Engineering
Education and Interdisciplinary Studies
Merja Tarvainen
Student Union of Tampere University of Technology
FINLAND
e-mail: merja.tarvainen@tut.fi
ABSTRACT
The tradition of engineering education is based on natural
sciences. Further on, the development of technologies has been changing the
world of basic infrastructures into a more complex one. Information and
communication technology systems have an obvious role in everyday life, but the
development achieved from a purely technical point of view has its limitations.
When new solutions are designed, the user has to be taken into consideration.
Exploring human understanding allows us to create systems that function better
in real life. The basic interdisciplinary approach combines different fields of
technology. Interdisciplinary studies can also give skills that help future
engineers to cope in a changing environment. The study of the boundary between
engineering science and other sciences can be incorporated into engineering
education as interdisciplinary studies. The systems theory approach could help
drawing up the structures of interdisciplinary elements of curriculum.
OUTLINE
Introduction
What are the expectations of engineering students at the
beginning of their studies? Engineers solve problems to construct the
surrounding world. Engineers are supposed to be multi-skilled experts who solve
various kinds of technical problems. The problem solving process can be very
complex and require many different competences. During the studying period
students perform similar kind of tasks they will do after graduation but also
learn to understand phenomena around the engineering itself.
Problem formulation
This paper discusses the interdisciplinary studies in the
engineering education. The theoretical frame of reference is the systems theory
and an example used is the interdisciplinarity at Tampere University of
Technology (TUT).
Approach
Basic interdisciplinary approach
Interdisciplinary approach has always been part of
engineering. For example, the development of microelectronics required both
chemistry and physics and tight connections to other fields of technology
(Leppävuori et al, p.622). A number of new fields have evolved from pure
sciences, such as telecommunications and signal processing. The knowledge of
professionals of one specific field is usually specialized into a moderately
narrow spectrum. This is necessary as the amount of knowledge is continuously
increasing. If this split nature of science would be accepted, then the reality
would be ruled by reductionism, which would mean that problems can be solved by
separating them from a larger entity (Luukkanen, 1993, p.97). But considering
the field of engineering as a whole, it is important to be able to continue the
development of interdisciplinarity. The different parts must form an entity.
Wider interdisciplinary approach
Engineers are professionals whose activities have a strong
influence on society’s technical infrastructure. Information acquisition has
become more efficient due to information and communication technology. Thus,
rapid changes in research, knowledge and economy call for knowledge management
and universities play an important role in this development. In order to
maintain the ability to educate people capable of meeting the demands of the
changing environment, it is necessary that universities include new contents
into the curriculum. The Institute of Biomedical Engineering at TUT conducted a
survey of how well the program was able to prepare the students for their future
jobs. The results revealed that language skills, project and teamwork, written
and oral communication skills and knowledge of data processing systems were
regarded highly important in work life (Anon1.)
In this paper the term interdisciplinary is used to describe
all the education that combines different fields of science. Different
categories of interdisciplinarity do exist. For example, according to Luukkanen
(1993, p.99) the traditional interdisciplinary approach used in engineering
would actually often be called multidisciplinary. Luukkanen's interdisciplinary
approach would require a neutral frame of reference, in which the aim is to
break loose from the conventional paradigms of one specific discipline
(Luukkanen 1993, p.100. Engineering
science original function is to facilitate life by means of technological
research and inventions.
Systems theory perspective
One frame of reference that can be used to study an
organization is “systems theory”. Management studies have made use of the
systems theory approach to improve the dynamics of enterprises. There are
theories which represent models of an organization as an autonomous entity, as
if it was a living creature (Anon2.). This enables one to perceive the
functionality of the organization at a deeper level and hence improve the
internal processes and activities with the environment. An institute of
engineering education can be put under the same examination. It should produce
competent knowledge workers for society through various processes. By analysing
and possibly reconstructing the structures of the education system this goal
can be met.
As mentioned previously an organization has a specific
structure. Every action taken can only be performed under those conditions that
are determined by this structure (Maturana, Varela, 1992, p. 171). A
well-adjusted curriculum ensures best learning results. The structure of the
curriculum must lie within certain boundaries. It is produced by the internal
network of the elements, which highlights the autonomy of the entire system.
