News Archive

It is an exciting time for teaching and learning in the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics as initiatives and plans developed over the last few years are now being implemented.

FECM Professor of Engineering Education, Winthrop Professor Caroline Baillie , has commenced with the Faculty and is currently looking at ways to foster the scholarship of engineering education.  Academic staff are also engaging in fruitful conversations about the new engineering majors, one in the Bachelor of Science, and another with a studio focus in the Bachelor of Design.

One of the benefits of providing educational programmes for a profession such as engineering is the interaction with the professional body, which for engineering is Engineers Australia.

These professional bodies "work closely with academic institutions to accredit courses and programs, and ensure they are aligned with international benchmarks." ( Engineers Australia: About Us , 2009)  Within Engineers Australia's accreditation policy there is much scope for creativity, which the Faculty's teaching staff have embraced.

The following examples list some ways teaching staff continue to improve the student's educational experience in the Faculty.

Mathematics, science, engineering principles, skills and tools

8 am and 9 am Mathematics Lectures for Engineering First Years: In 2010 mathematics lectures for first year engineering students have been rescheduled to 10 am and 11 am.  This is in response to recent research into the effectiveness of early classes for adolescents, recent insights into adolescent brain chemistry, and the reliance of first years on public transport, given their ineligibility for UWA parking permits, or even the fact that many have yet to gain a car or driver's licence.

On line Mathematics Resources - HELM: The Faculty recently purchased Loughborough University's HELM (Helping Engineers Learn Mathematics) learning materials and made them available to all engineering first years through a dedicated WebCT unit, HELM0001. The learning resources consist of 48 PDF workbooks and links to short explanatory videos.

The resources allow students to, in their own time, find worked examples, explanations and additional mathematics questions. Anyone seeking access to the HELM materials is welcome to contact the Faculty Office.

Engineering design and projects

A recent edition of UWA News (Brophy, 2009) highlighted some of the engineering design projects and competitions undertaken by students. These include the popular Warman Design Competition and, for all engineering students, the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Challenge in the first year core unit Introduction to Professional Engineering .  The EWB Challenge projects are the contexts for developing engineering knowledge and skills and to develop professional skills such as ethical behaviour, risk analysis and cultural awareness and sensitivity.

The titles of the four reports submitted to the EWB Challenge in 2009 are:

• Biodigestion in Cambodia
• Solar Tyre Cooker:  ‘A Substitute for the Stove'
• Menstrual Hygiene Management on the Tonle Sap
• Housing and Built Infrastructure: A Composite Material on the Tonle Sap Lake

Last year a record 7491 first year engineering students from 26 universities in Australia and New Zealand participated in the challenge, with 24 universities then submitting 74 reports. For the second year in a row, UWA received the Overall Champion Team Award.

The Biodigestion in Cambodia project aimed to reduce biological wastes being returned to the Tonle Sap Lake, in Cambodia, by producing bio gas and organic fertilizer as -products to improve the economic and health conditions for the people living on the lake.  The UWA champion team included Rhys Daniel, Louise Minchin, Martin Kalkhoven, Robbie Révy, Patrick Donnelly and Ian Azaro.

The new Clough First Year Centre will support engineering First Years with a space to have as their base, to meet, work in groups, and also work on projects.  Engineering projects need to be as authentic as possible, so projects are sourced from industry. Co-operative Education for Enterprise Development (CEED) formally links students with industry research projects.

All engineering students need to complete a 12 week practicum, ideally in industry. Joint projects with Architecture are negotiated. And, finally, for undergraduates, there is a requirement to complete a final year project, a ‘capstone' to their undergraduate studies.

Supporting the Faculty's First Years

While some areas of the University have implemented PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions), the Faculty has chosen a different model of peer assistance.  The one-on-one peer tutoring is a weekly timetabled opportunity for first year Faculty students to drop in and ask questions about any of the first year faculty units from one of the four tutors, or just work quietly by oneself or with colleagues.

The peer tutors are trained and paid by the Faculty. The intention is to always have a peer tutor available in the Clough First Year Centre once it is opened.

Computing Science

A challenge in teaching in Computer Science and Software Engineering is the continually changing nature of the tools and technologies. This means every year units need to be updated and, if necessary, rewritten - a challenge embraced by the teaching staff. Recent innovations include CheX, the UWA Widget Gallery, and projects based on iPod Touches. Teaching staff from the School of Computer Science and Software Engineering are highly regarded and regularly nominated for teaching awards.

References:

Meyer, J. and Land, R. (2003). Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge - Linkages to Ways of Thinking and Practicing' in C. Rust (ed.). Improving Student Learning - Ten Years On . Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.

Brophy, L. (2009) Students Realise a Boy's Dream. UWA News 28(16).  Retrieved 20 November 2009 from https://uwanews.publishing.uwa.edu.au/?f=266369

Engineers Australia: About Us . (2009). Retrieved 30 November from https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/about-us/about-us_home.cfm

Extract from CATLyst, edition 4