Showing papers on "Engineering education published in 2005"

Engineering Design Thinking, Teaching, and Learning

Abstract: This paper is based on the premises that the purpose of engineering education is to graduate engineers who can design, and that design thinking is complex. The paper begins by briefly reviewing the history and role of design in the engineering curriculum. Several dimensions of design thinking are then detailed, explaining why design is hard to learn and harder still to teach, and outlining the research available on how well design thinking skills are learned. The currently most-favored pedagogical model for teaching design, project-based learning (PBL), is explored next, along with available assessment data on its success. Two contexts for PBL are emphasized: first-year cornerstone courses and globally dispersed PBL courses. Finally, the paper lists some of the open research questions that must be answered to identify the best pedagogical practices of improving design learning, after which it closes by making recommendations for research aimed at enhancing design learning.

Social Cognitive Predictors of Academic Interests and Goals in Engineering: Utility for Women and Students at Historically Black Universities.

Abstract: This study examined the utility of social cognitive career theory (SCCT; R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, & G. Hackett, 1994) in predicting engineering interests and major choice goals among women and men and among students at historically Black and predominantly White universities. Participants (487 students in introductory engineering courses at 3 universities) completed measures of academic interests, goals, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and environmental supports and barriers in relation to engineering majors. Findings indicated that the SCCT-based model of interest and choice goals produced good fit to the data across gender and university type. Implications for future research on SCCT's choice hypotheses, and particularly for the role of environmental supports and barriers in the choice of science and engineering fields, are discussed.

Online Engineering Education: Learning Anywhere, Anytime

Abstract: The emergence of worldwide communications networks and powerful computer technologies has redefined the concept of distance learning and the delivery of engineering education content. This article discusses the Sloan Consortium’s quest for quality, scale, and breadth in online learning, the impact on both continuing education of graduate engineers as well as degree-seeking engineering students, and the future of engineering colleges and schools as worldwide providers of engineering education.

Diversifying the Engineering Workforce

Abstract: Engineering, education to workplace, is not just about technical knowledge. Rather, who becomes an engineer and why says much about the profession. Engineering has a “diversity” problem. Like all professions, it must narrow the gap between practitioners on the one hand, and their clientele on the other; it must become “culturally competent.” Given the current composition of the engineering faculty and the profession's workforce more generally, it behooves engineering education to diversify while assisting current and future practitioners in becoming culturally competent. Programs that work to diversify engineering are reviewed, with research and evaluation-based findings applied to education and workforce practice.

Assessment in Engineering Education: Evolution, Approaches and Future Collaborations

Abstract: This article examines the current state of assessment in engineering education in the United States as reflected in the Journal of Engineering Education. We begin with a brief review of recent developments in the assessment of engineering education and the events that have inspired change. Next, we explore assessment methodologies that have been used repeatedly in the evaluation of engineering courses, curricula, and research investigations as well as some methods that have not been used extensively but are likely to be informative. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of establishing collaborations between researchers in engineering education and educational research. Throughout this paper we highlight examples of sound and rigorous assessments in engineering education.

Integrated Engineering Curricula

Abstract: Increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary research and education requires researchers and learners to build links between distinct disciplines. In engineering education, work on integrated curricula to help learners build connections between topics began with three programs in 1988. Integrated curricula have connections to a larger movement in higher education—learning communities, which help learners to build interdisciplinary links and social links within a community. Integrated engineering curricula have provided concrete assessment data on retention and student performance to augment research on learning communities. While innovators in both movements have offered many prototypes and gathered many data, goals and results from programs implemented to date are not sufficiently well defined to guide the design and implementation of programs at other institutions. This paper discusses the importance of integration, reviews accomplishments to date, draws conclusions by analyzing those accomplishments, and suggests future initiatives.

