IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. E-13, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 1970

Making Engineering Education "Active"

ALFONSO PERCUOCO

Abstract-Active education might be defined as a system ofinstruction in which the student himself plays an active role inhis education. The author expresses a certain number of sugges-tions, mostly based on his experiences, in order to help theachievement of active education in engineering.

Theoretical lectures should raise active discussions, compari-sons, and applications of theories; approaches different fromthose traditionally pursued are thus required for carrying outclass work and for evaluating students.Applied research in universities should be primarily aimed at

attaining educational goals; improving quality of instruction,obtaining the active participation of students in their education,stimulating a professional interest, making them aware of societyand its problems. The last-mentioned objective might be easilyachieved in communities of few natural resources in a developingcountry.Suggestions are made for obtaining a profitable use of the

time to be dedicated to graduation thesis and for organizing ineffective ways, works of students in laboratories. Finally, it isemphasized that experiences of students in industries, carefullyorganized, can help to make an active education as earlier de-fined. Furthermore, field experiences can serve to orient thestudents on their work aptitudes as well to enhance their know-ledge of social environments.

I. THE IMPACT OF SOCIETY ON THE UNIVERSITY

-Ifl')OES the university meet the economic demands ofthe nation? Is the university able to fulfill the tech-nical and scientific needs of industry and public

services at a significant rate? Are the institutes of higherlearning able to follow closely the social developments of acommunity and able to implement its social programs?Such questions as these and others of similar character areoften asked of the university's role in a community.

It is not easy to evaluate how well the university meetsthe social needs and implements the economic programs ofa community. This is especially difficult in the case of devel-oping countries, for the structures are in a state of evolu-tion and the programs are often conditioned by uncertainand changing factors.

Fortunately, questions of an opposite nature are moreeasily answered. Such questions might be: What is the im-pact of social environments on the university's activities?How do historical background and economic and politicalconditions affect the educational structure?

It is a known fact that in many countries students mustendure social and economic conditions that can negativelyaffect the efficiency of their studies. An obvious remedywould be to eliminate the origin of these problems when-ever it is possible. Another more profitable possibility

Manuscript received March 12, 1970.The author was Coordinator in charge of UNESCO, Universidad

Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia. He is now Co-ordinator of Research Centers, ENAPI, Rome, Italy.

would be to create the conditions for an "active" educa-tional system.

"Active education" may be defined as a system of in-struction in which the student himself plays an active rolein his education. He is not a passive object of learning, amind into which each teacher places what he happens to beteaching.

Active education may be applied to any field of educa-tion, but the emphasis here will be placed on engineering.Although the need to improve technical and scientific edu-cation is more acute in the developing countries, many ofthe suggestions made below might also apply to highly in-dustrialized countries as well.

II. CLASSESTheoretical lectures are often criticized because they do

not present a real stimulus for learning scientific and tech-nical topics. With the development and perfection of visualand auditory aids (such as slide projectors, overhead pro-jectors, tape recorders, record players, diagrams, andcharts) the presentation of a lecture is made easier for theteacher and more interesting for the student. Yet, at best,the student remains passive.A change from the traditional lecture approach has been

proposed for senior and graduate level courses. Basically atopic would be studied from three different aspects:

1) teacher lectures with a selected bibliography;2) student reading and study of the cited literature;3) active discussions, comparisons, and applications of

theories based on the lectures and literature studied.Of course all classroom work would be under the supervi-sion of the professor; however, for organization of discus-sion groups, assistants may be utilized or student leadersselected.

Evaluations based on student attitude, willingness toparticipate in group or class discussion, and insight shownmight prove more reliable than the traditional testing pro-gram, which is a well-known and questionable means ofstimulating class preparation.Such class organization probably would not prove feasi-

ble in junior courses. In that case the stimulation of dis-cussion and interest would be principally in

1) the ability of the lecturer;2) intelligent uses of the laboratories;3) effective means of evaluation.The ability of the lecturer should not be confused with

his pedagogical theories. Certain rigorous pedagogical pro-cedures may need to be followed on the secondary educa-

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tioinal level, but it is felt that they would not prove soimportant in higher eduication and especially in the field ofscience.

