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Topic

The Empathetic Engineer: Strategies to Enhance Social Competence in Engineering for Wicked Problem Solving

Department of Civil Engineering

Date & location

• Friday, December 13, 2024

• 9:00 A.M.

• Engineering Computer Science Building

• Room 467 and Virtual

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Thomas Froese, Department of Civil Engineering, UVic (Member)

• Dr. David Dunne, Department of Civil Engineering, UVic (member)

• Dr. Cynthia Korpan, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, UVic (Outside Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Gabriel Potvin, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Ibrahim Numanagic, Department of Computer Science, UVic 

Abstract

Is engineering design education in North America adequately preparing students to tackle the major issues of our time? In today's political and social climate, engineers are essential members of multi-disciplinary teams addressing complex problems like poverty, climate change, the housing affordability crisis, resource depletion, and water shortages. These problems are "wicked"—complex, dynamic, and interconnected. To effectively address issues at the intersection of technology and society, engineers must have a deep understanding of both technical skills and human factors, including empathy. Given today’s challenges, incorporating social competencies and Emotional Intelligence (EI) into engineering education and practice is more crucial than ever, particularly in engineering design. However, literature indicates that some efforts to cultivate more empathetic engineers have backfired, causing cognitive dissonance and rejection of these essential concepts.  

The definitions of "engineering design" by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) have evolved over the years. However, the exclusion of non-technical competencies—such as empathy, communication, innovation, and creativity—remains a significant gap in engineering education and practice, hindering engineers' ability to address complex issues effectively. The engineering industry has noted deficiencies in the social competencies of engineering graduates, particularly in EI. This dissertation aims to explore how the social competencies of engineering students can be enhanced to better prepare them for addressing the 'wicked' challenges they will encounter as industry professionals.

This dissertation explores the impact of integrating Design Thinking and Systems Thinking frameworks into a Participatory Learning environment to enhance EI among fourth-year engineering students at the University of Victoria. The intervention, a course titled "Infrastructure Design with Indigenous Communities," was carefully designed based on theories of identity formation and best practices from educational psychology to avoid the pitfalls noted in the literature. 

Statistical analysis of pre- and post-semester EI data from 17 students revealed significant increases in overall EI. Results indicated an average overall EI increase of 5.4 points, with a calculated t-value of 3.105 and a p-value of 0.0034, thus rejecting the null hypothesis that the course had no effect on students' EI. Qualitative data from self-reflective papers supported the hypothesis that the course positively impacted students’ EI. Students attributed their positive changes to experiences such as cultural acumen training, experiential learning activities, and direct engagement with partner First Nation communities. 

Future research should include a control group to quantitatively validate that the intervention led to the increase in EI. Additionally, further examination of the EI inventory is necessary to ensure its reliability in measuring EI, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of such interventions on engineering education. Despite acknowledged limitations, this study suggests that carefully integrating Design Thinking and Systems Thinking into engineering curricula, along with cultivating engineering professional identity development, holds promise for elevating EI in students. This approach will better equip engineers to engage with contemporary engineering challenges.