Engaging the social in engineering

Abstract

The inclusion of complementary studies courses in undergraduate engineering curricula was advocated and promoted by accreditation bodies worldwide to 'augment and broaden’ engineering education [1]. This can be understood in terms of ongoing efforts to graduate holistic engineers and has resulted in innovations in curricula globally [2]. In South Africa, complementary studies courses are often seen as providing 'soft skills'-although discussion about the value of these courses seems to result in polarised views from staff and students [3], [4]. Given that engineering science persists as the dominant discourse in engineering education [5], this conceptual paper draws on various theoretical tools to explore the development of a more inclusive approach to complementary studies. Starting from the notion of discourse, we draw on the concepts of structure and the hidden curriculum to provide a more substantive way to think about what constrains student engagement with complementary studies courses. We conclude with proposed engagements to extend a positive hidden curriculum emphasising the socio-technical engineering discourse.