The impact of curriculum content in fostering inclusive engineering: data from a national evaluation of the use of EWB projects in first year engineering

The year of Humanitarian Engineering draws our attention to the need to develop engineers who are not just technically competent but who can effectively address the needs of communities, maintain their ethical responsibilities, and take sustainability into consideration. This is what we understand by inclusive engineering. One approach to introducing such considerations into the curriculum has been the widespread use of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) projects in development settings as first year learning opportunities. We are evaluating different uses of these projects in 13 universities around Australia and New Zealand using a program logic data gathering methodology and a critical realist analytic approach to answer the research question 'what works for whom under what circumstances?' In this paper we will concentrate mainly on one of these sites The University of Queensland. Data reveals that the EWB projects have great potential for raising issues of community involvement, ethics and sustainability but that the content of projects alone cannot guarantee that such objectives are addressed. Contextual factors, including: the focus of the course (e.g. professional development versus design), the attitudes of staff, and the pedagogy used all contribute to the successful pursuit of non-technical objectives. Projects with little obvious humanitarian or inclusive content such as one for long-wall supports in mining were found to foster context-sensitive approaches. In addition to project content, educators who are seeking to develop humanitarian and inclusive engineers need to pay attention to consistently expressed goals and values amongst the teaching team and the alignment of assessment (in style and weighting) with clearly stated learning goals

Mapping Engineering & Development Research Excellence in the UK: An Analysis of REF2014 Impact Case Studies

For the first time, the UK research evaluation system, known as the Research Excellence Framework, considered ‘measures’ of impact in the 2014 review. Here, we focus on impact case studies that had an engineering and international development orientation. We found that writers of impact case studies commonly chose to employ an ecological modernization (economic, environmental, and social value) discourse to shape value claims. We also found that the type of engineering and international development research that appears in impact case studies tends to be high tech, best-with-best, and exclusive, rather than low tech, humanitarian, and inclusive

Development of a scenario-based instrument to assess co-design expertise in humanitarian engineering

Co-design is fundamental to humanitarian engineering and increasingly recognised as such in engineering curricula. However, it is challenging to teach, learn, and assess. In this paper, we describe the development and validation of a scenario-based instrument to distinguish novice and expert approaches to co-design in the context of humanitarian engineering. The instrument assesses the extent to which respondents describe stakeholder participation in each of the scope, design, and deliver phases of the design process, with co-design experts taking a collaborative approach throughout. We analyse and compare responses to the instrument from first-year undergraduate engineering students and experienced humanitarian engineering practitioners. Implications for educators, to use this scenario-based assessment in their own research, teaching, and curriculum development, are discussed in detail

Methods to facilitate community participation in humanitarian engineering projects: Laying the foundation for a learning platform

Humanitarian engineering (HE) is a new interdisciplinary field that is rapidly emerging worldwide. Many not-for-profit organizations such as Engineers Without Borders, Practical Action, and International Development Enterprise have been flourishing with the goal of providing technological solutions to those who need them the most. In engineering programs across the U.S., HE, service-learning, community engagement, and similar programs are gaining popularity because they offer an efficient way to meet ABET accreditation criteria, while also teaching valuable technical and professional skills to engineering students. However, the cultural, social, and political differences among communities and engineers often add degrees of difficulty that cannot be properly addressed using typical engineering problem solving approaches. Consequently, engineers must utilize problem framing and solving methods that meet the twofold requirements of involving community members at each stage of a project and integrating communities’ needs, desires, assets, cultures, social norms, and politics in the proposed solutions. Historically, engineers have borrowed methods from other disciplines, including design and anthropology, as the HE field still lacks a well-established and coherent repertoire of field-tested methods that are readily accessible by less-experienced humanitarian engineers. To address these gaps, this dissertation utilizes a Scholarship of Integration approach to: (1) collect and classify methods that have been used in (or proposed for) humanitarian engineering projects, and (2) investigate the conditions (e.g., philosophical commitments, culture of the community, engineers’ skills, and others) under which the use of specific methods is appropriate and community participation is best facilitated. In the first phase of this research, I used a systematized qualitative review to gather 64 methods from relevant engineering and related fields publications. Then I iteratively analyzed and compared the methods to generate a use-inspired framework classifying the 64 methods based on two main dimensions: the level of community participation and the purpose of the methods. In the second phase, I interviewed 14 practitioners who have participated in several humanitarian engineering projects. The thematic analysis of the practitioners’ personal experiences revealed benefits and challenges associated with the methods, as well as broader emergent themes such as the importance of building trusted relationships with project partners and taking an asset-based rather than a needs-based approach to design. This dissertation contributes to research engineering thinking and knowing in the context of engineering and community engagement by providing a framework that can guide both engineering students and professional in designing culturally sustainable solutions with underserved communities locally and internationally

