Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVES ON ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE AND

PEDAGOGY

Lisa Romkey, Kimia Moozeh, Nikita Dawe, Rubaina Khan & Antonia Barbaric
University of Toronto
[email protected]

Abstract – In this work-in-progress research project, the opportunity to see both a diversity of viewpoints on
perspectives of program alumni are examined, with the program experience, but also possible areas of disconnect
goal of better understanding how this important that need to be addressed.
stakeholder group values engineering knowledge and
pedagogy in the large undergraduate engineering program 2. BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE
from which they graduated. Perspectives were gathered
through extensive semi-structured interviews with alumni
2.1. Project Context
of the program, who represented a range of post-graduate This work is situated in the context of a broader program
outcomes and time since graduation. This paper focuses on evaluation project. This particular engineering program,
alumni perspectives on the following themes, which are of situated in a large research institution, was initially
special interest to the program under study: (1) views on founded with the goal of integrating more foundational
the relationship between science and engineering within mathematics and science into engineering; as a response to
the context of undergraduate engineering education; (2)
the trend in the 1930s of distinguishing engineering and
perceptions of multidisciplinarity; and (3) beliefs about the
role of ethics and social and environmental impact in the science programs, and given university goals at the time
program. Understanding the perspectives of alumni, who pushing a pure research agenda. However, the program has
can connect their experiences forward to their post- grown to become a large, multidisciplinary program with a
graduate working lives, illuminates new perspectives on diversity of specialization areas, and demonstrated growth
program design and engineering knowledge. in computational science, engineering design and
sociotechnical thinking. This program evaluation project
Keywords: alumni, curriculum, pedagogy, engineering seeks to provide program leadership with guidance on
knowledge realigning program goals and curriculum strategies. In
addition to the alumni interviews reported on in this paper,
1. INTRODUCTION the project includes interviews with instructors, focus
As engineering programs consider the role of teaching groups with alumni and surveys across all three stakeholder
lifelong learning skills and the impact of program groups.
outcomes in the longer term, seeking broader input on the
2.2. Program Evaluation
program experience is increasingly relevant. In this work-
in-progress research study, the perspectives of alumni are Universities are expected to evaluate their programs,
examined, with the goal of better understanding how and there are particular measures in place, such as
alumni value and consider engineering knowledge and professional accreditation and other university or
pedagogy, in a large multidisciplinary undergraduate provincial quality assurance programs, that support the
engineering program. This paper also offers discussion on measurement of program outcomes. In this work, our goal
the implications of the views and values presented by was to include more fundamental questions around beliefs
alumni on program and curriculum planning. Alumni, who about engineering knowledge and pedagogy, and to engage
have experienced the program and had the opportunity to a broader group of stakeholders in these questions. To
bring that experience to professional practice, offer an inspire this work, we drew from the Planned-Enacted-
interesting viewpoint on program epistemology and the Experienced model of curriculum [1] which addresses the
place of the program in the post-graduate STEM landscape. different perspectives and actors in curriculum design,
Drawing from a diverse set of alumni, we have an delivery and experience. We’re also employing Lattuca

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 1 of 8 – Peer reviewed
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

