Intercultural engineering online: Getting humanitarian engineering on the agenda

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce van de Vegte
Keyword(s):  
Humanitarian Engineering

scholarly journals Using pictorial action instructions to build a basic humanitarian engineering project

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70
Author(s):  
Kathleen Paco Cadman ◽  
Du Feng
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Engineering Project ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Humanitarian Engineering ◽  
Engineering Projects ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Humanitarian engineering projects mitigate environmental hazards disproportionately affecting health in low- and middle-income countries. However, widespread literacy deficits can create barriers in training low-literacy adults to construct these projects, indicating a need for literacy-adapted training materials. A randomized control trial in rural Guatemala tested the usability of pictorial action instructions, compared to demonstration-only methods, in training low-literacy adults (N = 60; n = 30 per group) to construct a solar bottle bulb. Fourteen days after the training, participants individually constructed the solar bottle bulb. The intervention group received pictorial action instructions to guide them, and the control group completed construction based on memory. Usability was evaluated by measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of construction, as well as user satisfaction and self-efficacy levels. Effectiveness and self-efficacy were significantly better among those in the intervention group compared to the control group. Considering this, the findings support the use of pictorial action instructions in training low-literacy adults to construct humanitarian engineering projects. This method may allow more individuals in rural regions of low- and middle-income countries to successfully construct their own humanitarian engineering projects in a way that is sustainable and scalable. Further research is needed to test these instructions in different settings, on a larger scale, as well as to test the long-term effects of using pictorial action instructions. 

scholarly journals Modeling Humanizing Education Through Newly Reviewed Materials Engineering Curriculum

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 63-79
Author(s):  
Norshahida Sarifuddin ◽  
Zuraida Ahmad ◽  
Ahmad Zahirani Ahmad Azhar ◽  
Hafizah Hanim Mohd Zaki ◽  
Amelia Wong Azman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
Materials Engineering ◽  
New Curriculum ◽  
Humanitarian Engineering ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

In line with the current global focus on sustainability and the well-being of the planet, becoming a professional engineer nowadays requires more than simple mastery of technical skills. Considering that engineers are required to have a deep sense of responsibility not only for humankind but also for the environment, engineering education and practices must be reformed substantially to prepare engineers that will contribute to sustainable development. This necessitates updating conventional engineering programs (CEE) to incorporate Humanizing Engineering Education (HEE). Although HEE is an old practice of individual engineers and other organizations outside the academic field, it is relatively new in academic engineering. While the definition of what truly merits being considered HEE remains debatable, many engineers believe that their work involves a humanitarian aspect. To streamline the development of HEE, there is a need for developing guidelines and frameworks for a comprehensive model. Ideally, that framework should integrate humanizing pedagogy in the new curriculum design. The objective of the paper is to share the experience of the authors in designing a new curriculum for a Materials Engineering Programme (MEP) that is embedded with Humanitarian Engineering (HE), which is among the main elements of HEE. Data collection was through interviews, qualitative surveys, reports from the stakeholders, accreditation bodies and benchmarking with other Higher Learning Institutions (HLI). An extensive scholarly literature review was executed to identify shortcomings in CEE and how it could be reformed by integrating it with HEE. The Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF); a strategic framework for academic programmes developed by the university, was used as a reference to customize MEP to better meet students’ needs. Since the proposed model applies a new emerging concept, it inevitably raises challenges related to different levels of understanding among course implementers and perceptions of external stakeholders. Moreover, the developers had to consider the limitations imposed by the university's policies and structures while acknowledging the availability of finite resources (i.e. time, money, equipment, and expertise).

LEISURE OF STUDENT YOUTH: RESULTS OF MONITORING RESEARCH

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 102-120
Author(s):  
Alina V. KULMINSKAYA ◽  
Lyubov D. ZABOKRITSKAYA
Keyword(s):  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
Middle Urals ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Study Programs ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Humanitarian Engineering

The article presents the results of the eighth stage of monitoring the socio-cultural development of youth. It has been carried out for over 25 years under the guidence of Yu. R. Vishnevsky. The sample size of the last stage consisted of 2,000 third-year students of intramural studies at the universities of the Middle Urals. Quota parameters are gender and study programs of respondents (humanitarian, engineering, socio-economic and natural sciences). The purpose of the article is to record the changes that have occurred in the structure of students leisure activities since 2016. The sample of 2016 is compiled by the same principles, n = 1,827. The theoretical part of the article reviews approaches to defining the concept of leisure, its types and main factors that affect the structure of preferences when choosing leisure activities. The results of the article include the dynamics of student interest in leisure activities for the period from 1995 to 2020. An increase in the number of leisure activities per respondent was revealed, as well as an increase in interest in activities related to digital technologies. A decrease in interest was noted in active forms of leisure such as tourism, outings, sports. Interest in leisure activities related to social interaction, both in direct and indirect form, remains. The close attention is paid to the comparison of data from 2016 and 2020, since it was during these years that the most complete range of students’ activities was formed. The influence of the respondent’s gender on the choice of leisure activities has been also analyzed. The respondents have been grouped according to several classifications of leisure. Based on the classifications, an interest in recreational activities and the preservation of the recreational function of leisure are noted.

Students’ attitude toward sustainability and humanitarian engineering education using project-based and international field learning pedagogies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Truc Thanh Ngo ◽  
Bradley Chase
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Development Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Humanitarian Engineering

Purpose Environmental sustainability and social contexts are becoming increasingly important concepts. The infusion of sustainability and humanitarian engineering (HE) into the academic core curriculum is often challenging. This study aims to provide an understanding of students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the incorporation of active learning of sustainability and humanitarian concepts into engineering education. Design/methodology/approach A project-based sustainability course was developed and offered to engineering undergraduates. A HE international field experience was also provided to students as an extracurricular activity. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to assess students’ perceptions and attitudes toward sustainability and HE project learning experience. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the statistical significance of the results and demographic influences on students’ experiences. Findings Both project-based and international field learning experiences positively influenced the students’ perceptions of sustainable practices, social change and appreciation of the engineering profession. Multidisciplinary learning also helped students become more motivated, engage in sustainability-promoted activities and community work and improve their social interactions. Students gained practical engineering skills that they did not typically receive in traditional classroom settings and recognized the global and social responsibilities that are core to sustainable development education. Originality/value The study demonstrates a mixed undergraduate educational model in which students acquired sustainability concepts through a project-based engineering course and practiced social responsibility through international HE projects. The findings help engineering educators understand students’ perceptions toward sustainability and HE, providing insight into effective curriculum design and strategic inclusion of social responsibility in traditional engineering education.

scholarly journals Humanitarian Engineering: A New Interdisciplinary Course on the Application of Engineering Skills to Local and Global Humanitarian Challenges

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Sheroubi ◽  
Gabriel Potvin
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Technical Design ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Undergraduate Studies ◽  
Societal Impacts ◽  
Humanitarian Engineering ◽  
Interdisciplinary Course

Many students express a desire to apply their technical engineering skills to produce positive societal impacts, and although sustainability frameworks do take this into consideration in traditional engineering curricula, there are relatively few avenues for students to work on real global social issues during their undergraduate studies. This paper describes a new interdisciplinary course developed at UBC on the use of engineering skills to solve humanitarian challenges.The course is composed of case-study analyses, interactive activities and simulations, group discussions and seminars, and a technical design project completed in partnership with an NGO or charity working on a particular humanitarian challenge. The rationale and design of the course and its deliverables, as well as student feedback on this first iteration of this course are presented.

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