Curriculum Enhancement
EWB is committed to engaging future engineers—increasing their knowledge of international development and the opportunities for engineers to become involved in the fight against global poverty. This is why EWB is committed to enhancing engineering curriculum in Canadian universities.
EWB is currently focusing on adding international development content to the first-year curriculum at universities across Canada, typically through the incorporation of adding or adapting material in design- or ethics-based courses. This is usually done on a project basis, providing students the opportunity for hands-on involvement.
To date, five universities stand out for their achievements in making advancements in their curriculum to include development topics.
University of Calgary: The University of Calgary has run EWB-related projects in the first year Design and Communications Course since 2003. For their out-of-the-box thinking, course coordinators Dr. Caswell and Dr. Johnston received the 2004 Alan Blizzard Award for Collaborative Projects in Education from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE).
McMaster University: McMaster University has revamped their first year Introduction to Engineering course to include 14 discipline-based case studies. While solving problems set in developing communities, students are introduced to the various engineering disciplines offered at the university.
Université Laval: A multi-disciplinary Design and Communications Course offers engineering and arts students the option of three design problems based on actual EWB overseas projects.
University of New Brunswick: The new Design Course at UNB launched in September 2005 exposes first year students to engineering principles and the challenges of gaining water access in a rural Zambian community. Complementing the project and adding a dimension of reality, UNB alumna and EWB overseas volunteer Jenn Dysart, communicates with professors and students about her work on a water project in Zambia.
University of Western Ontario: The major project for the Introductory Engineering Design and Innovation Studio course challenges first year students to identify the needs of a disadvantaged community and propose a solution that is economically and culturally appropriate.
Combined, these initiatives are reaching over 2,500 engineering students annually—many of whom will one day become both social and industry leaders.
