Principles And Pedagogies That Shape A Final Year Integrated Computer Engineering Project

Accredited undergraduate engineering programs in South Africa are obligated to demonstrate that their programs successfully develop students in the twelve Engineering Council of South Africa Graduate Attributes (ECSA GAs). Graduate attributes are the skills and behaviors embraced in the application of knowledge. Universities exercise discretion in the manner in which GAs are assessed be it as individual activities or as a dynamic interplay between a progression of activities.At a University of Technology in the Western Cape, an integrated computer project (ICP) was selected as an effective opportunity where eight GAs was assessed. This is the first time GAs will be measured in the final year of an undergraduate program. Within the ICP a range of principles was identified and pedagogies were employed to deliver the assigned GAs. In meeting a diverse range of learning outcomes for the ICP, the knowledge areas applied range from design and synthesis to computing and information technology. Transferable skills employed include teamwork, leadership, personal motivation, time management, research skills, analytical skills, listening skills, and written communication skills. The ICP harnesses the sub-competencies of the eight GAs as the evaluation criterion for associated activities.This paper offers a recollection of the development of the ICP from which the key principles framing the subject and the pedagogies employed to align the objectives and outcomes are identified and discussed. The principles and pedagogies form a framework that joins the five knowledge disciplines into a connected curriculum at a key point during the students’ education to provide preparation for, and a small-scale experience of, professional engineering. This reflective study did not consider student perceptions or course evaluations at this time.