Design process improvement : a review of current practice

Abstract: Part I: Review of Current Practice Models of Design Models of Designing Design Planning and Modelling Systems Engineering Perspectives on Design Requirements Engineering Human Resources Artificial Intelligence for Design Process Improvement Complexity Thinking and Representing in Design Design Practice Communication in Design Engineering Change Risk in the Design Process Design for X Design Management Engineering Knowledge Management Quality Management Workflow for Design Integrated New Product Development Product Portfolio Management The Transfer of Methods into Industry Part II: Design Centres University of Bamberg University of Bath University of Cambridge Carnegie Mellon University Darmstadt University of Technology Delft University of Technology Technical University of Denmark Georgia Institute of Technology University of Grenoble University of Karlsruhe Loughborough University University of Magdeburg Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technische Universitat Munchen University of Newcastle Stanford University Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University of Strathclyde University Technology Partnership, Cambridge Texas Christian University Politecnico di Torino Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam University of Washington

Quality Assurance of Engineering Education through Accreditation: The Impact of Engineering Criteria 2000 and Its Global Influence

Abstract: For more than 70 years, accreditation has provided quality control for engineering education in the United States, seeking to assure that graduates of accredited programs are prepared for professional practice. However, by the 1980s, the accreditation criteria had become increasingly prescriptive, inhibiting development of innovative programs to reflect changing needs of practice. In response, ABET (formerly Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) and its stakeholders developed revised criteria, Engineering Criteria 2000 (EC2000), which emphasize learning outcomes, assessment, and continuous improvement rather than detailed curricular specifications. These criteria, together with international agreements among engineering accrediting bodies, facilitate mobility of an increasingly global profession. To assess the utility of the new criteria, ABET has commissioned a multiyear study of the impact of EC2000 on U.S. engineering education. Initial results from the study are encouraging and, as more results emerge, should support continuous improvement of the accreditation process, itself.

How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? The findings of an international survey and possible implications for the engineering curriculum

Abstract: This paper addresses the issue of engineering education for sustainable development In an attempt to facilitate a better integration of sustainability teaching into the engineering curriculum, it seeks to provide answers to the following fundamental questions: (1) How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? (2) What are the knowledge gaps? (3) What could be the best approach to educating engineering students for sustainable development? Some answers to the first two questions have been provided by carrying out a world-wide survey of engineering students on their level of knowledge and understanding of sustainable development The survey results suggest that, overall, the level of knowledge is not satisfactory and that significant knowledge gaps exist However, an encouraging result is that students believe that sustainable development is important for engineers, although they often have difficulties in making a direct link between the theory of sustainable development and enginee

Engineering graduates’ perceptions of how well they were prepared for work in industry

Abstract: This study investigated how well chemical engineering graduates perceive they were prepared for work in industry. To this end, sixteen interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of recent University of Cape Town chemical engineering graduates. Qualitative analysis of the interview data showed that graduates felt that overall, they were well prepared for work in industry. They perceived their strengths to be their technical background, problem solving skills, formal communication skills and life-long learning abilities. The following areas of weakness were also identified: work in multi-disciplinary teams, leadership, practical preparation and management skills. The use of interviews for data collection is a significant departure from the methods used in other studies in this area. The rich and contextual data gathered from the interviews justified this choice and contributed to the identification of issues not previously mentioned in the literature. For example, an unexpected finding of the study...

Ways of thinking about and teaching ethical problem solving: microethics and macroethics in engineering.

Abstract: Engineering ethics entails three frames of reference: individual, professional, and social. "Microethics" considers individuals and internal relations of the engineering profession; "macroethics" applies to the collective social responsibility of the profession and to societal decisions about technology. Most research and teaching in engineering ethics, including online resources, has had a "micro" focus. Mechanisms for incorporating macroethical perspectives include: integrating engineering ethics and science, technology and society (STS); closer integration of engineering ethics and computer ethics; and consideration of the influence of professional engineering societies and corporate social responsibility programs on ethical engineering practice. Integrating macroethical issues and concerns in engineering ethics involves broadening the context of ethical problem solving. This in turn implies: developing courses emphasizing both micro and macro perspectives, providing faculty development that includes training in both STS and practical ethics; and revision of curriculum materials, including online resources. Multidisciplinary collaboration is recommended 1) to create online case studies emphasizing ethical decision making in individual, professional, and societal contexts; 2) to leverage existing online computer ethics resources with relevance to engineering education and practice; and 3) to create transparent linkages between public policy positions advocated by professional societies and codes of ethics.