and Stark’s [2] Academic Plan Model as a framework for principles thinking and the role of these first principles in
understanding the program. The Academic Plan Model engineering education.
includes a diverse set of external, internal and The program under study is considered a
organizational influences, and offers a tool for curriculum “multidisciplinary” engineering program. This is
development and revision. particularly true in the first two years, in which students
In particular, research with alumni can support an participate in a suite of diverse courses representing
understanding of whether learning outcomes persist for a science, engineering design, engineering science,
longer period. However, much of the work on alumni mathematics and complementary studies; but also in years
evaluation in the literature is on very specific aspects of the three and four, in which students engage in a specialization
engineering curriculum, such as engineering leadership [3], area that draws knowledge, tools and practice from various
graduate attribute assessment [4] and service learning [5]. traditional engineering disciplines. In this study and with
The goal of this work is to use alumni feedback not only to the research participants, we used the term
understand specific program experiences, but to gain a “multidisciplinary”, indicating that knowledge built in the
better understanding of the program’s role in the much program is drawn from different disciplines, rather than
broader STEM-associated sociocultural context. “interdisciplinary” which indicates a stronger level of
synthesis; however, in reality, the program model sits
somewhere in between these two conceptualizations and
2.3. Engineering Knowledge in the Program the program has an interest in striving towards the latter.
Under Study Although there are a number of multidisciplinary
A focus on mathematics and science (theory), engineering programs, much of the research on
contrasted with a focus on the more practical components multidisciplinarity in engineering is restricted to specific
of the engineering profession (practice) is a key tension courses or focus areas within engineering, such as capstone
present in assessments of the engineering curriculum. An design [13]. More recently, researchers in engineering
emphasis on math and science was once seen as a education have engaged in work examining the nature of
mechanism to add rigour and drive research within the interdisciplinarity in engineering, and identifying the
engineering profession [6], and this line of thinking important role of the curriculum in promoting
launched programs around the world in Engineering interdisciplinary thinking [14]. However, there is a gap in
Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. In previous work the research in understanding how alumni utilize their
[7], we adapted the concept of Signature Pedagogies [8] to multidisciplinary training in their work, as there is a more
further understand and learn about the pedagogical choices general gap in understanding how alumni perceive the
employed in the program, and noted that the program development of engineering knowledge and pedagogical
differentiates itself from other engineering disciplines by practice in their respective programs. Despite these gaps,
taking a more “rigourous” approach to math and science research has indicated that engineering alumni highly value
through teaching deductively, working from the general to learning from others who hold expertise in other
the specific case – in other words, an emphasis on teaching disciplines, and suggest that it is of key importance in
from first principles. considering different types of lifelong learning [15].
Aristotle defined first principles as “the first basis from The role of social and environmental impact, and
which a thing is known.” [9]. Descartes, in his Principles associated skills and competencies like equity and ethical
of Philosophy described first principles using two reasoning, have been a source of further discussion with
conditions. First, “they must be so clear and evident that the advent of outcomes-based accreditation. In the program
the human mind [...] cannot doubt of their truth” and under study, these competencies have been integrated
second, “the knowledge of other things must be so within the design curriculum, as a stand-alone core course,
dependent on them [that although] the principles and through some integration within the technical
themselves may indeed be known apart from what depends curriculum. However, the realms of technical and social are
on them, the latter cannot [...] be known apart from the often separated (in this program and otherwise), and this is
former” [10]. Based on our review of the literature, there is often critiqued in the literature - the inadequate
a demonstrated gap in understanding first principles incorporation of social elements with the technical [16],
thinking within teaching and learning contexts (in [17]. Interestingly, practicing engineers describe practice
engineering or elsewhere), with a study by Cross [11] as as much more sociotechnical in nature than students [18].
the only finding, despite the concept being cited more The work outlined in this paper sought to better understand
frequently in tech-related popular media. Therefore, in how alumni reflect back on the role of social and
previous work [12] we describe various conceptualizations environmental impact in the curriculum as one way of
of first principles thinking and learning based on our understanding its relevance to their work.
research. The work in this paper builds on this previous While these three components (the relationship between
work through examining the perspectives of alumni on first science and engineering and attention to first principles
thinking in the curriculum; multidisciplinarity; and

