Integrating the Philosophy of Socrates into the Engineering Curriculum

Academic institutions in the States collect a difficult t await, world primarily responsible for the didactics of the population. higher(prenominal) education institutions play the largest role in exploitation individuals and helping them find their roles at bottom society. It is then necessary to look into how the exceed institutions in the country argon educating and developing the minds of the next generation of acquireers.In particular, a great focus should be put in the rising responsibility of al-Qaida (Science plan Technology and Mathematics) graduates and their education overdue to the growing demand of STEM professionals in this era. Engineering curriculums, for the majority, follow specific criteria to secure what is necessary and important for an applied science science scholarly person to learn. This criteria is set by ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, which has identified 11 (11) scholarly person fall out put ins upon first of an addressing Baccalaureate level program.Among these eleven outcomes, argon three outcomes that involve something broader than expert knowledge, design and methods, and they atomic number 18 (1) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal place setting (2) a recognition of the need for, and an susceptibility to engage in life-long learning (3) a knowledge of contemporary contract sexs. In swan to accomplish these outcomes, it is necessary to implement antediluvian patriarch philosophies from one of the greatest philosopher that ever lived, Socrates.Socrates had a lot to say about knowledge, light and education. He is famously known for the ideas that the totally true wisdom is in keen you know nonhing, the unexamined life is not worthy living, and education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Many assimilators and professors in the school of engineering d o not ca-ca how little they know. For students, when accepted into a high ranked four-year institution, they might commit they are already among the best and the brightest, and this happens to a greater extent than(prenominal) often in the school of engineering.Students angle to think they entertain four much years of education left (typically) since theyve make it so far already and dont squareize that their learning has respectable begun. For professors at direct higher institutions in Engineering, many have earned at least Masters academic degree or better. It is common that most professors take aim Ph. Ds at top research universities. With Brobdingnagian amount of knowledge these professors gain, they feel as if they know much than the students. Professors readily go for that they dont know everything. There are not many opportunities to question the curriculum that is assigned. more than professors can benefit the students learning inhabit by providing an envir onment to learn beyond what is required. Both professor and students are at fault for not acknowledging their own ignorance, which hinders the students in their intellectual growth. Moreover, once students and professors can come to bring about how much more thither is to learn this can open a world of knowledge for them. Socrates highly determine curiosity and wonder stating that life should not go unexamined. So how does one go about ensuring the outcomes ABET outlines?They implement a philosophical approach to technical education. Although this is innovate in some courses it is not enough. close to syllabi outline in detail what you are tone ending to learn from concepts to chapters to homework problems to exams on day one. Learning is structured and more about following the rules. There is not a lot of encouragement to seek knowledge in other disciplines. The splendour of concepts and ideas about other topics such(prenominal) as philosophy, politics, and education is not usually taught in engineering courses.Yet it is required by ABET for students to have that board characterization to be great engineers. For example, the an aerospace student who is looking for to work in the patience after college needs to study the economy and politics. That student needs to understand how the economy stands regarding consumer expense and analyze the possibility of their country going to war. These factors can determine whether or not in that location is a need for commercial airplanes and/or a demand for denial airplanes.That student can then have a better understanding of what real engineering problems he will date and start thinking of ways to win solutions by studying more applications of such problems. It is also important to know where that industry is head and looking into trends from the past to foresee future ones and have a clearer slew of where to seek employment. This education, however, is not covered in your typical engineering course. Facul ty and staff needs to put a large emphasis and link to education outside(a)(a) of STEM.It is the curiosity and wonder of the students that will lead them to self-educate themselves on these broader topics outside of their curriculum that they are expected have erudite upon graduation. This leads to the issue that higher education has developed as a compartmentalized learning system, seen more evident in the engineering schools. In my experience at a lead story four-year, private, research university, it felt as if the engineering professors were concerned about what the students know as opposed to how they processed thoughts and ideas.This is contrary to the precept that Socrates had, education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. With the focus to read formulas and problem resolving power methods students are simply being filled with information and are then tested on how easily they can recreate what they learned in lectures and texts in an exam. Wh en asked, most alumni admit that they have retained very little from the concepts and formulas they learned in class. They state what they really acquired out of engineering school was the problem solving ability.This makes sense, since books and the internet are available to an engineer as a professional there is no need to memorize the content. pull with concepts and methods are necessary yet it is more important to understand how these concepts came to be. Socrates would encourage students to ask more about the who, what, why, how, and when in the middle of their learning experience. Developing a vituperative mind should be the focus of instruct not how well a student can memorize.Engineering programs across the kingdom dont place enough of an emphasis on critical thinking and self-education of concepts outside of engineering. Engineering education is not just about the practice of engineering methods its about recognizing hidden principles, patterns of learning and developi ng a desire for lifelong learning. With the teachings of Socrates, students will realize what they dont know and start to begin more curious and begin to self-educate themselves outside of the classrooms to become individuals that live fulfilling lives as professionals and members of society community.