Collaborative web-based experimentation in flexible engineering education

Abstract: The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, is deploying a flexible learning scheme for selected pilot courses in engineering education. In such a scheme, traditional lectures and written exercises are combined with additional Web-based learning resources. The main objective of this initiative is to sustain the evolution from traditional teaching to active learning and to better integrate the increasing number of educational resources available online. In engineering education, a key activity to sustain the learning process is hands-on experimentation carried out using either simulation tools or real equipment. This paper describes how a collaborative Web-based experimentation environment has been introduced at the EPFL for providing more flexibility to students performing laboratory experiments in automatic control, biomechanics, and fluid mechanics. It particularly describes the eJournal, a Web service integrated in the proposed learning environment that enables the collection and sharing of preparatory notes and experimental results with both peers and teaching assistants.

Engineering Education : Research and Development in Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract: A synthesis of nearly 2,000 articles to help make engineers better educators; While a significant body of knowledge has evolved in the field of engineering education over the years, much of the published information has been restricted to scholarly journals and has not found a broad audience This publication rectifies that situation by reviewing the findings of nearly 2,000 scholarly articles to help engineers become better educators, devise more effective curricula, and be more effective leaders and advocates in curriculum and research development; ; The author's first objective is to provide an illustrative review of research and development in engineering education since 1960 His second objective is, with the examples given, to encourage the practice of classroom assessment and research, and his third objective is to promote the idea of curriculum leadership; ; The publication is divided into four main parts:; ; Part I demonstrates how the underpinnings of education—history, philosophy, psychology, sociology—determine the aims and objectives of the curriculum and the curriculum's internal structure, which integrates assessment, content, teaching, and learning; Part II focuses on the curriculum itself, considering such key issues as content organization, trends, and change A chapter on interdisciplinary and integrated study and a chapter on project and problem-based models of curriculum are included; Part III examines problem solving, creativity, and design

Embedding sustainable development at Cambridge University Engineering Department

Abstract: Purpose – The paper seeks to examine the latest stage in a process of change aimed at introducing concepts of sustainable development into the activities of the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University, UK.Design/methodology/approach – The rationale behind defining the skills which future engineers require is discussed and vehicles for change at both undergraduate and postgraduate level are described. Reflections on the paradigms and pedagogy of teaching sustainable development issues to engineers are offered, as well as notes on barriers to progress which have been encountered.Findings – The paper observes that the ability to effectively initiate a change process is a vital skill which must be formally developed in those engineers wishing to seek sustainable solutions from within the organisations for which they will work. Lessons are drawn about managing a change process within a large academic department, so that concepts of sustainable development can be effectively introduced across all area...

Are Engineers Losing Control of Technology?: From ‘Problem Solving’ to ‘Problem Definition and Solution’ in Engineering Education

Abstract: Educators in chemical engineering around the world are now working hard to reimagine the field in response to rapid technological change Real concern exists about the possible loss of cohesion and identity The main responses focus on restructuring its engineering science core This concern and attendant strategies are also found in other engineering fields Might rapid technological change be posing a fundamental challenge to the jurisdiction of engineering work? This analysis reviews the engineering emphasis in different countries on technical problem solving and outlines four contemporary challenges to the corollary claim of control over technological innovation Responding to these challenges may require abandoning the goal of broadening engineering education, for they indicate not that technical education in engineering is too narrow but may be incomplete An alternative strategy for adjusting the jurisdiction of engineering work is to formally include the activity of problem definition The analysis concludes by analysing four characteristics of a model of engineering as Problem Definition and Solution and outlining three types of strategies for integrating problem definition into engineering education

Becoming a Professional Engineering Educator: A New Role for a New Era

Abstract: Engineering education faces significant challenges as it seeks to meet the demands on the engineering profession in the twenty-first century. Engineering faculty will need to continue to learn new approaches to teaching and learning, which in turn will require effective professional development for both new and experienced instructors alike. This article explores approaches to effective professional development and provides a conceptual framework for responding to the challenge of becoming a professional engineering educator. The “cycle of professional practice” is introduced as a prelude for identifying what individual professors and their institutions can do to generate more powerful forms of engineering education. The article concludes with two case studies that illustrate the possibilities when faculty and academic leaders join together in addressing calls for change.