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 2 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

ethics/social and environmental impact) do not comprise 4. RESULTS

all program goals and practices, these three were selected
as the focus of this paper due to their relevance to key goals Although more recent alumni were able to provide
in the program, and as a starting point for exploring alumni more detail on the experience in the program, all of the
perspectives. alumni interviewed reflected on their program experience,
the engineering landscape/needs of the profession, and
their own career experience.
3. METHODS
Perspectives were gathered through wide-ranging semi-
4.1. Views on the Relationship Between Science
structured interviews. These interviews asked participants and Engineering and the use of First
questions focusing on their experience in the program, and Principles
the role of the program in the engineering and science Through the interviews, participants were asked
landscape more broadly. These interviews offered a rich explicitly about the relationship between science and
description of how stakeholders interpret the goals of the engineering, how this relationship was represented in the
program, what they value with respect to knowledge program, and how this positions the program in the
building and pedagogy in engineering, and their broader STEM landscape. Alumni tended to describe the
interpretation of teaching and learning practices. We program experience as something at the intersection
interviewed 23 alumni, who were selected through a between engineering and science; for example, one alumni
purposeful sampling strategy to offer a diversity of noted that it was best described as “the middle part of a
experiences and career stages (graduation years ranged Venn diagram and that it takes some from both, but also
from 1971 to 2019). Interviews were transcribed, and that there are parts of it that are unique, enabled by what
coded using a “structural coding” approach [19], applying it takes from both fundamental science and
content and conceptual phrases to particular segments of engineering…once you get to upper years, you can do
the data. This paper focuses on the results from key things that neither scientists or engineers can.” Another
questions connected to the three themes of interest: alumnus noted “Well I, I think it’s right at the cusp between
1. Perceptions of the relationship between science and the two. I mean, when I was in high school, people would
engineering, and the role of teaching from first say to me, so I bet you're going to major in Engineering,
principles. Participant responses from the following and I, and I bristled at that”. This sentiment was echoed by
questions were analyzed: other alumni, who seemed to appreciate their identity as
a. “We often talk about a “first principles something outside of a more traditional engineering
approach” in the program. What does this discipline. Several alumni described themselves and their
mean to you? experience as something akin to the overlap between
b. Is Engineering Science a scientific approach science and engineering.
to engineering, or a science with an Other alumni connected this intersection to their career,
engineering orientation? What is the for example, “I find that I now sit at the intersection
relationship between “engineering” and between science and engineering. And I think that was
“science” in the program? because of the program”. Another suggested that “I’ve
2. The role of multidisciplinarity in the program: spent I think most of my career living in that intersection
a. What is the value in the multi-disciplinary between what is coming out of labs, how do you turn it into
nature of the program Is there anything we real products, how do you engineer real products out of
should be doing to support the experience of them. To me, it kind of taught you how to be an integrator”.
the students as they experience this The focus on underlying math and science fundamentals
“multidisciplinarity”? in the program has traditionally lead to what has been
3. Ethics and social and environmental impact within the described as a “first principles approach” to teaching in the
curriculum. program, as described above. In discussing the benefits of
a. How should social and environmental impact first principles, alumni articulated the benefits of building
be addressed in the program? How should first principles thinking as a skill across various contexts.
ethics and equity be addressed in the This was particularly interesting in that based on a
program? preliminary analysis of interviews, program instructors
tend to focus on the role of enhancing students’ conceptual
Furthermore, general questions about their pathways post- understanding within the context of a particular course
graduation and the position of the program in the broader when emphasizing first principles thinking in their
STEM landscape also contributed to the results. teaching.
In describing what they had learned from this approach
and how they continue to use it, alumni made strong
connects to problem solving skills, systems thinking, and

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 3 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

