Money ran out 1971.• Industrial funding supports thereafter.
Stephen R. Covey (b. 1932 )
Ready, Set, Go
• These are seniors.• Should be engineers on the
threshold.• Express preferences for projects.• Get assigned to a project: 3-
member teams & faculty advisor.• Go on the plant trip.
• Query: What don’t they know how to do?
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Failure 1: Inability to Ask
• Don’t know how to frame or ask good questions.
• Difficulty probing the problem.• Trouble querying what has
been tried.• Problem learning about
vendors and sources of information.
• Historical terms: Socrates 101.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Socrates (470-399 BCE)
Failure 2: Inability to Label
• Don’t know names of common systems, assemblies, and components of technology.
• Difficulty labeling new artifact concepts or models.
• Linguistically naïve.• Mainly comfortable with familiar
categories and objects.• Historical terms: Aristotle 101.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
Failure 3: Inability to Model
Don’t know how to model conceptually:◦ As causal chain.◦ As categorical list of types or kinds.
Pavlovian dogs when it comes to equations.
Need to understand problem qualitatively in words and diagrams prior to quantitative modeling undertaking.
Historical terms: Hume 101 or Aristotle 102.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
David Hume (1711-1776)
Failure 4: Inability to Decompose
• Don’t know how to decompose big problem into little problems.
• Look for magic bullets in equations of motion.
• Most projects too hard: Companies don’t pay $9500 for plugging into Newton’s laws.
• Historical terms: Descartes 101?
© David E. Goldberg 2009
René Descartes (1596-1650)
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Failure 5: Inability to Measure
• Don’t know how to measure stuff or collect data.
• Engineering taught as abstract math/science exercise.
• Ignore benefit of direct measurement.
• Historical terms: Locke 101 or Bacon 101? John Locke (1632-1704)
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Failure 6: Inability to Visualize/Ideate
• Don’t know how to draw sketches or diagrams when helpful.
• Have trouble envisioning solutions.
• Graphics education greatly diminished.
• Historical terms: da Vinci or Monge 101.
Failure 7: Inability to Communicate
Finally finish the project.Don’t know how to present
or write for business.“What we have here is a
failure to communicate.”Historical terms: Newman
101.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Paul Newman (1925-2008)
© David E. Goldberg 2009
The Missing Basics vs. the Basics
• Call these lacnuae the missing basics (MBs) vs. “the basics” = math, sci, & eng sci.
• After 4 years they don’t know how to– Question: Socrates 101.– Label: Aristotle 101.– Model conceptually: Hume 101
& Aristotle 102.– Decompose: Descartes 101.– Measure: Bacon-Locke 101.– Visualize/ideate: da Vinci-
Monge 101.– Communicate: Newman 101
• MBs as quality failure.
• 5th century BC as pivotal moment in human thinking.
• MBs as keys to – lifelong learning,– interdisciplinarity.
Do Engineers Need the Missing Basics?
• Yes!!• Three reasons:
– World has changed: Cold war curriculum in internet world.
– Engineering is more than math & science.– Great engineers have balance of people and
technical skills.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Cold War Curriculum in Creative Era
• Why does this matter?• World has changed.• End of WW2: Engineers accepted
notion (myth?) that “science won the war.”
• 1955 Grinter report spurred injection of math & science, reduction in design & practice.
• Engineers as narrow, specialized, & individuals.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Creative Era & Missed Revolutions
• The paradigm was OK for WW2 & Cold War.
• Now a creative era, a flat world. • Missed revolutions since WW2:
– Quality revolution.– Entrepreneurial revolution.– IT revolution.
• Teach the “revolutions,” but do not integrate lessons into academy or curriculum.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Engineering is More than Math & Science
• Return to our discussion:– Common view: Engineering is applied
science.– Von Karman: “A scientist discovers that
which exists. An engineer creates that which never was.”
– Koen: Engineering is heuristics.– Pitt: Technology is “humanity at work.”– Mesthene: Technology is “the organization
of knowledge for achievement of practical purpose.”
– Rogers: “Engineering refers to the practice of organizing the design and construction of any artifice which transforms the physical world around us to meet some recognized need.”
© David E. Goldberg 2009
A Definition?
• Here: Engineering is the social practice of conceiving, designing, implementing, producing, & sustaining complex artifacts, processes, or systems appropriate to some recognized need.
• Artifacts primary object.• Science & math are among tools used for artifact conception &
support.• Social practice Engineered by and for people.• Social side as important as the physics.• Some engineered objects are physical, but all engineered objects are
social.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Great Engineers Have Balance of Skills
• Tech visionary research great tech skills, modeling skills, and political skills.
• Technological products important.
• Engineering is by and for people.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
ThingSpace as Example
• Moving away from an analysis-centered curriculum.
• Taking technological products seriously.
• Consider their essence, history, workings, & effect on users and society.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
Bottom Line
• Summing up:– Senior design as way to list missing basics.– 7 things engineers don’t learn.– The world has changed.– Engineering as more than math and science.– Engineering as balanced skill set.
• This course emphasizes the missing things.• Will still take classes with plenty of math & science.• This class will help you in thinking more deeply about your math &
science.• Will also help you in engineering effectiveness with customers and
co-workers.
© David E. Goldberg 2009
More Information
• iFoundry: http://ifoundry.illinois.edu • EotF2.0: http://engineerofthefuture.olin.edu• iFoundry YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/illinoisfoundry• iFoundry SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/ifoundry • TEE, the book.
http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470007230.html • TEE, the blog.
www.entrepreneurialengineer.blogspot.com • TEE, the course.
http://online.engr.uiuc.edu/webcourses/ge498tee/index.html • MTV, the course.
http://online.engr.uiuc.edu/webcourses/ge498tv/index.html• Engineering and Technology Studies at Illinois (ETSI)
http://www-illigal.ge.uiuc.edu/ETSI• Workshop on Philosophy & Engineering (WPE)
http://www-illigal.ge.uiuc.edu/wpe• Twitter: www.twitter.com/deg511, www.twitter.com/ifoundry