CISUC

Toward an Epistemology of Engineering

Authors

Antonio Dias de Figueiredo

Abstract

What's Engineering Knowledge? How different is it from traditional Scientific Knowledge? How can we obtain reliable Engineering Knowledge? How can we assess the value of Engineering Knowledge? To help answer these questions and contribute to a reflection on the epistemology of engineering, we propose a model where engineering is seen as developing in four dimensions linked in a transdisciplinary relationship. We then articulate this model with the four key questions of the philosophy of knowledge to clarify the nature of this relationship and illuminate some distinctive attributes of engineering knowledge.

A copy of this paper is available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1314224. The slides can be obtained from: http://www.slideshare.net/adfigueiredo/.

Conference

Royal Engineering Academy, November 2008


Cited by

Year 2014 : 1 citations

 D. Montfort, S. Brown, and D. Shinew (2014). The Personal Epistemologies of Civil Engineering Faculty. Journal of Engineering Education. ASEE/Wiley.

Year 2013 : 3 citations

 J.L. Hess, J. Strobel (2013). Sustainability and the Engineering Worldview. Frontiers in Education Conference, 2013 IEEE.

 F. Kaplan, D. Vinck (2013) The Practical Confrontation of Engineers with a New Design Endeavour: The Case of Digital Humanities. In B. Williams, J. Figueiredo and J. Trevelyan (eds.). Engineering Practice in a Global Context, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis.

 Hynes, M. and Swenson, J. (2013). The Humanistic Side of Engineering: Considering Social Science and
Humanities Dimensions of Engineering in Education and Research, Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research 3:2, pp. 1–12.

Year 2012 : 3 citations

 Goris, T. V. and Dyrenfurth, M. J. (2012). Concepts and Misconceptions in Engineering, Technology and Science. Overview of Research Literature. 2012 IL/IN Sec. Conference of the ASEE, March 2012, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana.

 Yu, J. H. & Strobel J. (2012). A First Step in the Instrument Development of Engineering-related Beliefs Questionnaire. Proc. 112th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio.

 Adams, R., Pawley, A., and Jesiek, B. K. (2012). Applying philosophical inquiry: Bringing future engineering education researchers into the Philosophy of Engineering Education, Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2012. DOI: 10.1109/FIE.2012.6462449.

Year 2011 : 4 citations

 Bhattacharyya, E. (2011). Communicative Competence Requirements in Technical Oral Presentation in Engineering Education: Stakeholder Perceptions in a Malasyan Context. Journal of Applied Sciences, 11(7), pp. 1291-1296.

 Montfort, D. B. (2011). Conceptual and Epistemological Undercurrents of Learning as a Process of Change. PhD Thesis. Washington State University. May 2011.

 Hyun, J., and Strobel, J. (2011). Instrument Development: Engineering-specific Epistemological, Epistemic and Ontological Beliefs, Proceedings of the Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011, Madrid.

 Adams, R., Evangelou, D., English, L., Figueiredo, A. D., Mousoulides, N., Pawley, A. L., … Wilson, D. M. (2011). Multiple Perspectives on Engaging Future Engineers. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(1), 48–88.

Year 2010 : 1 citations

 Alexander, R. D., Rae, A. J., & Nicholson, M. (2010). "Matching Research Goals and Methods in System Safety Engineering". Proc. 5th IET International System Safety Conference 2010, Manchester, 20th October 2010. DOI: 10.1049/cp.2010.0822.

Year 2009 : 1 citations

 Parodi, O. and McCarthy, N. (2009) Royal and Cross Cultural. Technikfolgenabschatzung - Theorie und Praxis, 1(18). Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS). May 2009, 120-122.