making transitions between disciplines. One entrepreneur few problems get solved unless they’re highly theoretical
noted: within one kind of knowledge stream”; and “I would say all
engineering is becoming multidisciplinary. I think it has to
I think the reason it’s valuable is often, if you don't think be.” Another alumni suggested that multidisciplinary
from first principles and you just blindly apply somebody experiences can lead to a role as “integrator”, suggesting
else’s experience or rule or something, it is very likely it “it’s definitely something I’ve relied on in my career and I
would backfire, and like, it could be a process change, it see great value in it”. One alumnus reflected on his
could be a design, there are typically reasons behind those experience of how the multidisciplinary experience held
designs, and the fact that they work in the past, doesn't him, in his perspective, to a higher standard, recalling that
mean they will work in the future, or the fact that they work “We’re sitting with a bunch of physics majors, well that
in a specific company might not mean you work in a lifts the level of conversation…and then in fourth year
different company […] The ones that can think about first we’re taking partial differential equations (with math
principles […], they understand the why, and they can majors)…you’re not going to be hiding, slacking, you
apply that and think about hey does it apply in this new can’t.” Another alumni recalled how exposure to different
world or hey maybe I have to change it because now we’re disciplines not only provides exposure to diverse science
trading, we would rather be trading off something else. and engineering knowledge, but also “different approaches
to problem solving and different mechanisms of thinking”.
Several alumni also emphasized the approach of learning Some alumni spoke specifically to how they utilized
from first principles supported learning in new domains, knowledge from other disciplines in their practice. One
for example: alumnus noted, “the value is just in being able to
understand enough of any field to know what you don’t
I do think like there is something of value of being able to know in it, and I think that’s valuable in the academic
start basically without knowing essentially anything about context in terms of being able to bring fresh ideas from
a particular topic and figure out how to learn kind of the other fields into your own…and then transfer it over in the
basic ideas and like what will translate well into. Right now real world it’s tremendously useful...being able to
in my job, like I probably have to learn like four or five, understand what hardware design engineers are saying, as
ideally, I would sort of know more about four or five distinct from cloud engineers, for example”. Another
different programming languages or systems or something alumnus described the benefit of the experience while in
like that. And kind of understanding the basic underlying the program, and how it transferred over to her working
concepts are key questions to ask to like kind of set oneself life: “Say I was interested in robotics specifically, I could
on the right path. I think, is, I think, is a useful skill that I see the ways that it could be applied to other streams while
think you know I learned at least partly from [the I went through the program. And even now, I’m seing ways
program]. that I make sense of connecting things in a way that other
people don’t necessarily do because I had that foundation.
Another alumnus connected first principles thinking to Having that basic understanding will help you perfrom
learning independently, noting that “I thought I wanted to your job better and help you communicate with people in a
do research and then I did a summer research position, and better way.” The same alumnus went on to note a
discovered that research was too slow for me. But I think connection between teamwork fostered in the program and
still doing that kind of theoretical and first principles multidisciplinary thinking, noting “I have found that it has
thinking was really helpful, because when you’re working, become increasingly important to work on a
you’re able to understand things a lot better, and figure multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary team…(you) have
things out a lot better on your own”, further suggesting that ot be able to adapt quickly and make sense of things. What
the understanding of core principles may support learning the program really taught me was how to rely on my
transfer. classmates”.
Alumni acknowledged the challenge of
multidisciplinary thinking while pursuing undergraduate
4.2. Views on the Multidisciplinary Nature of engineering; for example, “it’s tough, and you’re being
the Program challenged and half the time you’re wondering, is it even
Participants were asked about the experience and value worth it…but (you) see examples in history where taking a
of multidisciplinarity, and they described how they use multidisciplinary approach or a systems level approach
multidisciplinary thinking in their respective careers, how solves the problem in a way that you just couldn’t do with
the experience of learning through multiple disciplines a single narrow focus”. Alumni also noted that the nature
could be improved, and shared some caveats and of current engineering challenges demands
limitations. multidisciplinary knowledge, for example, the energy
Alumni were supportive of the importance of sector: “If I went into electrical engineering I wouldn’t
multidisciplinary thinking, noting “in the real world, very generally understand how the…generator works in terms

