Framework for enhanced professional practice in engineering programs

As indicated in “Engineering Futures 2035: Engineering Education Programs, Priorities & Pedagogies” commissioned by the Australian Council of Engineering Deans (ACED), engineering programs need greater focus on practice to deliver the future expected graduate outcomes. Final-year research projects, capstone courses, and other forms of work-integrated learning (WIL) are particularly useful to expose engineering students to professional practice. In final-year research projects, engineering students work on real-world problems similar to those in professional environments and the workplace, but not in a way similar enough to professional practice. This paper proposes the integration of activity theory and social learning theory as a theoretical framework for final-year research projects in engineering degrees. Activity theory provides a lens to better understand human learning through interactions with people and artifacts, while social learning theory models learning through observing and imitating behaviours. Both theories have been previously used for understanding human behaviours, relationships with technology and interaction design.