Realistic student enquiries, global challenges and the role of a development charity

dc.creator	Peter Kahn
dc.creator	Keith Pullen
dc.date	2007-12-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:31:18Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:31:18Z
dc.identifier	1750-0044
dc.identifier	1750-0052
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/ad121cddcccc484ab9913fb2bf98c45f
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/22406
dc.description	Engineering programmes within highereducation have significant scope to makea contribution to global challenges suchas sustainable development and solutionsto world poverty. Alongside such acontribution to society, universities are alsoexploring ways to focus student learningaround realistic enquiries. It is thereforeimportant to explore approaches thataddress such challenges and pedagogies,which indeed also offer a way forward inattracting and motivating students, and inpreparing them for suitable careers.We report here on an evaluation of astudent-based engineering design servicefor development organisations, involving apartnership between a charity, a universityand development professionals. Theservice involves teams of undergraduatestudents designing, making and testingintermediate technologies. The paperexplores a model based around enquirybasedlearning, and draws on a set ofnaturally-occurring reflective accountsprovided by the students involved.While learning about technical issues wasimportant, the study shows how a realisticdeveloping-world context motivated studentwork, enhancing students’ confidence andreadiness to make a difference. Varioustechnical issues emerged with scope tohamper the educational experience, as didthe challenge of ensuring fairness acrossdifferent enquiries. Strategies are proposedto manage rather than ignore or reducesuch variation, an issue which has receivedrelatively little attention hitherto in relationto project work or enquiry-based learning.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	The Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre
dc.relation	http://www.engsc.ac.uk/downloads/scholarart/eejournal/2007/2-2/kahn_p.pdf
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1750-0044
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1750-0052
dc.rights	CC BY-NC-ND
dc.source	Engineering Education, Vol 2, Iss 2, Pp 16-25 (2007)
dc.subject	student enquiries
dc.subject	global challenges
dc.subject	development charity
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	DOAJ:General and Civil Engineering
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	DOAJ:General and Civil Engineering
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.title	Realistic student enquiries, global challenges and the role of a development charity
dc.type	article