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 4 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

of how the fuel was burnt and…the heat transfer side of in the curriculum. The alumni experience with this
things, and so I think the fact that we’re able to take depended on year of graduation, with more recent
courses from all of the different disciplines was really, graduates noting, for example, “(the program) is fairly
really useful, especially for something like energy because unique amongst UofT engineering programs, in that it
the field is so interconnected and multidisciplinary.” actually teachers more than the engineers’ code of
Alumni also shared some specific perspectives on how ethics…(the program) is actually trying to teach real
to move from what was perceived as a “multidisciplinary ethics, on top of the fundamentals”. However, another
experience” in the program to a more “interdisciplinary alumnus who was 15 years post-graduation noted “I don’t
experience”, with some alumni suggesting that the coming feel we learned anything about that. Like nothing. It would
together of disciplines was, for example, “implicit at best”. be very useful especially these days”. Another alumnus
One alumni, in recalling his experience, recalled “you come shared a similar experience, “I don’t remember a lot about
to learn (key theories) through the collection of all the environmental impact sustainability within the course
courses collectively. But no one is drawing a circle around content or within the conversations”. They contrasted this
on a chalkboard and (saying) these ways of thinking about with their MBA experience, in which they noted “every
information and of a transformation of data are all course that we had had a section on ethics and a had a
interrelated. You’re sort of left to figure it out on your own, section on the environment, and (with respect to a) MBA,
and that something that could be a little bit stronger.” “One many would consider has not much to do with the
alumni suggested “an actual seminar about the content environment…but…what they do is they try to pull
happening in courses and what the linkages are, and concepts from that course that could impact potentially
putting together those multidisciplinary threads…could be your decision making”.
helpful.” Another alumni similarly suggested “finding Some of the alumni reflected back positively on
ways, whether it’s through some sort of cumulative project discussion-based teaching used in the program. For
or otherwise, finding a way to make those connections example, one alumnus noted their experience in a course in
would definitely be beneficial”. which the instructor would have students facilitate
Finally, a few alumni noted trade-offs and discussions based on readings, and suggested “I think that
contradictions in the use of multidisciplinary thinking in was actually a really great course…it gets folks involved in
the program. For example, one alumni noted a having those discussions that aren’t always black and
contradiction between the first-principles focus and white and that can be uncomfortable. I think that’s a better
multidisciplinary thinking, noting, “you begin to realize medium for learning about those things than having
that you can’t know everything…you’re able to move someone lecture you all the time.” Another alumni also
around in different spots. So I guess implicitly you do get described the value of discussion-based teaching, noting “I
that message that you’re not going to be able to know thought that was awesome, the discussion…I really
everything, which is contradictory to the first principles enjoyed (case studies) and having those conversations”.
thing where you’re sort of told that you need to know Others reflected on how their perspective has changed
everything.” Another alumni reflected on the nature of since their time as an engineering student; for example, one
trade-offs in learning from the perspective of multiple noted “I was kind of resistant to aspects of the (ethics
disciplines, noting “there’s a trade-off, to experience course)…parts that felt more fluffy or whatever…but I
another speciality means you’re going to give up think some of that resistance was immaturity…”. However,
something in the speciality that you’ve chosen. (However), the alumnus was also able to offer some useful perspective
once I’m out in the real world if I want to pursue about the limitations of their experience. He went on to
(something else) I have my foundation to back me up”. suggest “I think some of that resistance is also, I think an
Finally, one alumni suggested that the multidisciplinary ethics course that suggests ethics can be a set of bullet
focus should attend more to the needs of the market, points or a check list doesn’t reflect the reality of the
suggesting “it’s important that the cross section of courses messiness of ethics”.
or disciplines that they take…are the right disciplines for Several alumni noted the importance of improving the
the current industry and market within Canada or at least carry through of this curricular component to other
what they expect in the next four or five years….so they can technical courses; for example “the piece that could be
actually contribute to the market and be easily integrated strengthened is then carrying that (earlier ethics
in it.” curriculum) to the applications…that principle of let’s
understand the first principles and then dive into the
applications also applies here”, and “the next frontier
4.3. Views on the Integration of Ethics and would be trying to find ways of embedding it into the
Social and Environmental Impact technical courses. And the biggest factor is who’s teaching
Participants were asked to discuss their experience with it and what their capacity or willingness is to, to see this as
the integration of ethics and social and environmental valued and important.” Another alumni agreed, sharing
impact, and speak to how these items should be addressed (with respect to integration in technical courses), “it’s just

