Unit 1: What do engineers do exactly?

Introduction

In this introductory unit we take look at what Engineering is, skills Engineers posses, and why you may want to incorporate engineering activities into your teaching.

Reflection

Before we dive in, take a moment to consider what you already know about the topic of engineering. Answer the following questions to help guide your reflection;

What is it that engineers do?
What types of skills do you think engineers should have?
Do you know someone who is an engineer? If yes, do you know what kind of engineer he or she is?

What is Engineering?

Engineering is the application of scientific knowledge that allows us to solve problems in the real world. While subjects like physics, biology, and chemistry allow us to understand the world, engineering enables this understanding and allows us to apply this knowledge to solving problems through designing and building things. In other words, engineering is problem solving. Subjects like science and math are the tools engineers use to solve problems.

The following video discusses what engineers do and describes some problems they have solved to make our lives better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bipTWWHya8A

Skills Professional Engineers Posses

The following is a list of skills professional engineers should have in order to be successful in solving any problem they are faced with. It's important to note that students do not need to have these skills to implement the engineering process. These are skills that will be strengthened in students when they perform engineering activities.

1.) STEM Background

Engineers typically have a strong background in science, technology, and math. Beyond just being good math or just being good at science, engineers have a true passion for these subjects. Math and science are viewed by engineers as tools that will help them solve their next problem.

2.) Ability to Work in a Team

Ever heard the expression "two heads are better than one?" When it comes to engineering this couldn't be more true. It's essential that engineers be able to work with others to develop the best possible solutions for whatever problems they may be working on. When working as a team, engineers are able to more quickly and effectively solve the given problem.

3.) An Analytical Mind

Engineers have a mind built for solving problems. Everything they do is rooted in problem solving and therefore requires an analytical mind to ensure that the solution meets all the requirements and is able to be built with the given resources.

4.) Communication Skills

Being able to effectively communicate is an essential part of engineering. Engineers need to be able to communicate their solutions and ideas to other engineers as well as potential clients. Good communication skills could be the difference in whether or not a client hires your engineering firm.

5.) Attention to Detail.

Engineers are detail oriented people. Often, the tasks engineers undertake are quite complex and if not precisely planned out can lead to catastrophic events. Take for instance a space shuttle. The amount of detail and the level of precision required to design and build something that can safely transport people to and from space is incredible and requires a great attention to detail.

Navigate to: Unit 2: What is the Engineering Process?