It is not hard to believe in the rectors and deans whocomplain that there are two kinds of teachers, those whoare education oriented, and those who are subject oriented.Those of the first group are experts in pedagogy but donot adequately know the subject matter. Those of the sec-ond are experts in their field but are not adequately trainedas teachers. The solution must be somewhere between thetwo. A good teacher may be noted by his ability to createsituations for the raising of intelligent questions or forspontaneous class discussion.An institution of higher learning may raise its leVel of

teaching by selecting young professors who like to teachand have an ability to communicate and elicit responses.They may be assisted in their development by workingclosely with more experienced professors. The dean or de-partment chairman may help through his counseling andsuggestions which derive from his experience and from hisinsight of the environment.Many young professors tend to be demanding and to in-

troduce topics that are only slightly related to the subjectunder discussion and include these materials in tests. Thisseems to be an effective means of demonstrating how muchthey know and obtaining a measure of prestige and re-spect. When this happens, the department chairman ordean should counsel with the young professors on the fol-lowing points:

1) to give an overall "perspective" of the course and togive emphasis according to the importance of thetopic;

2) to make reviews of the lectures, examining and com-paring the different methods of solving problems;

3) to plan exercises in such a way as to give the stu-dent a complete understanding of the discipline;

4) to explain not only the methods and procedures in-volved but also their usefulness Ctnd applications;

5) to make a self-criticism of each lesson, trying to an-swer the question, "Did I completely understand it?";

6) to maintain a contact with the students and to fairlyevaluate them;

7) to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to study andreading.

Many universities have found it expedient to attractteachers from other sister institutions, rather than fromthe ranks of their own former students. In this way thepossible professor is free of former friendships or animos-ities to establish for himself a reputation. This, too, elimi-nates the possibility of continuous errors or weaknesses in-herent in the system in any particular area that may resultif many graduates are accepted as professors.

Experience during recent years indicated that computa-tional devices can be advantageously used for obtaining anactive collaboration of students for training in mathemat-ics. The analog computer has proved to be a very efficient

means of overcoming the gap which exists between manystudents and some topics of advanced mathematics such aslinear differential equations, nonllinear differenitial equa-tions, or the properties of functions of continuous vari-ables. Experiments utilizing the analog computer not onlyserve to create interest but also give a thorough under-standing of the matter and stimulate the student to "dis-cover" the characteristics of mathematical systems. Similardeclarations can be made for other mathematical laboratoryequipment by which a student can develop elementary ex-periments in logic mathematics and familiarize himselfwith the set theory, Boolean algebra, etc.

Although I have no direct knowledge of experimentalphysics laboratories, it is been brought to my atten-tion that the introduction of modern didactic apparatus insome universities has given a fresher, more interesting ap-proach to the teaching of physics in engineering coursesand has called for the active participation of the student inhis own training.

III. SEMINARSIf student-presented seminars on specific topics are

made compulsory, the amount of bibliographic researchdone by students will rise. Also students will have the op-portunity to speak to an audience of peers and facultymembers that will prepare them for the presentation oftheir thesis later.Language plays an important role, for it establishes or-

der and relationships among subjects. Through the ability togive exact definitions one's having mastered that subject isascertained. Seminars pursue these objectives through thework and research done by students and encourage thestudies of specialized fields. They represent, therefore, avery useful tool of active education, especially for senioror graduate students.

Experience has shown, however, that more positive re-sults are obtained if faculty members make a list of sug-gested topics for discussion and offer whatever assistancemay be necessary. More profitable results are reached ifthe student submits a written report before giving his oralpresentation. Seminars may also reveal a young person'spotential capacity for teaching.