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 5 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

much more impactful to students if they can see directly computational structures we’ve build upon which now
how what they’re learning in the technical aspects operate huge amounts of our society, were not built with
influence society, whether it’s positively or negatively.” any thoughtfulness around what a society is or why. I feel
However, another alumni expressed concern about this like I’ve been doing a lot of catching up in terms of being
integrating: “trying to pack too many things in to able to engage with those conversations…it’s been a lot to
something…and people just say oh, yea, it’s just like it’s adapt to, to recognize my responsibility in this much fuzzier
artificial and it would be better just to teach ethics by sense than like, what we were taught….
having you know, an ethics course taught by folks that
really understand the pedagogy behind teaching ethics.” I often go back to the iron ring ceremony, we were taught
Some alumni noted the presence and relevance of this the responsibility of an engineer, like if you screw up this
curriculum in engineering design, for example, “for me it bridge will collapse and kill people. And that’s true. And
was present in most of the design courses”, with others that is an important part of the responsibility of an
suggesting that design is a logical place for integration: engineer but no one was like, oh, democracy will collapse.
“there should be an element of this built into how the design It’s much more ambiguous…it’s not like make sure you
process occurs…is it design for accessibility…is there a check your math three times…it’s a totally different mode
diversity aspect to this”. The alumnus went on to reflect on of thinking.
the design process in his own work: “Working in computer
science, I see so many companies who are developing Several alumni mentioned the concept of ESG
applications and it’s an afterthought…the team that put (Environment Social Governance) in their work, sharing
(something) together that did have the right diversity the relevance of these curriculum goals to that growing
elements, in that the solution ends up being something that approach in industry. One alumni described their own
fits into different diverse communities”. The alumnus went experience learning about ESG in the context of
on to share “that kind of training and learning, that doesn’t organizations and companies they are involved in, noting
come from a basic principles course, and so I think that that the framework “supports a coming together of social
those elements need to be front and center…in the design and environmental goals and even rating scales to evaluate
project”. company performance on ESG”. He suggested “I think it’s
An alumnus well into his career suggested that social very important that we should have that across all
impact “should be treated as a fundamental pillar within disciplines. It should be a common thread across
engineering”. He went on to explain: disciplines in third and fourth year (in particular), because
it is more of a practical application, and not a theory”.
Ultimately we go out in the world and do things and some Another alumnus described the value of focusing on the
of those things have very negative impacts on others…I fiscal impacts of ignoring social and environmental
don’t think any of the folks working at Google or Facebook concerns, sharing “a lot of people come into engineering
are evil, but what they’ve created has had side effects that are very focused on numbers…and data and saying…this
are having a very negative impact on society. People will have a financial impact on you, so you should pay
literally feel like families have been torn apart, not just attention, that’s good to grab the skeptics.”
migrants but even regular families because of political Some alumni took a slightly different approach to how
differences that are amplified by the technologies the university should attend to social impact and ethics and
that…engineers crated at Facebook and Google. In my equity with a focus on university practices. One alumnus
career the tech industry went from being “do no evil” to cited the honour code used at another institution (where he
villain. It’s going to get worse with privacy implications, pursued graduate school), noting “during exams, you can
carbon emissions, material density and intensity of the actually take your exam home and you time yourself…you
things we create…consumers are going to start asking have three hours to do the exam, and then you policy
people to be more accountable. yourself…I don’t know how they got there. But what a
great way to instill personal responsibility”. Another
He looped back to the importance of treating it as alumni similarly focused on institutional practices,
fundamental. Speaking from his own experience, he noted suggesting “no tolerance for bigotry…sexism should be
“it was like this afterthought where it was like, oh, we just very robustly dealt with and people should understand that
have to do this course to get the professional engineering there’s no leeway for certain types of behaviour…the
designation. So we just do it….(it would be) good to start program can enforce these sorts of norms”. The alumni
training the next generation of engineers to think about this reflected on his own diversity training in his career, which
as more fundamentally valuable”. Another alumnus also he found to be a “check-box (activity)…like it doesn’t
focused on a perceived recent shift: actually do anything”. He also noted that the university is
“too white and too male, and I think that should
the last few years ahs been like this, tech clash, right? change…representation matters in the teaching staff, so
There’s been all this concern around the effect that the

