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Summary of Projects for Judges | Key Criteria | 

 

Project Title: Engineering Awareness Raising through High School Mentoring

Entrants: University of South Australia and eLabtronics

Division: South Australia

Addressing Key Criteria

 

1. Sound Engineering Practices and Principles

 

The members of the project team have observed with concern the decline of interest in engineering and science programs in recent years, and decided to take proactive action to reverse the trend. In formulating an action plan, the project team employed system design techniques as indicated by Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 illustrates the input/output analysis in determining the problem parameters, hence devising a specification for the project. Fig. 2 shows the systematic steps followed throughout the morphological structure of project design and implementation stages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The design and implementation stages have been carefully executed with a great deal of emphasis on the feasibility of the scheme, resource management and quality assurance. The program outcomes were evaluated with the aid of a program evaluation instrument (PEI), and findings have been used to improve the scheme for continued operation in 2003 and beyond.

The solution has several original and ingenious features. These are:

The University and industry jointly reaching out into the community with a well structured program and purpose.

Deployment of engineering students as "mentors", thus providing motivation and increasing the effectiveness of intuition.

Recognition of mentoring activity by incorporating it in academic programs under the category of "Broadening Undergraduate Education" as a credit-earning course.

Training of university students in mentoring jointly by the University and the industry partner.

Teaching secondary school students advanced technological concepts, which are usually taught in university programs.

Using a project-based approach with emphasis on creative and systematic problem solving.

Use of a robotic competition as a stimulant, providing a goal to achieve as the ultimate test of success and encouraging to strive for excellence.

 

 

 

The main objective of the project is to raise awareness for engineering among the pool of secondary students. Arguably, this enhanced awareness will be instrumental in increasing the attraction to engineering, hence increasing the pool of students for engineering study.

The following aspects ought to result as a consequence:

The project provides an insight into engineering activity, not readily apparent to high school students.

It opens up "vistas" for young minds, which they are not normally aware of.

The activities within the project involve the wider community, thus permeating awareness of what engineers do into increasingly wider circles as families and friends observe project participants working toward achievable goals with enthusiasm. This may create an environment for awareness raising by osmosis.

The competition element of the project provides an opportunity for a community affair as families and friends join in with participating students to celebrate "engineering" achievements.

The project provides a basis for desire to want to contribute to wellbeing of the society and its wealth creation.

Young students are empowered to make informed career choices, increasing the chances that "engineering" may be high on the agenda.

Having motivated young members with enthusiasm for engineering enriches the communities at large. This is particularly important in socio-economically disadvantaged regions of South Australia such as the northern Adelaide region, where skill-base is sorely lacking and participation in higher education is low.

 

 

 

 

 

It is postulated that no development is sustainable unless there is a skill- base, enthusiasm and incentives for it. Thus, the project aims at the heart of the problem by contributions as follow:

It enhances the image of engineering in a meaningful way, making engineering attractive as a career choice.

It provides a basis for suitable development by encouraging a sustained number of motivated students to enter into professional engineering programs, and subsequently into the engineering profession.

it engenders problem-solving skills in the participants. This is deemed crucially important against the backdrop of rapid change in technology. The project inculcates a mental disposition ready to live with and manage change.

It contributes to raising the number of skilled intellectuals in the community, particularly low in the region of focus.

It influences future decisions of young students at a stage early enough during schooling before mind-sets are formed.

It highlights the importance of engineering to the wellbeing of communities, which includes wealth creation.

 

 

 

The project team was cognisant of the severe budgetary limitations imposed on the project from the outset. Yet, the team faced the challenge enthusiastically and with considerable success.

The project was fully supported by the project partners who gave of themselves and ensured that adequate resources were made available to the project.

The team recognised the urgency of action, setting a target of conducting the project at 3 schools as a pilot scheme in the first year of its existence.

The timelines set for the project implementation reflect the sense of urgency, which included liaison with schools, training of mentors, designing a new course with academic credit, selection of students, conducting sessions with groups of students and teachers at participating schools. All targets were achieved.

The team has proactively sought the support of the wider community and funding sources. As a result, a grant of $50,000 has been procured to extend the project to 15 schools involving 200 students and 20 mentors in 2003.

 

 

 

The importance of raising awareness of the importance of engineering and science has been increasingly recognised, both overseas and in Australia. Several universities have embarked on programs aiming to informing and motivating secondary school students about engineering with a view to increasing numbers of students taking up engineering study. Two such examples will be given below:

College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA

This is a mentoring program focused on introducing "engineering" into pre-university education with the aim of increasing the interest and participation of students in engineering and science. The term outreach is used to describe the various ways in which the University endeavours to attract young minds to engineering. Both graduates and undergraduates are deployed to deliver hands-on, project-based science, pre-engineering and technology curriculum and activities to K-12 students and teachers.

(for further information see http://colorado.edu/cu4k12)

 

 

Murdoch University, WA, Australia

The peer-tutoring scheme at Murdoch University is a well-established program, where university students act as peer tutors in high schools for a variety of subjects including science as the main focus.

The scheme is extended beyond the local region into countries in South East Asia including Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines. It is well received and claims to encourage and reinforce the following attributes:

Communication skills including active listening, and verbal and written communication.

Leadership skills.

Ability to work in teams.

Time-management.

Problem solving.

Initiative taking.

Self-confidence.

 

(For further information see: http://about.murdoch.edu.au/star/intro.html )

 

The project jointly conducted by the University of South Australia and eLabtronics compares very well with these and other programs elsewhere. Furthermore, the project incorporates some very attractive features, which do not seem to be included in other programs. These include the following:

The University conducts the project in close collaboration with an industry partner. This adds relevance to the activity in terms of giving the right perspective of engineering.

Project-based problem solving approach encourages skill development with relevance to potential employment opportunities.

Using resources such as leading edge technology microcontrollers, progressive programming tools developed in South Australia lends significance to the project in the eyes of the participants.

A working product as the outcome of mentoring sessions enhances the value of the scheme for the participants.

Unlike other schemes elsewhere where mentoring university students work under active supervision, in this project student mentors have a leading role. This proves most motivational, helping student mentors to develop professional attitudes rapidly.

 

Although the project has currently a regional focus, it is planned to expand it beyond the region, offering it elsewhere including SE Asia where both the University and the industry partner have a strong interest.