EDUCATION FOR DESIGN IN ENGINEERING - A TECHNIQUE FOR RAISING THE STANDARD OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION.

The conventional engineering curricula in universities have been criticized in that they cover much subject matter, but do not educate the student engineer to think creatively and to solve problems. At the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, methods and content in various courses were changed to take into account the criticism mentioned above. In particular, the theme of design was chosen as a vehicle for educating the student to various desirable attributes. Using design as a theme or backbone in the curriculum provides many advantages in engineering education. Many students do not understand the techniques and the atmosphere of the engineering profession in the modern world; design activity increases their understanding and motivation in all the subjects they study. The projects enable the students to relate their studies to real-life situations, and enable them to meet practising engineers in a work-like environment.