Engineer as a Critical Thinker PDF

IT2201 Engineer as a Critical Thinker Creativity – the use of skill and imagination to produce something new. Critical thinking is the...

IT2201 Engineer as a Critical Thinker Creativity – the use of skill and imagination to produce something new. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding 4. Important for Self-Reflection the logical connection between ideas. Critical thinking implies self-reflection and justifies our ways of life Critical thinking is a way of thinking about particular things at a and opinions. particular time; it is not the accumulation of facts and knowledge or Self-reflection – implies serious thought about your own something that you can learn once and then use in that form forever. character and actions. Critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about 5. Key to Career Success being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information. Critical thinking is one of the most desirable skills in the workforce, as it helps analyze information, think outside the box, solve problems Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than with innovative solutions, and plan systematically. accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the Think Outside of the Box – to think about something, or how ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to to do something, in a way that is new, different or shows finding that they do not. They will identify, analyze, and solve problems imagination (idiom) systematically rather than by intuition or instinct. 6. Better Decision Making Critical thinking helps us deal with everyday problems as they come Importance of Critical Thinking (UOPeople.edu) our way, and very often, this thought process is even done 1. Critical Thinking Is Universal subconsciously. It helps us think independently and trust our gut Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill. It means that no feeling. matter what path or profession you pursue, these skills will always be Decision Making – the process of deciding about something relevant and will always be beneficial to your success. They are not important, especially in a group of people or in an specific to any field. organization. Universal – implies “done by” or “involving” all the people in 7. Form Well-Informed Opinions the world or in a particular group. Critical thinking ensures that our opinions are based on the facts and 2. Improves Language & Presentation Skills helps us sort through all that extra noise. To best express ourselves, we need to know how to think clearly and Opinions – the process of deciding about something systematically. Critical thinking also means knowing how to break important, especially in a group of people or in an down texts and, in turn, improve our ability to comprehend. organization. 3. Promotes Creativity 8. Improves Relationships Allowing ourselves not only to solve problems but also to come up Being a critical thinker can allow you to better understand the with new and creative ideas to do so. Critical thinking allows us to perspective of others and can help you become more open-minded analyze these ideas and adjust them accordingly. towards different views. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 6  IT2201 9. Promotes Curiosity o The second belief: “that people succeed because of their Critical thinking means constantly asking questions and wanting to effort” – is empowering because the amount of effort that is know more about why, what, who, where, when, and everything else put in is in direct control. that can help them make sense of a situation or concept, never taking ▪ The student can choose to put in more effort and, in anything at face value. doing so, will significantly affect the student’s Curiosity – a strong desire to know about something. success. 10. Enhances Problem-Solving Skills Those with critical thinking skills tend to solve problems as part of Example: EFFORT IS BOTH TIME AND ENERGY. their natural instinct. Analogy #1 – ABILITY VS. EFFORT Problem Solving – the act of finding ways of dealing with Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. problems. Thomas Edison. 11. Creates Independence Analogy #2 – TIME and ENERGY Critical thinking is key to creating independence and encouraging Distance = Rate x Time students to make their own decisions and form their own opinions. Completing a specific task (distance) requires that you devote energy or Independence – the freedom to organize your own life, make mental power (rate) and spend time on the task (time). your own decisions, etc., without needing help from other The important point here is that your success in studying people. engineering is largely in your control. How well you perform will Keys to Success in Engineering Study (Dweck, 2006) depend, in large measure, on how much effort you put in. B. APPROACH – “WORK SMART” Success is the fact that you have achieved something that you want and “Approach” refers to how you go about your engineering studies. It have been trying to do or get. According to Carol S. Dweck, these are the means that you work not only hard but smart. In large measure, your keys to success in engineering study: approach to A. EFFORT – “WORK HARD” your engineering studies depends on the ideas we have already Effort is the physical or mental energy that you need to do something discussed. It assumes that: that takes a lot of energy. There are two ways of looking at the world: o You know why you want to be an engineer and appreciate o The first belief: “that some people have it and some don’t” the value of a technical education. – is self-defeating. o You have clarified your goals and developed a road map to ▪ Thinking of not having as much ability as others lead you to them. provides a rationale for accepting personal failures. o You are strongly committed to achieving your goals, even in ▪ If success is related to some natural quality that an the face of adversity. individual has, there is no control over it. Then, it o You have gotten your life situation in order so problems and doesn’t matter what the individual does or how hard distractions do not overburden you. the individual works. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 6  IT2201 BECOMING A MASTER ENGINEERING STUDENT. Approaching the study of o An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze engineering can be likened to a game. To become a master student, it is not and interpret data. only playing the game, but it must also devote time and energy to learning o An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet how to play it. desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, The first step is to get a clear picture of what is required to earn the environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, engineering degree. Example: Preparing a road map for yourself. manufacturability, and sustainability. You become an engineer when you pass a set of courses required for o An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams. an engineering degree. ▪ Multi-disciplinary implies combining or involving several o What is required to pass each course in the set? To pass the academic disciplines or professional specializations in an series of tests, you must pass each test one at a time. approach to a topic or problem. o An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems. Engineering Educational Models o An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility. o An ability to communicate effectively. Having a model to compare studying can enhance the learning experience. o The broad education necessary to understand the impact of These models are also useful for all kinds of personal assessment or self- engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and evaluation. societal context. No deposit, no return. o A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, lifelong The student’s education represents a major deposit or investment. learning. The return will be in direct relation to what it is put in. ▪ Lifelong Learning is the provision or use of formal and