Design and Implementation of Engineering Design Thinking and Design Practice Modules

Proceedings of International Conference on Advanced Design Research and Education (ICADRE14)

Year: 2014
Editor: Edwin Koh, Victor Shim, Tan Woei Wan, Ian Gibson, Andi S. Putra
Author: Wan Chin, Tan; Yee Siong Liang, Peter; Pheow Hwa, Lek
Institution: Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore
Section: Design Education
Page(s): 040-048
DOI number: 10.3850/978-981-09-1348-9_050
ISBN: 978-981-09-1348-9

Abstract

Singapore’s economy underwent a remarkable transformation within five decades spanning from the 1960s to the new millenium to emerge as the heart of Asia’s economy. In response to the rapid changes in the Singapore’s economy over 40 years or so, there have also been correspondingly significant shifts in manpower demand, professional training, and general education of the population. The education sector started off in the traditional way, then modelled itself after the apprenticeship schemes of Europe and United Kingdom in the seventies and eighties before moving on to a more broad-based and varied pathways in the nineties and twenties. These shifts in education and training have been able to meet the manpower requirements so far. In terms of engineering education, the challenges have always been in addressing declining interest in engineering. This is a common issue faced by the developed world and major economic power houses like the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, and Europe. It is not a localised problem and unique to Singapore.

Keywords: Design Education