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 6 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

(lead) by example”. These sentiments were echoed by were also able to identify some interesting tensions
another alumnus: between multidisciplinarity and first principles thinking,
and some opportunities for the program to improve and
Equity (is) driven from the professors that shift from multi to interdisciplinarity.
teach…leadership from the top. Equity, I don’t know that Finally, alumni perspectives on the integration of
it is well defined in the Engineers Canada definition. I engineering ethics and social/environmental impact
certainly found at least one of my classes we only had one offered both reflections on pedagogy and the importance of
female, and very few minorities. I don’t know that the this knowledge in engineering practice. Some of the alumni
professors that were teaching at that time gave way to interviewed effectively encouraged the Faculty to “walk
equity. I can certainly recall certain teaching lessons and the walk” through a better consideration of how our own
situations that might have made…a diverse group of people people and structures might be encouraging inequities in
feel uncomfortable. the broader engineering system. As in the other program
pedagogies, alumni were able to offer some strategies on
The alumnus went on to reflect on the “myths” that expanding the relevant curriculum, in particular through
followed a particular professor in the program and his building out the ethics and social/environmental impact
approach to teaching and classroom interactions, and curriculum to the technical course. Finally, some of the
noted: alumni with longer careers identified a shift in how the
public perceives “big tech”, and noted the importance of
that certainly is not an environment that would foster any preparation given this perceived shift in public perspective.
sort of equity. And you know, we draw on it as humour at Future work will include the continuation of the analysis
this point in time, but when you think about it of the alumni interviews as well as analysis of instructor
retrospectively, like, you know, if I was of a different social interviews and student focus groups, all of which offer a
status or different group, I would be very rich dataset on the nature of the program under study, its
uncomfortable…the professors are probably singularly pedagogical practices and its outcomes.
responsible for the equity environment, above all else.
Because it certainly does propagate out and through the Acknowledgements
engineering culture and the discipline (that’s) represented
We would like to acknowledge the alumni who
in there, you know, the people that they look up to represent
an acceptable set of behaviours. participated in this study.

References
5. DISCUSSION AND FUTURE WORK
This work-in-progress paper has introduced some key
[1] F. Erickson and J. Shultz, “Students’ experience of the
perspectives from program alumni, who are uniquely able
curriculum,” Handb. Res. Curric., vol. 465, p. 485, 1992.
to both speak to their previous experience as a student, but
also through the lens of their post-graduate pursuits.
[2] L.R. Lattuca and Joan S. Stark, “Curriculum: An
Examining program outcomes through the perspective of
Academic Plan,” in Shaping the College Curriculum:
alumni stakeholders offers a more fulsome view on the
Academic Plans in Context, San Francisco: Joseey-Bass,
program with new insights and possible directions to
2009, pp. 1-22.
explore. The reflections from alumni reinforces the value
of these key program pedagogies. Alumni offer a more
[3] R. Paul and L. C. Falls, “Alumni Perspective on their
situated understanding of how knowledge is applied in
Undergraduate Engineering Leadership Experience and
workplace settings.
Important Career Skills”, PCEEA, Dec. 2018.
In the case of the relationship between mathematics,
science and engineering, and first principles thinking,
[4] M. Mackie and D. Mann, “ALUMNI SURVEY FOR
alumni articulated that the approach encouraged them, both
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA DEPARTMENT OF
within the program and beyond, to learn across contexts,
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING”, PCEEA, Aug. 2015.
learn independently and transfer understanding between
applications, offering a slightly different view than
[5] J. Huff, C. Zoltowski & W. Oake, “Preparing Engineers
program instructors who focus on understanding within
for the Workplace through Service Learning: Perceptions
discipline as the primary benefit. These reflections from
of EPICS Alumni. Journal of Enginering Education, vol.
alumni offer a starting point for further inquiry on the
105, p. 43-69. 2016.
nature and utility of first principles thinking.
Alumni described the value of a multidisciplinary
[6] J. Hardwood, “Engineering Education between Science
engineering curriculum, given the evolving nature of the
and Practice: Rethinking the Historiography”, History and
profession and the advantage it gave them. However, they
Technology, vol. 22, 53-79, 2016.

