ERIC Number: EJ1012605
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-2517
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Integrating Multidisciplinary Engineering Knowledge
Wolff, Karin; Luckett, Kathy
Teaching in Higher Education, v18 n1 p78-92 2013
In order to design two distinct engineering qualification levels for an existing University of Technology programme, empirical evidence based on the current diploma is necessary to illuminate the nature of and the relationship between the "contextual" and "conceptual" elements underpinning a multidisciplinary engineering curriculum. The increasing focus on contextual application could result in decreasing opportunities to develop the conceptual disciplinary grasp required for a dynamic, emerging region at the forefront of technological innovation. Using the theoretical tools of Bernstein and Maton to analyse final year student practice, the research addresses the question of how multidisciplinary knowledge is integrated by students, and what this reveals about the nature of such knowledge. The paper presents a conceptualisation of multidisciplinary knowledge integration practices as a dynamic process along two axes simultaneously, shifting between different forms and levels of conceptual and contextual knowledge. (Contains 3 tables, 7 figures, and 2 notes.)
Descriptors: Engineering Education, Engineering Technology, Interdisciplinary Approach, Educational Sociology, Instructional Development, Context Effect, Observation, Case Studies, Integrated Curriculum, Motion, Semi Structured Interviews, Curriculum Design, Scientific Principles
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A