Its function is to separate the organization from the outside world. But
according to Maturana and Varela (1992, p. 46) this boundary is an active part
of actions of the organization. This reveals the crucial aspect. Engineering education
should contain elements that, on the one hand represent engineering knowledge,
but on the other cross the line between engineering and other disciplines. The
interdisciplinary boundary acts as a nervous system of engineering education.
It is a tool to help the engineers to maintain an up-to-date comprehension of
the world (Maturana, Varela, 1992, p.131). When changes of the environment
emerge, the organization of engineering education can choose to accommodate
some of them into its own structures (Maturana, Varela, 1992, p.95-96).
Structures of education have a mutual effect on the environment.
Interdisciplinarity at Tampere University of Technology
(TUT)
TUT provides the students with many possibilities to include
interdisciplinary minors and courses into their degrees. There are some majors,
which have an interdisciplinary nature from the beginning. The field of
economics has the most obvious connection to engineering. Industrial
engineering is the most obvious example of combining other disciplines into
traditional curriculum since the importance of economics in society is
indisputable. Other interdisciplinary majors are usability (Department of
Information Technology), biomedical engineering (Department of Electrical
Engineering), Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology, occupational safety
engineering (Departments of Industrial Engineering and Management, Mechanical
Engineering and Environmental Technology) knowledge management (Department of
Industrial Engineering and Management), urban planning and design (Department
of Architecture) and architecture. In addition, the Department of Science and
Engineering offers teacher education (the pedagogical studies are given by the
University of Tampere). It is also possible to do a minor for example in
hypermedia, language technology or foreign languages. Sometimes the student can
study some courses or a whole minor, for example psychology, at a different
university.
Basic human needs are the main reason for implementing
subjects like usability, occupational safety and biomedical engineering. For
example, it is worth discovering the best solutions to make the devices most
efficient for the user. Usability combines the knowledge of cognitive and
behavioural sciences with computer science in order to design user-friendly
applications (Anon4.). Human well-being is a good reason to add new elements
into the curriculum.
Conclusions
There is a rise of interest in increasing interdisciplinary
studies. It is essential to be able to predict the future more accurately, and
there will be a need of other kind of knowledge than economic and technical in
order to be able to do that. Most importantly, humanistic knowledge and
communication skills are essential in assessing the state and existing values
of society and thus leading the development into the desired direction.
Some basic ideas of engineering will probably always be the
same; there will only be more layers of experts between the technical and
non-technical level. They are all needed together to build up a functioning
network.
Relevant References & Literature
Matthan Jacob, Torvela Heikki, Leppävuori Seppo. 1987.
Microelectronics Research Requires Interdisciplinary Approach. SEFI Annual
Conference. Interdisciplinarity in Engineering Education. Proceedings. Helsinki
University of Technology. (10 p.)
Anon1. Ragnar Granit Institute.Biomedical Engineering as a
Career Resource, survey. Tampere University of Technology. 1998.
http://www.rgi.tut.fi/bme-survey/di-p7.htm
Luukkanen, Jyrki. 1993. Systeemimallien rooli tutkimuksessa
ja suunnittelussa. Vapaavuori, Matti (toim.) Miten tutkimme tulevaisuutta? Acta
Fennica NO 5. Tulevaisuuden tutkimuksen seuran julkaisu. Painatuskeskus Oy,
Helsinki, ss. 96-105. (10 s.)
Anon2. Self-Organization, Autopoiesis and Enterprises.
Randal Whitaker.
http://www.acm.org/sigois/auto/Main.html
Maturana, Humberto and Varela, Francisco. 1992. The Tree of
Knowledge. The Biological Roots of Human Understanding. Boston and London:
Shambhala. 269 p.
Anon3. HCI and Usability: History and Concepts.
http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3724/spring2003carroll/lectureHandouts/1-SBDoverview.pdf
A version of this article was presented at the 2004 SEFI Annual
Congress: The XXI Century: The Golden
Opportunity for Engineering Education.