IV. APPLIED RESEARCHThe first task of a university is to provide for integral

formation of students, both as men and as future profes-sional people. Applied research is one means of obtainingthe active participation of students in their education, ofstimulating a professional interest, and of making themaware of society and its problems. This last objective maybe easily achieved in communities of few natural resourcesin a developing country. Finally, applied research can serveto improve efficiency of educational structures.Many times students are not familiar enough with scien-

tific accomplishments, so that there exists a gap betweenthem, the machines, and the industrial plant that insome cases represents almost a barrier. Other times we

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have purely theoretical teaching traditions that represent avery strong obstacle in obtaining technical and scientificachievements, creating on certain occasions distrust in theyoung professional that his knowledge could be effectivelyutilized in productive tasks.

Practical applications can serve to break such a state byencouraging the students to work in a concrete way withtangible results. Experience done under these conditionscan lead to desired results much more easily than thatwhich the student will face after graduation. Eventual un-certainties, small or big failures, and lack of maturity andexperience are the facts that can be accepted in students,while in professional personnel they constitute a seriousproblem.

This type of practical application can also serve to bringthe student closer to social reality and to educate him toserve the community. In this way if a group of studentsdedicate themselves to planning and installing a powerplant for a village in their country, they will have the op-portunity to make a close-up examination of the economyand social life of a rural community and also accumulatethe valuable experience of human contacts with people andsocial environments which may be very different fromthose they know.

Students in this task of applied research will be super-vised by the professors according to the complexity of theproject and technical work involved.What should be the research activities of faculty tnem-

bers (professors, instructors, and auxiliary personnel) andhow should these activities be developed? Before dealingwith this topic, I want to make some observations about therelation between education and research that I consider ap-propriate. Lately it has been very much emphasized that"the university must develop a large amount of research ifit wants to reach the level of excellent education and thatthe really efficient professors are, almost without excep-tion, those who devote long hours to research."

I do not agree. For me the most important aspect of theuniversity is that there exists a dedication to science, toculture, and to the continual betterment of individuals andteaching.The criteria for conceiving, planning, and structuring

research must take into consideration such fundamentaltasks. My experience with nations of a high scientific andindustrial level has shown that universities which developlarge quantities of research do not offer the student a goodquality education simply because they dedicate only limitedtime and funds to their programs of instruction.The students of many universities found themselves

without adequate assistance because the professors wereoccupied with their research. At times they did not evenhave time to prepare their classes in a satisfactory manner.In turn the professor begins to disvalue his position as aprofessor and spends many hours submerged in researchthat many times is only very indirectly related to thematerial he teaches. Furthermore, the university'sadministration has made him understand that his evalua-

tion will be based essentially on his production of research,and so he is induced to devote a large part of his time tothis activity.From such phenomena can come more losses than bene-

fits for university teaching, especially for those institutesthat have no graduate program.The most appropriate type of research to be developed

in the.university is that which serves to constantly elevatethe level of studies, to better and to renew the preparationof the professors, and to extend and perfect the practicalwork and laboratory experiences. Furthermore, the time,the money, and the energy that must be devoted to researchmust be determined in a manner that will not unbalance oralter the educational structure of the university and will bein relation to its actual capacity.

Research that stimulates a p-rofessor to make long, in-tensive readings, to train himself in new experimentaltechniques, to explore fixed theories or the interpretationof experimental phenomena in the field of his disciplinecan be very beneficial in bettering the teaching efficiency ofthat professor, in helping him to better understand his cho-sen discipline, in creating a live faculty which is always incontact with technical and scientific advances.On the other hand there are other types of research

work that the university should avoid: long hours of rou-tine work for personal values or private individuals. Onlywith difficulty can it be demonstrated that these activitiescan be useful for the fundamental tasks of education thatthe university must develop. Situations such as these repeatthemselves frequently, and I have here concrete examplesin which the professor was left with not enough time forstudy, for teaching, or for assisting the students.