Developing Global Sociotechnical Competency Through Humanitarian Engineering: A Comparison of In-Person and Virtual International Project Experiences

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of engineering educators in the United States and Colombia designed and led a two-week virtual “field session” for engineering undergraduate students that aimed at achieving the same educational outcomes as those from the previous in-country field session. Our NSF PIRE funded Responsible Mining, Resilient Communities (RMRC) project uses multi-country, interinstitutional, and interdisciplinary collaboration to train U.S. engineering students to co-design socially responsible and sustainable artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) systems with mining communities and engineers in Latin America. Drawing from pre- and post-field session student interviews, essays, and survey responses, this article analyzes how the virtual 2020 field session and the in-person 2019 session influenced students’ global sociotechnical competency. We offer a conceptualization of global sociotechnical competency that synthesizes notions of global engineering competency with theories of socially responsible engineering that emphasize problem definition and solution with underserved communities. Our research suggests that whereas many educators raised concerns about the efficacy of virtual formats for student learning and professional development, the 2020 session was effective for enhancing students’ abilities to identify stakeholders and methods to engage them, as well as for using sociotechnical coordination while engaging in problem definition. While the small number of student participants cautions against making broad generalizations, the virtual (2020) and in-person (2019) students experienced similar increases in self-reported empathizing practices with the intended users of their designs; a desire and ability to integrate social concerns into their design; a desire and ability to work with people from different backgrounds; and self-efficacy in engineering. The virtual students were less likely, however, than their in-person counterparts to desire a humanitarian engineering career. While the small number of students raises questions for extrapolating the results of our findings, our research does signal fruitful areas of future research for making humanitarian engineering projects more equitable and effective, even in virtual settings

Теоретические принципы организации внутрихозяйственного партнерства и управления социогуманитарной сферой в условиях промышленного предприятия

У статті досліджено теоретичні засади організації внутрігосподарського партнерства та управління соціогуманітарною сферою в умовах промислового підприємства. Визначено їх сутність та запропоновано основні напрями розвитку з застосуванням наявного досвіду на машинобудівних підприємствах в контексті Європейської інтеграції виробництва. Дано конкретні пропозиції щодо їх реалізації в умовах вітчизняного машинобудування. Запропоновано класифікацію і характеристику рівнів соціогуманітарного управління. Визначено етапність дослідження проблем управління соціогуманітарною сферою в умовах машинобудівних підприємств. Проаналізовано структуру категорії «управління соціогуманітарним розвитком» промислового підприємства та розвитком трудового колективу в умовах машинобудівного виробництва, визначено її специфічні закономірності, принципи і цілі. Розглянуто основні напрямки соціогуманітарного розвитку промислового підприємства і запропоновано оптимальний склад об’єктів соціогуманітарної інфраструктури машинобудівного підприємства.В статье исследованы теоретические принципы организации внутрихозяйственного партнерства и управления социогуманитарной сферой в условиях промышленного предприятия. Определена их сущность и предложены основные направления развития с применением имеющегося опыта на машиностроительных предприятиях в контексте Европейской интеграции производства. Даны конкретные предложения относительно их реализации в условиях отечественного машиностроения. Предложена классификация и характеристика уровней социогуманитарного управления. Определена этапность исследования проблем управления социогуманитарной сферой в условиях машиностроительных предприятий. Проанализирована структура категории «управления социогуманитарным развитием» промышленного предприятия и развитием трудового коллектива в условиях машиностроительного производства, определено ее специфические закономерности, принципы и цели. Рассмотрены основные направления социогуманитарного развития промышленного предприятия и предложен оптимальный состав объектов социогуманитарной инфраструктуры машиностроительного предприятия.The theoretical principles of partnership internal economic organization and management by socio-humanitarian sphere in the conditions of industrial enterprises have been examined in article. Its essence has been defined, the main directions of development with the use of available expertise in machine-building enterprises in the context of European integration of production have been proposed. Specific suggestions for its implementation in terms of national engineering industry have been given. Classification and characteristic levels of socio-humanitarian management have been offered. Stages of research problems of management by a socio-humanitarian sphere in the conditions of machine-building enterprises have been defined. The structure of «management category by socio-humanitarian development» of industrial enterprise and development of labour collective in the conditions of machine-building production has been analyzed, its specific conformities to law, principles and aims have been determined. Basic directions of socio-humanitarian development of industrial enterprise have been considered and optimal composition of objects by socio-humanitarian infrastructure machine-building enterprises has been proposed

Taking Learning to the Field: Fort A.P. Hill Demining Equipment Demonstration

As part of the Senior Managers Course con- ducted by the Mine Action Information Center during the summer of 2005, representatives from international mine action organizations had the opportunity to see the latest demining equipment demonstrations at Virginia’s Fort A.P. Hill. Watching from the bleachers in the mid-summer heat, the participants saw demonstrations high- lighting over a dozen pieces of demining equipment ranging from detection to neutralization technologies. Their visit was hosted by the U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining Research, Development and Engineering Center, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, VA., as part of the Department of Defense Deminng Research and Development Program Requirements workshop. Below are some of the highlights from the day-long presentation

Comparative analysis of the challenges of generic engineering logistics to humanitarian logistics in disaster response and relief support in South Africa

M.Ing. (Engineering Management)Logistics management has been extensively researched and implemented in the private sector, but it is gradually gaining traction in the humanitarian sector. Most humanitarian organization operations involve a mix of many activities. Some of them are involved in disaster relief, as short-term operations carried out immediately after a disaster, while some are involved in continuous aid work aimed at restoring normalcy to the disaster ravaged society and such efforts are longer term. Humanitarian organizations, particularly Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are the primary vehicle through which donors channel their contributions, but it is unfortunate to note that many of these organizations face challenges with the logistics of effectively getting the relief aid to the intended users. The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding in humanitarian logistics (HL) and identify the key challenges affecting aid agencies during humanitarian action. The study adopts a quantitative approach; data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to identify the most outstanding subjects and areas of interest in line with humanitarian logistics challenges identified in the literature. The findings from the research survey shows that there is an awareness of the importance of humanitarian logistics in the sector, but the results also show that only half of the participants of the survey reported that they have a logistics professional employed in their organization. Furthermore, only 50% of the participants of the survey indicated that their organization has a preparedness plan in place in the event of an emergency. Other challenges identified are: lack of fund; difficulty to obtain real time information and poor knowledge management. The author identified unavailability and tagging of funds as the most critical challenge the humanitarian organizations face because it hinders capacity building and organizational development. The study also suggests that learning and forging closer ties with private organizations is an effective means of overcoming some of the identified challenges

HD R&D Field Evaluation: MANTIS

The success of the Mine Clearing Survivable Vehicle (MCSV) Proof of Performance Test was the result of the efforts of a large team of people from a number of organizations. The organizations involved were the U.S. Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) Humanitarian Demining (HD) Research and Development Office located at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia; the International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining (ITEP); and Pearson Engineering Ltd, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. This test was also a U.S. sponsored ITEP Test (ITEP Work Plan Number 3.2.5.). During the first phase of testing in August 2004, the Project Director, Mr. Charles Chichester, assisted by Ms. Karin Breiter, directed and oversaw the performance test of the MCSV tractor and each of the tools available at the time. During the second phase of testing in early December 2004, which was conducted with tools not available in August, Mr. Peter Reed (NVESD) was the Test Engineer. In addition to the U.S., the other ITEP participant assisting in this test was the UK, represented by Mr. Peter Blatchford and Mr. Steven Bowen from QinetiQ, Ltd., United Kingdom. Mr. Eric Read and Mr. Graham Rutherford from Pearson Engineering, Ltd., provided technical and operational insight and maintenance support for the MCSV tractor and family of tools. The operators were SFC Lawrence Jones, Mr. Christopher Andres, and Mr. Ronald Collins. Mr. Art Limerick, a member of the Development Site test staff, rendered test support in the field. Mr. Harold Bertrand, of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), provided technical test support and was the author of this report

Research Directions in Information Systems for Humanitarian Logistics

This article systematically reviews the literature on using IT (Information Technology) in humanitarian logistics focusing on disaster relief operations. We first discuss problems in humanitarian relief logistics. We then identify the stage and disaster type for each article as well as the article’s research methodology and research contribution. Finally, we identify potential future research directions