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 7 of 8 – Peer reviewed
Conference Proceedings 2023 Canadian Engineering Education Association-Association canadienne de l'éducation en génie

[7] L. Romkey, N. Dawe, and R. Khan, “What is [18] J. Trevelyan, J, “Towards a theoretical framework for
Engineering Science? Defining a Discipline Through a engineering practice” in Engineering practice in a global
Cross-Institutional Comparison and a Multi-Institutional context: Understanding the technical and the social, CRC
Workshop.” PCEEA, Jun. 2020. Press/Balkema, 2014, pp. 33-60.

[8] L.S. Shulman, “Signature Pedagogies in the [19] J. Saldaña, The coding manual for qualitative
Professions”, Daedalus, vol. 134, no.3, pp. 52-59, 2005. researchers, Fourth edition. London: SAGE Publications,
2021.
[9] Aristotle, Metaphysics, 10113a14-15 Brown, A.
(1992).

[10] History of Philosophy in the 17th and 18th

Centuries: Descartes’ “Principles of Philosophy”,
Lancaster University, [Online]. Available:
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/users/philosophy/courses/211
/Descartes'%20Principles.htm [Accessed: 1 Mar.. 2023]

[11] N. Cross, "Creative thinking by expert designers."

Journal of design research, vol. 4.2, pp. 162-173, 2004.

[12] Romkey, L., & Moozeh, K., & Dawe, N., & Khan, R.
(2022, August), Conceptualizing First Principles
Thinking in Engineering Education Paper presented at
2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition,
Minneapolis, MN. https://peer.asee.org/41144

[13] N. Hotaling, B. B. Fasse, L. F. Bost, C. D. Hermann,

and C. R. Forest, “A Quantitative Analysis of the Effects
of a Multidisciplinary Engineering Capstone Design
Course,” Journal of engineering education (Washington,
D.C.), vol. 101, no. 4, pp. 630–656, 2012, doi:
10.1002/j.2168-9830.2012.tb01122.x.

[14] L. R. Lattuca, D. B. Knight, H. K. Ro, and B. J.

Novoselich, “Supporting the Development of Engineers’
Interdisciplinary Competence: Supporting Engineers’
Interdisciplinary Competence,” Journal of engineering
education (Washington, D.C.), vol. 106, no. 1, pp. 71–97,
2017, doi: 10.1002/jee.20155.

[15] N. Dawe, L. Romkey, and A. Bilton, “Survey

Results: How Does Lifelong Learning Enable Alumni
Careers?”, PCEEA, Nov. 2022.

[16] E. A. Cech, “The (Mis)Framing of Social Justice:

Why Ideologies of Depoliticization and Meritocracy
Hinder Engineers’ Ability to Think About Social
Injustices,” in Engineering Education for Social Justice,
Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2013, pp. 67–84. doi:
10.1007/978-94-007-6350-0_4.

[17] J.C. Lucena & J.A. Leydens, “From Sacred Cow to

Dairy Cow: Challenges and Opportunities in Integrating
of Social Justice in Engineering Science Courses”,
PASSE, June 2015.

CEEA-ACÉG23; Paper 243

Okanagan College & UBC-Okanagan; June 18 – 21, 2023 – 8 of 8 – Peer reviewed