Introducing engineering and industrial design

At the University of Western Sydney during 2002—2004, a unit was delivered that introduced approximately 300 commencing students to engineering and industrial design. The classes were a mixture of engineering and industrial design students. The presenters were staff from of the School of Engineering and Industrial Design, staff from the university’s Learning Centre and professionals external to the university; one unit co-ordinator and multiple talking heads. This article describes the experiences of the School of Engineering and Industrial Design and the developments that resulted. Changes occurred in delivery and content over the three years. Changes were made to the manner of assessment, the topics delivered, and the practical content. Material was made available online via “WebCT” and the Library’s “E-Items”. Practical “hands-on” tasks were included to give the students the experiential (“I do and I understand”) exposure to a variety of engineering and industrial design tasks such as the use of basic electronic instruments, a bridge building (with “paddle pop sticks”) and testing competition, and kite design and testing, among others. The “soft skills” desired in the workplace were introduced along with professional ethics. Working and presenting in groups was included. The experience over the three years led to mix results. From a pedagogical perspective, the School was moderately successful in mixing the two students types. Also explored are the motivation for combining the two, the effectiveness of the mentoring system introduced as part of a university wide effort to facilitate the transition to study at tertiary level