Podcast European Engineering Educators

In this episode we attempt to bridge the gap between engineering educators and students by directly asking them what they think. In so doing, we welcome Katrijn Vandenborne (former President of BEST) and Nadica Koloska (co-ordinator for the Educational Involvement Department) from the Board of European Students of Technology (BEST).

Neil and Natalie would like to thank all listeners and guests for their continued support in making the SEFI podcast a valuable source of information regarding contemporary topics in European engineering education and beyond!

Attracting students to study engineering, and helping society understand what engineers do, are ongoing challenges within engineering education. In this episode we spoke to Mariana Velho, Communication, Education and Outreach Manager for CERN openlab.

Feedback is a somewhat perennial topic within higher education (HE), with increasing emphasis on students as independent learners who should engage as active participants to fulfil the role of a self-regulated learner.

There continues to be a growing focus on the need for engineering students to develop transversal skills. There are a number of barriers which can stifle efforts in teaching such skills and approaches increasingly focus on developing engineering educators’ ability to integrate a diverse set of skills with technical knowledge.

The Archimedean Oath, first developed in 1990 and inspired by the Hippocratic Oath, was promoted as a reflection tool during SEFI 2024. Historically, the oath was read and signed at the end of master’s level study and allowed engineers to emphasise their commitment to their institution and global responsibility.

As we enter the 3rd year of recording the SEFI podcast, Neil and Natalie bring season 5 to a close with their person highlights from all six episodes. And, as ever, a heartfelt thanks to all listeners from across the world!

Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is transforming engineering education by allowing students to tackle real-world interdisciplinary challenges in collaboration with external partners. Jorge Membrillo-Hernández from Tecnologico de Monterrey is a pioneer in integrating CBL.

The isolation felt by engineering educators who are passionate about teaching and learning, but who reside in technically focused engineering departments, is widely reported. The case is no different in Africa, where few institutions recognise educational research as a valid research focus in engineering.