| There has been major national attention to engineering education in recent years. This book emerges from a study of engineering education by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, as part of its Preparation for the Professions series. It is written for administrators and faculty in engineering schools and programs.
With today's whirl of innovation and the profound changes in engineering practice and professional responsibility, engineering prowess is a key element for the progress of civilization. Based on years of research from a variety of U.S. engineering schools throughout the nation, Educating Engineers focuses on the practices of teaching and learning that shape future engineers. The book considers the strengths and weaknesses of current curricular goals and teaching practices, in light of the major changes in professional practice in this new, global era. Educating Engineers also addresses concerns about declining enrollment, underrepresentation of women and minorities, and perceived inadequacies in the preparation of graduates for the shifting roles of practicing engineers.
This book got to me with the first line of the introduction – “Engineering has never mattered more.” Like me, you are probably nodding your head. The second line says, “The explosion of new information, technologies, robotics, biotechnology, the increased blending of invention with scientific discovery: these are powerfully affecting every area of life, often in unexpected ways.” From that point on, I wanted to devour every word. Educating Engineers is a great book for the college engineering educator but if you are not a college educator, you may lose interest after the first section.
Educating Engineers helped me understand the problems facing the country and the engineering education system. It reminded me of my days in engineering school (good and bad) and also made me feel hopeful about every engineering school’s ability to attract and retain a more diverse population. |