The Use of Discriminant Analysis to Investigate the Influence of Non-Cognitive Factors on Engineering School Persistence

Abstract: This study identified post-enrollment attitudes and perceptions that influence students' decisions to remain in an engineering curriculum. Non-cognitive factors including expectations and perception of the engineering profession, assessment of personal attributes, and subject-matter confidence were investigated. Discriminant analysis functions were developed to distinguish among three mutually exclusive groups: those who remained in the engineering school, those who remained at the university in a different school, and those who left the university altogether. Self-reported confidence in college-level math/science ability and the belief that an engineering degree enhances career security at a respectable salary were found to be significant predictors of both short-term and long-term persistence in engineering.

The Dynamics Concept Inventory Assessment Test: A Progress Report And Some Results

Abstract: Concept inventories are excellent instruments with which to validate the effectiveness of new teaching methodologies and curricular innovations. At the 2003 ASEE Annual Conference, we revealed that we were developing a Dynamics Concept Inventory (DCI) test and we presented our progress toward the creation of this test. Since that time, we have made substantial progress toward a release version of the DCI. In this paper, we will present the results of administering the DCI to over 450 students at a large public university and at a small private university and we will describe the final steps we have taken in getting to version 1.0 (the first public release) of the test. Introduction: What is the DCI and Why are We Creating It Concept inventories are an invaluable tool for the assessment of student learning and curricular innovations. Student misconceptions are not random, but are generally the result of a deficiency in their understanding of fundamental principles. The source of these misunderstandings, as identified by Clement [1] and others (see, for example references [2–7]), can be traced to deeply-seated preconceptions that make the complete understanding of fundamental principles very difficult. In order to create a new conceptual framework and to displace the existing one that has been ingrained over many years, new teaching methodologies have to be established. Concept inventories are an excellent instrument with which to validate the effectiveness of these new methodologies. At the 2003 ASEE Annual Conference, we revealed that we were developing a Dynamics Concept Inventory (DCI) test and we presented our progress toward the creation of this test [8]. In that paper, we described those concepts that were perceived by dynamics instructors to cause problems for students. Since that time, the authors have done extensive testing of the DCI and have completed its first public release (in January 2005). The body of research knowledge on student learning of Newtonian mechanics, including both kinematics and kinetics, has become quite rich in the last 15 years, but, because of its newness, this knowledge generally remains unfamiliar to most instructors whether their academic home is in a physics department or an engineering department. Interestingly, it is Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education not unusual for authors of papers on the teaching of mechanics in engineering education to refer to the history of how the teaching of the subject developed over the centuries since Newton and Euler published their general laws of motion (for a recent example, see Kraige [9]). However, this rich research literature on student learning of dynamics has yet to significantly influence either the presentation of the subject in textbooks or the emphasis and pedagogy used in the classroom. For the most part, the teaching of dynamics continues to be patterned after how instructors were taught when they were students, rather than being informed by research on learning. We believe that we are on the verge of seeing vast improvements in how much and how well students learn in this subject—we present this work with the hope that we can assist and even hasten this improvement.

Coming to Terms with Engineering Design as Content

Abstract: With the publication of standards for teaching, learning, and the inculcation of technological literacy (International Technology Education Association, 2000), technology education in the United States has made a significant leap forward toward greater acceptance as a valid school subject. Standards represent content terrain claimed by a community of practitioners, and once stakes are put down, it is left to adherents to move in seeking title. It is doubtful whether we will witness a rush towards bio-technology or medical technology, new areas in the standards that do not naturally issue from our accustomed traditions. But for design there will be great interest since this is a content area over which the field has long toiled. Design is arguably the single most important content category set forth in the standards, because it is a concept that situates the subject more completely within the domain of engineering. Four of the 20 standards address the question of design directly. Standard 8 deals with the “attributes of design;” Standard 9 with “engineering design;” Standard 10 with “trouble shooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experiment in problem solving; and Standard 11 with the “design process.” It is not inconsequential that the foreword heralding the standards is authored by William Wulf, in his capacity as President of the National Academy of Engineering. This is a significant benediction for a subject whose advocates have for the past decade or so been of the view that its acceptance by the public and by the dominant academic culture of schools turned on the degree of rapprochement that could be worked out with the science as well as the engineering communities. The Project 2061 curriculum standards acknowledged the common epistemological ground shared by science and technology as school subjects, embodied in the designed world (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993; Johnson, 1989). With ties with science thus formalized, engineering was but a step away. The sentiments expressed by Bensen & Bensen (1993) foreshadowed what appears now to be a significant opportunity for the field of technology education to lay claim to aspects of engineering as part of its curriculum purview. Arguing that the subject should

Improving visualization skills in engineering education

Abstract: We discuss the importance of visualization skills in engineering education and propose a dual approach to helping students improve their spatial abilities. The approach is based on computer graphics applications, and uses both Web-based graphics applications and a sketch-based modeling, system. By combining these approaches, we can capture students' attention and foster two important engineering skills: freehand sketching and an understanding of the relationship between orthographic and axonometric views.

