Development of innovative integrated engineering curricula across South African universities

The challenge

Development of innovative integrated engineering curricula across South African universities’ aimed to develop a framework within the South African context for implementing an integrated curricula for engineering. An integrated curricula combines teaching the necessary technical skills with learning experiences to deliver holistic, authentic learning that provides both technical and professional competence. This approach introduced undergraduates to project-based design throughout the course, integrating employability skills, interdisciplinary minors, and applied mathematics programmes. These enhance students’ understanding of theory and develop professional skills in tandem. 

The project identified areas where it could pilot an integrated curricula approach within faculties across universities in South Africa. They investigated how to improve the acceptance of the new approach and developed a training programme for staff to support the delivery of active integrated learning.  

The project

Development of innovative integrated engineering curricula across South African universities’ aimed to develop a framework within the South African context for implementing an integrated curricula for engineering. An integrated curricula combines teaching the necessary technical skills with learning experiences to deliver holistic, authentic learning that provides both technical and professional competence. This approach introduced undergraduates to project-based design throughout the course, integrating employability skills, interdisciplinary minors, and applied mathematics programmes. These enhance students’ understanding of theory and develop professional skills in tandem.

The project identified areas where it could pilot an integrated curricula approach within faculties across universities in South Africa. They investigated how to improve the acceptance of the new approach and developed a training programme for staff to support the delivery of active integrated learning.

 Coordinated by the University of Pretoria, the project brought together teams from different engineering schools in South Africa and was supported by UCL in the UK, with their experience in integrated curricula. UCL views this as a true partnership and shared its experiences and context with the goal of forming communities of practice to empower changes to engineering education. The South African partners included the University of Johannesburg, University of Cape Town, Vaal University of Technology, Nelson Mandela University, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Walter Sisulu University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and a representative of the South African Society of Engineering Education. The work with industry was coordinated through the independent specialist, Dr Wolff, who represented industry partners and had access to real-world case studies, which were used to inform the design of the integrated curricula.

"Networking, capacity development, emotional support, impact on professional identity, social and environmental impact, and breaking borders."

Lelanie Smith | University of Pretoria

The Impacts

The project developed a collaborative framework for an integrated curriculum. The framework provided a guide for improving the learning outcomes in engineering graduates and increases the quality and relevance of education for the workforce. The creation of the new framework engaged staff in rethinking the nature of the education offering. This led to a programme of training being developed and rolled out for staff, creating expert facilitators of active integrated learning. 

The project consortium engaged with accreditation stakeholders (deans of engineering and ECSA, the Engineering Council of South Africa) right from the start so that the new approaches to assessment would be recognised. A strengthened relationship with the Engineering Council supported them to embed the integrated engineering curricula and linked it closely to the needs of professional life.  

Networking, knowledge sharing and communities of practice 

Networking was central to changing mindsets and expanding the reach of integrated engineering curricula. The growing network supports ongoing knowledge sharing, relationship building and continued development. This includes networking across South African universities and with UCL in the UK.  

All of the universities are on a journey towards enhancing the relevance of skills through changing the way in which engineering education is delivered and the skills it develops. The networking and collaboration therefore enhances the curriculum development, supports the quality of the training and delivers ongoing improvements to the relevance of engineering education. Across South Africa (and Africa) engineering academics are involved in an informal Engineering Education Researchers Network (EERN) Africa, that hosts monthly community of practice sessions.1 The network developed through a WhatsApp group. The idea was to build relationships, share knowledge and learn from peers. Through this unfunded network the project has made connections that reach further than the African continent. A recent research paper reflecting on the community of practice highlighted six broad themes of value for individuals and groups “networking, capacity development, emotional support, impact on professional identity, social and environmental impact, and breaking borders”.

Linking up with other universities within South Africa outside of the project has been a powerful driver for change, scalability, harmonisation and sustainability.  

The future

The goal in the long term is to have an engineering curriculum in South Africa that is student centred, contextually relevant, and integrated, similar to the Integrated Engineering Programme at UCL. In addition, it aims to develop engineering academics’ capacity in order to teach such an innovative curriculum. The project is still ongoing but is concentrating on its legacy, in particular through building the network. The project team has secured further funding from the South African University Capacity Development Project fund to continue for the next three years and oversee curriculum implementation across participating institutions as well as the development and roll out of the teacher training programme. With the additional time and resources, the project can create far reaching impact across engineering education in South Africa. 

Sources

This impact case study was prepared using information from interviews with the project team, online resources and progress reports. The project had not finished at the time of writing and so there was no available data on outcome and impact.  

• Progress report 1: 1 December 2021 

• Progress report 2: 30 June 2022 

• TSP application for development of innovative integrated engineering curricula across partner SA HE institutions 

• Workshop summary report: 27 January 2022 

• Interview with Helen Inglis, University of Pretoria 

• Correspondence with Lelanie Smith, University of Pretoria 

• Website: Innovative engineering curriculum: Bringing life to our engineering curricula: https://iecurricula.co.za/ (accessed July 2023) 

• Website: SASEE – TSP Innovative engineering Curricula Workshops www.sasee.org.za/engineering-education-projects/tsp-innovative-engineering-curricula-workshops/ (accessed July 2023) 

Acknowledgments

This project was made possible by DSIT (formally BEIS) ODA funding under the Engineering X TSP programme, in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa.