V-Model Role Engineering

The paper focuses on role engineering which is an important topic in the development of access control system, particularly when considering Role Based Access Control – RBAC models. Despite the wide use of RBAC in various applications, the role engineering process is not a standardized approach. The paper aims to define a methodology and a process model for role engineeringInformation security, access control systems, role based access control systems – RBAC, engineering methodologies, security policies, access control models

The role of language in engineering competence

The behaviour of engineered products is becoming less evident from their outward appearance. Thus many current engineered products have unseen properties that become evident only after protracted investigation, analysis or use. Nevertheless marketing staff, potential users, disposal experts, financiers and so on will wish to make informed decisions about products and commonly their choices will be based on more accessible descriptions, explanations, scenarios and accounts of a products use rather than their direct experience. Engineers usually work with others in enterprises that produce things or provide services. The engineer rarely provides the service or makes the goods but, as a professional, the engineer guides the rest of the enterprise and persuades others to take particular courses of action. It is clear that an engineer's central interest is the artefact. Interestingly the artefact may be in the process of design or the subject of a feasibility study and hence will have no material existence, but it will be circumscribed by a wide variety of texts including specifications, technical reports and standards. Using their specialist language and analytical techniques, the individual engineer will gain assurance about his or her view of the artefact through discussions with fellow engineers, but at some point they will have to convey that view to non-technical specialists. Within the enterprise the engineer will become either an advocate or an adversary of the artefact faced by other individuals or groups who because of their professional or cultural background will value things in different way. The role of the engineer is then as a protagonist or opponent of the artefact within, using Bruno Latour’s evocative phrase, a “Parliament of Things”. And competent engineers, as competent advocates of artifacts, need fluent linguistic and rhetorical skills as well as analytical proficiency and the knowledge that will give them the confidence to project their views. The paper examines the implications for engineering education

Requirements: The Key to Sustainability

Software's critical role in society demands a paradigm shift in the software engineering mind-set. This shift's focus begins in requirements engineering. This article is part of a special issue on the Future of Software Engineering

Teaching earth pressure theory using physical models: an example in civil engineering

The transition from basic Engineering courses in the first year of Civil Engineering curriculum, into the analysis and design of Civil Engineering structures can be challenging for students. Indeed, most students find it difficult in learning some of the theoretical courses in later years of their engineering studies. In this paper, discussions will be directed to the role of physical models in assisting the teachings of advanced Civil Engineering courses. Examples of physical models will be shown by making use of those developed by the authors in the teaching of Geotechnical Engineering at University of Southern Queensland, Australia

Resource sharing and networking of engineering college libraries

The present paper discusses various factors motivating Engineering Colleges for implementing resource sharing, important objectives and areas of resource sharing. It further highlights important success stories, impact and the role of Engineering College Libraries. Various considerations for networking for Engineering College Libraries and major potential problems for resource sharing are also discussed

Engineering: good for technology education?

Recent curriculum changes in the educational system of Australia have resulted in study options being available in Engineering for senior secondary students to use for university entrance. In other educational systems, Engineering is playing an increasingly important role, either as a stand-alone subject or as part of an integrated approach to Science, Mathematics and Technology. These developments raise questions about the relationship between Engineering and Technology education, some of which are explored in this paper

The role of engineering in organic farming – case energy crops

Energy self-reliance and a closed nutrient cycle are basic principles of organic farming ever since. Engineering sciences methods in energy accounting may support efforts to introduce these principles into praxis. A method to calculate efficiency of energy crop production including sun energy, direct and indirect energy for cultivation, processing, and conversion into fuel is demonstrated using rape and derived fuels as an example. Every production and conversion step is a process and calculated separately. The overall efficiency includes energy input and output of all processes. The process effi-ciency of rape cultivation reaches in Finland up to 1100%. However, the overall en-ergy efficiency of rape methyl ester (RME) is 1 to 2 ‰ only. The production of biogas from manure of dairy fed by rape meal results in a process energy efficiency of 33 to 41%, but the overall energy efficiency of RME and biogas together is only 1.2 to 2.5 ‰. In contrast, thermal or photovoltaic solar collectors improve overall efficiency 1 to 3 orders of magnitude compared to fuel production from rape, because the process efficiency of photosynthesis attains about 0.6% whereas solar collector’s efficiency reaches about 90%. However, for the time being solar energy based techniques are more expensive than the use of fossil energy sources since environmental benefits in terms of GHG mitigation, reduction of nutrient run off and use of renewable energy do not create cash income in both organic and main stream production. This and the low photosynthesis efficiency in Finland encourage bio-refinery enterprises to purchase energy crop produce for fuel production from the tropics. Mineral fertilisers as well as genetic modification increase the technical efficiency of photosynthesis. Thus, envi-ronmental pollution of mainstream agriculture is exported to developing countries in the tropics

Rationale Management Challenges in Requirements Engineering

Rationale and rationale management have been playing an increasingly prominent role in software system development mainly due to the knowledge demand during system evaluation, maintenance, and evolution, especially for large and complex systems. The rationale management for requirements engineering, as a commencing and critical phase in software development life cycle, is still under-exploited. In this paper, we first survey briefly the state-of-the-art on rationale employment and applications in requirements engineering. Secondly, we identify the challenges in integrating rationale management in requirements engineering activities in order to promote further investigations and define a research agenda on rationale management in requirements engineering.

Innovation Skills for the Self-Transformation of Underrepresented Engineering Students

Underrepresented engineering students typically face multiple challenges, for example, the lack of role models and familiar guidance during their studies. Successful students have specific characteristics (i.e. skills) that allow them to thrive. In this paper the authors explore the necessary skills that may allow students to self-transform and innovate into successful engineering students.Cockrell School of Engineerin