Visual learning for science and engineering

Abstract: This survey looks at visualization techniques used in science and engineering education to enhance student learning and encourage underrepresented students to pursue technical degrees. This article aims to encourage faculty in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines to use visual methods to communicate to their students. Visual learning is an important method for exploiting students' visual senses to enhance learning and engage their interest. This methodology also has the potential to increase the number of students in STEM fields, especially of women and minority students. A visual approach to science and engineering enhances communication. This visualization revolution shows that letting scientists engage the higher cognitive parts of the brain by thinking and communicating visually improved how they performed their research.

Challenges of engineering education and curriculum development in the context of the Bologna process

Abstract: The work of Activity 1 of the Thematic Network E4 “Employability through Innovative Curricula” on curriculum development issues has been guided by the intention to contribute to the establishment of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by addressing crucial aspects of harmonisation, compatibility and comparability. In due course the activities aspired to contribute to the enhancement of engineering education by encouraging diversity and innovative solutions to deal with a range of changing demands. Creative competitiveness and the strive for specific profiles of engineering qualifications on a high level of quality must be accompanied by the attempt to make diversity and quality transparent and comparable based on common terms. The article describes briefly various demands and discusses the challenges of the Bologna Process on the development of engineering education in Europe and how some of the meanwhile 45 signatory countries deal with it. Based on the published Outcomes of Activity 1 and referring ...

Enhancing the Community College Pathway to Engineering Careers.

Abstract: While recognizing the multiplicity of roles that community colleges already play in higher education, it is important also to better utilize the community college resource in the pursuit of important national education and workforce objectives. According to the U.S. Congress, building a larger and more diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is among the most critical national imperatives of the 21st century (DoD, 2001). Science and engineering jobs, critical to many of the most dynamic sectors of our economy, are expected to increase three times faster than the rate of growth for all occupations in the coming decade. The potential for tapping the community college population to address this critical workforce issue is substantial.

Is There a Global Warming Toward Women in Academia

Abstract: WHILE GLOBAL WARMING toward women in academia (in this case a desirable trend) may be occurring in some academic departments or institutions—most notably in community colleges—the same cannot be said for many colleges of Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET colleges). There, the climate for women is very chilly indeed. As Cathy Ann Trower reports in Science magazine (2001), 42 percent of full professors in two-year colleges are women; however, women comprise only 17 percent of the full professor ranks at doctoral-granting institutions. For SET colleges, the figures are even lower. “In 4-year colleges and universities,” Trower reports, “women SET (science, engineering and technology) faculty hold fewer high-ranking posts than men, are less likely to be full professors, and are more likely to be assistant professors” (1). Even though there are increasing numbers of women graduates in the pipeline, the statistics for women’s representation at the higher ranks and in the SET colleges have been largely unchanged for the past twenty years. The situation is no better in Europe. “Although women constitute more than half of the student population across Europe, they hold fewer than 10% of the top positions in the academic system” (Dwandre 2002, 278). In the 1970s, Rosabeth Moss Kanter (1977) wrote about the adverse effects that can occur when women or minorities are tokens in their departments. Many subsequent studies also have found that when women represent less than 15–20 percent of a department they are more likely to feel the effects of gender stereotyping. More recently, Virginia Valian (1998) has developed cognitive analyses to explain the persistent inequalities in academia. She claims that both men and women operate under certain stereotypical gender schemas that affect our expectations of men’s and women’s roles. For example, Valian cites research showing that, after reviewing identical curricula vitae but with different names attached, men and women academics both consistently rate the women as less competent for an academic position than the men. Gender schemas go a long way toward explaining the subtle dynamics at work during recruitment and promotion on university campuses. Other analyses have revealed additional aspects of chilly campus climates that help to account for women’s failure to thrive in academia (see Etzkowitz, Kemelgor, and Uzzi 2000). One of these is the “death by a thousand paper cuts” P E R S P E C T I V E S

