Abstract This paper reflects on the teaching of science fiction texts to first-year engineering students at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of a Critical Thinking course that uses literature as a vehicle through which to... more
Abstract This paper reflects on the teaching of science fiction texts to first-year engineering students at the University of the Witwatersrand as part of a Critical Thinking course that uses literature as a vehicle through which to develop competence in critical literacy and communication. This course aims to equip engineering students, as future intermediaries between science and society, with the ability to fulfil this role in both the contemporary global world and South Africa more specifically through the imaginative inhabitation of divergent subject positions afforded by literary texts. Science fiction encourages students to engage imaginatively with various societal ideas, constructs and possibilities. One of the principles of the course is that reading facilitates empathic responses, challenging readers to inhabit unfamiliar subject positions. In this way, the teaching of science fiction aims to develop self-reflective and critical learning practices, wherein engineering students grapple with the ethical ramifications of extrapolated known science in a South African context.
The long-standing gap between engineering education and the industry (the Gap) has been acknowledged in literature extensively. In this paper, the Gap has been addressed philosophically from three different aspects: the demarcation... more
The long-standing gap between engineering education and the industry (the Gap) has been acknowledged in literature extensively. In this paper, the Gap has been addressed philosophically from three different aspects: the demarcation between science and engineering, the causes of the Gap, and the strategy for bridging the Gap. The targeted education level in this paper is the bachelor level. The Gap is caused by the absence of feedback from the industry to engineering schools. This paper contributes to the philosophy of engineering education by proposing a strategic initiative to bridge the Gap. The expected outcomes of the proposed initiative are the following: Reclassification of the majors available in engineering schools and redesigning the knowledge taught in these schools to match industry needs. These outcomes could be achieved by firstly giving engineers the opportunity to write about their own experience at an industry level in engineering journals and, through their writing, schools get an idea of what is going on in the industry. Secondly, accrediting agencies such as ABET should grant a higher rank to engineering schools based on what they have done over time to bridge the Gap. Lastly, PhD research could be utilized to improve the undergraduate curriculum. A PhD student could work for a company, then return to school two years later to present their findings and observations.
