Inclusion is an important topic in Higher Education, but how might we teach engineering students about it, Michael Trikic wonders? This post is part of the CEE Elevate blog takeover.
Engineers are trained to solve problems using new or existing technology. To do so successfully, the outcomes must be sustainable and inclusive, so it makes sense that professional engineers are expected to work to standards that embody principles of sustainability and inclusion. In the UK, these are provided by the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).
UK-SPEC states that engineers should be inclusive by:
- Taking into account societal and cultural structures outside of their own, and actively contributing to the development of sustainable communities.
- Minimising adverse sustainability impacts during the design stage of engineering solutions, and being aware of the conflicting unmeasurable elements of sustainability, as well as being prepared to challenge the status quo that often is not inclusive.
- Seeking multiple opinions by proactively engaging with those who will be affected by engineering solutions and involving those who have not traditionally been considered during development and design stages.
- They must seek and value the perspective of others, and should utilise multi-disciplinary perspectives.
These values and commitments underpin the Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP 4), the framework of Learning Objectives for engineering education. This document is important because it sets what must be assessed in accredited Engineering degrees. Within it, it is stated that students “Adopt an inclusive approach to engineering practice and recognise the responsibilities, benefits and importance of supporting equality, diversity and inclusion” (learning outcome C/M11) and it is a requirement that this is assessed.
What engineering students should learn is clear, but what is not provided is guidance as to how the skills, knowledge and aptitude related to inclusion and diversity should be taught and assessed. For educators the question is, how can students learn about inclusivity and inclusive engineering, and what activities can be use to teach these? It's a difficult question to answer because many STEM teachers do not have the disciplinary background to confidently address the subject.
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We are all on a journey |
Societal awareness of inclusion is high, and it is important to students and educators, but what does inclusion mean in an engineering context? A lack of inclusion is a persistent problem in engineering and higher education. For example, women have been under represented in the engineering profession (Walker 2001), and the problem remains, as illustrated by relatively low numbers of female engineering graduates in the US (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2021). In 2023, a 9.4% attainment gap was reported between black and minority ethnic students compared to their white counterparts for first class or 2:1 degree classifications in Science, Engineering and Technology degrees in English and Welsh Higher Education Institutions (Advance HE 2023). Improving inclusion and diversity in those who study, teach and work in engineering has long been a priority for educators (Baillie et al. 2011; Borrego and Bernhard 2011).
Although these are important issues to address, and make for good case studies about a lack of inclusion, they are different from inclusive engineering. A joy of engineering is that it is application of science and technology to address problems, often societal problems. A natural vehicle for teaching engineering students about inclusion could be through examples of inclusive engineering, in which inclusion is taken to mean the extent to which people feel valued for who they are (their personal and professional background, experience, and skills) and the extent to which people feel they belong or ‘fit’ in the engineering profession and their organisation (Royal Academy of Engineering 2023). Inclusive engineering could be taken to align with the British Standards Institute definition of inclusive design as “the design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, people with the widest range of abilities within the widest range of situations without the need for special adaptation or design” (British Standards Institute 2005).
Inclusive engineering could be used as a concept for development of knowledge and understanding of inclusive practice, and it can be understood through examples, oftentimes where engineering solutions have turned out to be exclusive. For example, the use of pulse oximeters to measure saturated oxygen levels in blood. Pulse oximeters are convenient, non-invasive, medical devices that are placed on a patient's finger or ear lobe, however, the accuracy of measurements were found to be reduced in non-white patients. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this led to worse clinical outcomes for non-white patients infected with SARS-CoV 2 (Fawzy et al. 2022; Sudat et al. 2023). This is a high profile case study that is relatable to current students who have lived experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although it is easy to understand the problems with this case, it is complex and multi-faceted, making it good to learn about, discuss and critique.
High quality resources exist to support engineering teaching in relation to ethics (Engineering Ethics Toolkit), inclusive design (Cambridge Inclusive Design Toolkit) and sustainability (Sustainability Toolkit), and in places these include and overlap with inclusive engineering principles. A similar teaching tool kit could be produced to support teaching of inclusive engineering.
By explicitly introducing inclusive engineering teaching into the curriculum, it is likely the profile, understanding and skills related to inclusion will be elevated among learners, leading to more effective graduate engineers. If this were to also promote discussion about inclusive engineering and inclusion among engineering educators, it would mirror recommended as best practice for promoting decolonisation of the curriculum (Dale-Harris 2019; Liyanage 2020) and be of benefit to all those involved.