A-STEP 2030 Summer School co-creates the Future of Engineering Education

 A personalised engineering education experience using Artificial Intelligence is foreseen as the way forward for engineering education from the perspective of current students

The A-STEP 2030 Erasmus + project culminated in an online Summer School hosting 30 international students in August 2021. The purpose of the Summer School was to present an innovative Learning and Teaching Activity which could support students in developing the skills needed for the future: skills such as collaboration, intercultural skills, teamwork, respecting diversity and challenging the status quo.  

Organised by TU Dublin and hosted by Aalborg University along with academic partners, ENSTA Bretagne and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the BEST student organisation, the Summer School took place over three days. Students were first introduced to the concept of Futures Literacy and reflected on their own perspectives about the future.  Supported with workshops in Scenario thinking, Backcasting, and Roadmapping, students then worked in groups to “Create A Monster”, a scenario of the “Future of Engineering Education”.  

Creativity was in great abundance and some exemplars of the future scenarios will be made available on the project website in due course (www.astep2030.eu). These included videos, comic book strips and podcasts, describing the Future of Engineering Education as imagined by current students.

Several themes emerged including:

• A personalised studying and learning process using AI to complement learning styles
• Less reliance on facts (available online) and more emphasis on understanding
• Transparency and coherence in their educational path (self-chosen curriculum)
• Open global and hybrid access to education – free for all.
• Learning through closer partnerships with industry (internships, AI, simulators)
• Unbiased and personalised assessment
• Access and engagement with frontline technology

Dr Una Beagon, representing TU Dublin commented on the success of the Summer School. “I was so very impressed by the engagement of the participants and the creativity shown in the creation of the scenarios.  As educators, it is important that we place value on the disruptive change that can assist and support our development of engineering programmes in particular and our future Universities in general.         The future is bright!”

More information on the Summer School itself and details of the scenarios, please check out the project website. (www.astep2030.eu)