In the universities of emerging nations, that have somany needs and limited material and human resources,there are many activities such as study, research, and tech-nical development that the professor can carry out to betterthe structures of the university: to program and to prepareexperiments, to plan laboratory apparatus, to record care-ful course notes, to hold specialized seminars, to study the-oretical and experimental processes, to search for exten-sions and applications of the new scientific and technicaldiscoveries, to prepare reports and other documentation tofacilitate the teaching of highly specialized matters, to out-line adequate topics for theses, and to direct the investiga-tions of the students in such a way that they develop in aconstructive manner.Some years ago the Univeridad Industrial de Santander,

Bucaramanga, Colombia, undertook a program of technicalassistance to local communities and some small and medium-sized industries. This assistance was rendered by profes-sors and students, some of whom received credit whileothers donated their summer vacation.Some of the students utilized their efforts for course

projects or for the graduation thesis. Generally the stu-dents found the work interesting and challenging becauseit gave them the opportunity to put into practice what theyhad learned and because it gave them practical experience.

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Most expressed a feeling of satisfaction for having beenable to render a service to a community, and they felt itwas worthwhile to become acquainted with social environ-ments different from their own.Approximately 100 students, most of which were senior

level students, participated in the various projects in 1966and 1967. Subjects of their projects were power plants andmounting of electrical equipment for small towns and vil-lages, hospital organization, the elimination of slums andconstruction of homes for low-income families, industrialconsulting (about 110 operations and projects), the reor-ganization of public offices, geological research on potas-sium beds and phosphoric rock. The largest town receivingassistance had a population of 300 000, while the smallesthad less than 2000 inhabitants and was situated at the edgeof the tropical forest.

V. GRADUATION THESISD)uring the years I have spent in university work, both

as a student and as a teacher, I have noticed that a gradua-tion thesis in engineering often represents a great waste oftime and energy for those students who work toward bach-elor degrees.A large number of the undergraduate students have not

reached a level of professional maturity nor have they at-tained a thorough knowledge of technical and scientificsubjects when they must develop a project that is requiredfor graduation. Because of these reasons, the selection ofthe subject, the organization of all the research needed, andthe fulfillment of the technical drudgery become a tediousand often a painful task for the students as well as fortheir thesis advisor, who must guide them step by step inorder that they might arrive at some logical conclusion. Incases where adequate assistance is not readily available, acomnpromise in quality and depth of study may representthe only means of completing the thesis.As knowledge of science technology expands, areas of

engineering grow more and more specialized, so that sub-jects that are relatively general in character and easy to de-velop have already been exhausted by former students ortheir theory has been disproven. This is a handicap that isoften met in countries having few industries and special-ized engineers. The universities of said countries often de-velop a curriculum of general engineering courses, withthe intended aim of producing all-purpose engineers ratherthan specialized personnel. As a consequence professorsmay not have ample experience in highly technical subjectsto be able to direct the writing of a thesis. Other difficultiesare insufficiently equipped laboratories and libraries andthe lack of current publications.To minimize frustrations and wasted time, which are

unacceptable because progress requires the continuous ef-fort of the teacher and student, here are three possible so-lutions.

1) Postpone the delivery of the thesis for two or three-years after graduation. In this way students will be able tocarry out a project or do research based on actual experi-

ence. This may be more possible and certainly more profit-able in the more industrialized countries. Experience hasshown that engineers of countries with little industrializa-tion often find themselves in positions of maintenance ormanagement without an opportunity to apply deeply theirknowledge of engineering.

2) Eliminate such graduate requirements as the thesisor project. Students would be required to complete aequivalent number of credits, which may be earnedthrough course work, laboratory studies, or practical expe-rience.

3) Require the thesis of only a given number of stu-dents. These individuals would be selected on the basis oftheir academic preparation, their ability to develop projectsand do research, and their interest in making intensivestudies of specific subjects. Those students not selected forthe thesis would be able to complete their hours in class-room courses or experimental laboratory studies.

Suggestion 3) may prove to be the best, for in it all stu-dents are given an opportunity to develop projects of theirown interest and complete them in a satisfactory manner.

