Since 2008, ACED has led, with partners, several projects aimed at improving the quality of Australian engineering education. These include:
Enhancing Industry Engagement in Engineering Degrees (2012-14)
Funded by the Department of Industry, under its National Resources Sector Workforce Strategy this project explored the principles of improving the quality and provision of students' industry engagement in formative qualifications, the BEngTech, BEng, BEng (Hons) and MEng degrees that prepare graduates for entry to practice as engineering technologists and professional engineers.
Twelve ACED member faculties and schools participated. The project also supported academics from seven ACED members to develop and trial 'industry-inspired' projects within their engineering curriculum. Outputs included Guidelines and Recommendations for improved practice, a Reflection Tool to assist engineering academics to identify gaps in their own practices, and material on the projects trialled.
A workshop and paper on the project were presented at AAEE conferences in 2013 and 2014. During 2015, further workshops for all ACED members were presented in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Australian Engineering and ICT Academic Support Network (2009-2013)
Funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), and working with ACDICT, this project aimed to improve the quality of teaching and learning in Engineering and ICT through nationwide workshops and symposiums on best-practice pedagogy and the creation of an educational resource, the Academic Resource Network for Engineering and ICT, Australia (ARNEIA).
Curriculum Specification and Support for Engineering Education (2009-11)
This ALTC funded project, covered four themes: understanding attrition from engineering by means cohort studies in several ACED member universities; trialling pedagogy workshops (later developed in the network project describer above); revising the learning outcomes of engineering qualifications together with the external accreditation body, Engineers Australia; and exploring access and pathways into engineering degrees, with a particular focus on participation by women and indigenous students. The project reports are available from the national Office of Learning and Teaching.
Engineers for the Future (2007-8)
This was a national review of engineering educatoin, with a view to addressing the supply and quality of Australian engineering graduates for the 21st century. The work was funded as an ALTC discipline scoping study, and was supported by Engineers Australia, ATSE and AAEE. The original ALTC report was republished by ACED in full text and summary forms.
Other Engineering Education Projects
In 2013, ACED compiled a summary of national engineering education projects undertaken by ACED members since 2007. Many of these addressed recommendations in the Engineers for the Future review.
Other Publications
ACED works closely with Engineers Australia and AAEE to improve the quality of engineering education and the effectiveness and value of program accreditation. This collaboraiton has been described in a paper presented to the 2015 FIEAP Convention in Taipei.
A paper on the scope of international benchmarking, through accreditation and the OECD international feasibility study on assessment of higher education learning outcomes (AHELO) was presented at the 2013 Annual AAEE Conference.