Making students engineers

Curtin University of Technology’s Engineering faculty addresses its students as ‘student engineers’. There is a subtle but important distinction between an engineering student and a student engineer. It is a challenge to have our students make that distinction and to engage with the processes of professional engineering practice.This paper reports on an innovative first year ‘Engineering Foundations: Principles and Communications (EFPC)’ unit that embeds the acquisition of communication skills in a technically based project. The project revolves around two engineering constructs: a popsicle stick bridge and a mousetrap-powered car. The design and construction of each construct is conducted by different teams of students — each team designs a bridge and constructs a car, or vice versa. Each team follows recognised procedures of process and communication for the design, tendering and production of the projects.Requiring students to work both as designers and constructors introduces them to the different communication requirements of each role. More powerfully, they also assume the role of client for each others’ engineering project, providing a valuable alternative perspective. Within this technical context the unit also teaches students to write engineering case study reports, give professional presentations on their project and work in teams. These are all principal skills that are essential in the real engineering world.The project has led to significant improvements in students’ communication skills, as well as their perceived learning outcomes. It has introduced students to essential lifelong learning skills and has challenged them to become effective communicators, better team players and more professional in their approach to engineering projects.