Survey of the National Civil Engineering Curriculum

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a comprehensive survey of over 40% of the nation’s undergraduate civil engineering programs. This analysis is based on uniform data collected for accreditation and is principally concerned with three major groups of courses: (1) math and science, (2) general education, and (3) engineering topics. The analysis reveals what is currently being taught in our nation’s civil engineering undergraduate programs, what is not being taught, and the implications for future professional practice. The paper discusses how the average national curriculum has changed historically, how well the curriculum satisfies Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria, and what the current distribution of courses and topics says about the priorities of civil engineering education. Overall, the curriculum was found to be highly specialized in terms of technical subjects but lacking in focus regarding the liberal arts, professional skills, and systems thinking.

Problem-based learning: a student evaluation of an implementation in postgraduate engineering education

Abstract: This paper presents the student evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) implementation in the postgraduate engineering curriculum of a public university in Brazil. This investigation adopts a qualitative and collaborative design, as suggested when the research objective is to study phenomena in their natural settings in terms of the meanings people bring to them and when the data collected cannot be statistically handled easily. To this end, an instructional method based on PBL principles and activities was implemented in an administration theory course during one semester. The data utilized in this paper derive from participant observation and an end-of-term questionnaire in which the students were asked to evaluate the instructional method, its advantages and disadvantages, comment on some of its features, and give improvement suggestions. The student evaluations show that the approach used was very satisfactory and may have promoted the acquisition of knowledge as well as the development of some d...

A psychomotor skills extension to bloom's taxonomy of education objectives for engineering education

Abstract: Bloom's taxonomy of education objectives has been an important source for investigations of curriculum since its development. In the original taxonomy the authors addressed the issues of cognitive and affective objectives in education, and provided a hierarchy of kinds of capability in each of these domains that could be used as evidence of achievement. In addition, the hierarchy of capabilities provides a framework for correlating educational attainment with evidence of qualities that relate to abilities relevant to the performance of professional, or in the case of lower elements of the hierarchy, sub-professional work roles. The authors of the original taxonomy indicated that they believed that there are three domains relevant to educational outcomes. These are the cognitive, knowledge of and ability to work with information and ideas; the affective, ability to organise, articulate, and live and work by a coherent value system relevant to the capabilities achieved through education; and the psychomotor skills, ability to do acts relevant to the field of study. In engineering it is necessary for the student to develop skills working with the tangible stuff related to the discipline because the role of an engineer is to do either or both of development work of products and systems and to direct other people in the development and manufacture of products and systems. In roles where the engineer must personally perform work related to developmental experimentation, prototyping or contributions to maintenance and construction it is necessary for the engineer to have appropriately developed psychomotor skills to be able recognise and handle both test and developmental components and the equipment used to manipulate, work upon, or test those work pieces. In cases where the engineer's role is to direct the work of others it is important for the engineer to have appreciation of the tasks that the engineer calls upon those others to do and to have sufficient experience to understand the potential difficulties and dangers associated with the performance of the tasks. This appreciation will also provide a significant influence to the design activities of the engineer, as the engineer considers the usefulness and usability of the intended product. The paper will present a hierarchical taxonomy of psychomotor skills and discuss these skills specifically from the viewpoint of the needs of engineers.

Benchmarking engineering Curricula with the CDIO Syllabus

Abstract: Four internationally-renowned universities-Chalmers University of Technology, Linkoping University, Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)-developed a benchmark survey that may be used by any engineering school to benchmark curricula for teaching of personal, interpersonal and system building skills These skills are enumerated in the CDIO Syllabus Teaching activities were categorized as Introduce, Teach or Utilize, based on intent, time spent, and linkage to learning objectives, assignments and assessment criteria Interviews were used to collect the data from instructors of the schools' engineering programs The data was then reduced and analyzed to illuminate patterns of teaching The results indicate that much effort is expended in covering these topics, but often in an inefficient, uncoordinated and unplanned manner For example, there are often frequent repetitions of introducing a topic, without ever teaching it In other instances, students are expected to utilize knowledge without having been taught it The results of the benchmark survey indicate that a consistent and deliberately designed curriculum in this area could demand no additional resources, yet provide a much more effective education The survey gives useful indications of how to begin such a curriculum redesign process