VI. LABORATORIESIn order to develop a curriculum consisting of a satis-

factory amount of course work in theory and experimentalactivities in laboratories and workshops, the most carefulplanning must be made. Types of laboratories and theirspecific characteristics depend, of course, on the emphasisof the particular program and the special courses offeredby the school of engineering. In the case of electrical, elec-tronic, and mechanical engineering, experience has indi-cated that the undergraduate stuldent should become ac-quainted with the practical work of: general electronics,electronic measurements, electronic machines, servo-mechanisms and plant regulations, fluidomechanics, thermo-techniques, mechanical measurements, gas engines, high-tension techniques, resistance of materials, electrical com-munications, modeling, tests on electrical materials, electricsimulations, and surveying.

Actual experience has shown that in the above-men-tioned laboratories each group should be made up of threeto five students, not exceeding that limit. In groups of thissize each student has the chance to actively participate, andall work can be supervised adequately and aided when nec-essary by instructors and laboratory assistants. Senior stu-dents working as assistants would have the opportunity tobroaden their knowledge of experiments and gain extraexperience in solving experimental and practical problems.Though there can be no fixed number of hours neces-

sary for becoming efficient in laboratory work, for coursessuch as electronics, electrical measurements, electric ma-chines, and surveying, the optimum ratio is an equal num-ber of hours of course work and laboratory drills.

VII. INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCES

For a number of years some individuals in the field ofengineering studies have proposed joining theory and prac-

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tice in education by planning an unconventional curricu-lum. In short, this curriculum consists of two normal se-mesters with a semester of practice in an industrial plantinterposed between them. For this reason it is often com-monly known as a "sandwich" system.

In principle the above-cited curriculum seems attractive,at least for junior engineers and technicians. However,some difficulties immediately arise for those engineers whodesire to know the theory and master the practical applica-tions. One of the major problems is to coordinate the class-room studies and the on-the-job training. A second closelyrelated difficulty lies in finding an effective control forthose activities developed outside the university. It is alsopossible that, after a period of activity outside the class-room, the student may be reluctant to settle anew in class-room studies and his level of efficiency may drop consider-ably.On certain occasions the difficulty in coordinating aca-

demic studies and on-the-job training in industry has beenclearly demonstrated. Also the time spent in field studiestends to attract the students to stay rather than to return tothe university. At best it prolongs the length of their stud-ies.

Field experience or industrial training may be better ob-tained through visits to factories and operations and re-quiring students to spend their vacation time in such re-treats. This could be useful in stimulating and correctingthe technical instruction of the students. Required field ex-perience would also enhance the knowledge of different so-cial environments, for the student would be readily awarewhether or not his temperament and work aptitude aresuitable for the activities and human environment of in-dustrial life. He may, therefore, be able to orient himselfin regard to his future as an engineer.

On the other hand students are stimulated, after havingbecome familiar with industrial machines and their opera-tions, to carefully observe the manner in which the theoryis put into effect and to recognize that practical experienceand common sense make a theory even more effective.At time the importance and usefulness of concepts and

technical results may pass almost unnoticed by students ifthey have not observed plants and machines whose opera-tions are based on the principles being studied. It definitelycan be stated that, if carefully organized, experiences in in-dustrial plants can help to make an active education as ear-lier defined. Visits to industrial plants should be planned asa part of the courses so that the results are interesting anduseful. When such visits are improvised or taken withoutproper planning, results are likely to be quite unfruitful,and students may be bored or even confused as they wan-der through a maze of workshops.From the data obtained from some institutes it is clear

that if the university organizes a meaningful program forvacations, it is possible that 100 percent of the studentsspend at least one vacation in industrial field experience.

VIII. CONCLUSIONS

It is probable that by emphasizing an active educationthe sense of discontent and discomfort felt by student willbe lessened or disappear entirely. This in turn would lessensuch other negative factors as the students' desertion andabnormal lengths of studies.

Active education implies a constructive point of view ofthe function of the student in his own education. Curriculaand the different phases of instruction should be plannedwith this concept in mind, as has been suggeste,d in thispaper,

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