informal learning opportunities throughout people's lives to ATTRIBUTES MODEL foster the continuous development and improvement of the Institutions are being asked to establish educational objectives (desired knowledge and skills needed for employment and personal results) and student outcomes (achieved results) and demonstrate how they fulfillment. plan to achieve these objectives and outcomes, which is a process called o A knowledge of contemporary issues. institutional assessment. o An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering The professor sets course objectives and expects how well the tools necessary for engineering practice. student should achieve these objectives. o At the end of the term, the degree to which you meet these Upon the completion of the engineering degree, the individual will expectations is measured and translated as a final grade. acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a successful and Engineering Criteria 2000 (ABET) mandates that engineering rewarding career. programs must demonstrate their graduates have the following attributes: o An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 6  IT2201 EMPLOYMENT MODEL o Confidence - a belief in your own ability to do things and These are important characteristics that employers look for. An excellent be successful. recent study conducted by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) ranked the following attributes of importance for early-career In approaching graduation, the individual will undoubtedly participate in engineering professionals: several interviews with employers and its results. Therefore, it depends on 1. Communicates effectively in a variety of different ways, methods, the preparation of the individual. and media. Communication – the activity or process of expressing ideas STUDENT INVOLVEMENT MODEL (Astin, 1985) and feelings or of giving people information. To acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will result in being highly 2. Possesses the ability to think both critically and creatively. sought after by engineering employers. (“Involvement: The Cornerstone of 3. Shows initiative and demonstrates a willingness to learn. Excellence” by Alexander W. Astin. Initiative – the ability to decide and act on your own without waiting for somebody to tell you what to do. GETTING AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION. 4. Functions effectively on a team. An “excellent” education is one that maximizes students’ intellectual and Cooperation personal development. o It is doing something together or working together According to Astin, the key to students’ intellectual and personal towards a shared aim. development is a high level of “student involvement.” o It is a desire to be helpful and do as you are asked. Astin defines student involvement as “the amount of physical and 5. Possesses the ability to think both individually and cooperatively. psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic 6. Demonstrates an understanding of engineering, science, and experience.” mathematics fundamentals. (Technical Skills) Five measures of student involvement: Technical Skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to o Time and energy devoted to studying perform specific tasks. They are practical and often relate to o Time spent on campus mechanical, information technology, mathematical, or o Participation in student organizations scientific tasks. o Interaction with faculty members 7. Demonstrates an understanding of information technology, digital o Interaction with other students competency, and information literacy. (Technical Skills) Interaction – it is the act of communicating with somebody, 8. Maintains a positive self-image and possesses positive self- especially while you work, play, or spend time with them. confidence. Note: The top-ranked items are personal traits. A highly involved student is one who devotes considerable energy to Communication skills, initiative, willingness to learn, critical and studying, spends a lot of time on campus, participates actively in student creative thinking skills, self-image, confidence, etc. organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other o Self-image is your opinion or idea of yourself, especially students. your appearance or abilities. 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 6  IT2201 An uninvolved student may neglect studies, spend little time on campus, abstain from extracurricular activities, and have little contact with faculty members or other students. “INVOLVEMENT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL.” The Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process Scientists study how nature works; engineers create new things, such as products, websites, environments, and experiences. Engineers and scientists have different objectives. They follow different processes in their work. Scientists perform experiments using the scientific method, whereas engineers follow the creativity-based engineering design process. Scientific Method Engineering Design Process It is a process for experimentation It is a series of steps that engineers that is used to explore observations follow to come up with a solution and answer questions. to a problem. Both scientists and engineers contribute to the world of human knowledge State your question Define the problem but in different ways. Do background research Do background research Scientists Engineers Formulate your hypothesis, Specify requirements They use the scientific method to They use the engineering design identify variables Create alternative solutions, make testable explanations and process to create solutions to Design experiment, establish choose the best one and predictions about the world. They problems. They identify a specific procedure develop it ask a question and develop an need: Who need(s) what because Test your hypothesis by doing Build a prototype experiment, or set of experiments, why? And then, they create a to answer that question. solution that meets the need. an experiment Test and redesign as Analyze your results and necessary draw conclusions Communicate results Communicate results References: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) & IEEE Computer Society (IEEE- CS). (2020). Computing Curricula 2020: Paradigms for Global Computing Education. Retrieved from 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 5 of 6  IT2201 https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/curricula- recommendations/cc2020.pdf Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) & IEEE Computer Society (IEEE- CS). (2016). Computer Engineering Curricula 2016: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering. Retrieved from https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/ce2016- final-report.pdf Astin, A. (1985). Involvement - The cornerstone of excellence. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 17, 35-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.1985.9940532 CHED Memorandum Order No. 87 – Series of 2017. Policies, standarards and guidelines from the bachelor of science in computer engineering (BSCpE) effective (AY) 2018-2019 [Memorandum and Annex III] Critical Thinking Skills. (2021). In SkillsYouNeed.com [Article]. Retrieved on 2022, March 3 from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical- thinking.html Dweck. C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. Landis, R. (2019). Studying engineering: A road map to a rewarding career [5th ed.]. Discovery Press. Sciencebuddies. (n.d.) The scientific method vs. engineering design process - comparing the engineering design process and the scientific method [Web Article]. Retrieved on 2022, May 3 from https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering- design-process/engineering-design-compare-scientific-method Why is critical thinking important? A survival guide. In UOPeople.edu [Article]. Retrieved on 2022, May 3 from https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-is- critical-thinking-important/ 04 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 6 of 6