Engineering Learning and Practice Research

University of Western Australia
Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This project aims to improve our understanding of engineering practice and education. This understanding should ultimately help engineers in all disciplines to work more effectively.

For Students | Publications | Seminars and Workshops | Research Team | Project Introduction

Longitudinal Study of Graduates | IdeaNET Site (restricted) keyword table (IdeaNet introduction)

In collaboration with:

Competencies of Engineering Graduates (UWA)

Spatial Ability for Design Project (University of Newcastle) | Australian Engineering Capability Network (University of Queensland & others) | Catalyst Centre (University of Queensland, currently inoperative)

Industry projects have been sponsored by several companies including the following: ANSTO, Chevron, Woodside, Tiwest, WA Water Corporation, Sunwater and the Centre for Integrated Engineering Asset Management.

Recent Event:

Engineering the Future: Beyond the Boom.

A workshop presenting latest research results. February 26th and 27th 2008, UWA Claremont Campus, Princess Road. Day registration available on arrival.
Programme

 

Research Team

For further information, please contact one of the following principal researchers.  Our research team presently consists of a group of about 20 persons: 5 academic staff, 9 graduate students, and several undergraduates. We have, between us, about 120 years of first-hand experience of engineering practice. Some of our student research project descriptions appear here.

Dr. Melinda Hodkiewicz (Coordinates Western Australian Asset Management Initiative)

School of Mechanical Engineering
Tel: +61 8 6488 7911

Dr. Ruza Ostrogonac (15 years experience in engineering education, visual communication specialist)

School of Civil Engineering
Tel: +61 8 6488 2376

Dr. Brad Spappenbelt (Coodinator for Introduction to Professional Engineering core unit for 1st year students).

Research on learning styles of first year students, and on student perceptions of engineering practice.

School of Oil and Gas Engineering
Tel: +61 8 6488 7201

Sabbia Tilli (Masters in Political Economy, Qualitative research methods experience)

Monitoring relevant literature, longitudinal study of engineering graduates, migration

School of Mechanical Engineering
Tel: +61 8 6488 3058

Prof. James Trevelyan, Team Leader, (19 years aerospace and university-based R&D engineering experience, 30 years engineering teaching experience)

Research on Engineering Practice

School of Mechanical Engineering
Tel: +61 8 6488 3057

PhD and Student Research Projects (not a complete list)

Adrian Stephan (maintenance and logistics consultant - 35 yrs engineering experience) Maintenance engineering practice required for ageing plant and equipment
Leonie Gouws (SAP, maintenance and logistics consultant - 16 yrs engineering experience) Maintenance management
Sally Male (Electrical engineering experience) Evaluating engineering graduate attributes
Vinay Domal (2.5 yrs engineering experience in India and Sweden) Comparing engineering work in South Asia and Australia
Ernst Krauss (Corporate maintenance and asset management troubleshooting and consultancy - 30 years engineering experience). Influence of design on asset management work
Emily Tan (Government construction industry standards enforcement - 16 years experience) Longitudinal study of engineering graduates
Zol Bahri Razali (15 years teaching engineering mechanics, Masters in Engineering Education) Unintentional knowledge acquisition in laboratory work.
Sule Nair (Software Engineering, International Relations) Identity of Tradespeople in Maintenance Work
   
   

 
   
Adrian Han (final year student) Engineering Practice in the Construction Industry
   

Former Team Members

Lee O'Neill

Former Centre for Oil and Gas Engineering Staff member


Katherine Custodio Managing small technical innovation projects
Nathan Blight (3rd year student) Comparing engineering work in different countries
Gan Chee Seng Comparing engineering work in Malaysia and Eastern Europe
Nur Azalia Razman (Final year student) Maintenance work in Australia
Tim Maddern (final year student) Maintenance Engineering Work
David Mehravari (final year student) Systematic checking in engineering design
Dhyaanesh Meganathan (final year student) Migrant Engineers in Australia
Aria Naim Integrated Learning Centres
   
   
   
   
   

 

Recorded Seminars and Workshops

November 2007 Peer Assessment in Team Projects Peter Willmot - Loughborough UK
(Lecturnity presentation (66MBytes), Download Lecturnity Player here)

September 2007 Technical Coordination (40 mins, flash)

May 17th 2007: Women in Engineering: Should there be more of it? (55 mins flash)

April 4th 2006: Technical Knowledge: What engineers need to know and what engineering students need to learn?

January 5th 2006: Engineering Work in Australia and Pakistan

Half day series of presentations held at National University of Science and Technology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, sponsored by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

November 2nd 2005: First Workshop on Engineering Work

A full day workshop with recordings and presentation slides.

May 3rd, 2005: What Do Engineers Really Do?

45 minute presentation showing preliminary research results.

 

Publications

If you cannot obtain these publications through your normal channels (e.g. library), we can send you electronic copies on request. We do not make copyright papers available for download to respect the rights of the copyright owner.

2008

Trevelyan, J. P. (2008). A Framework for Understanding Engineering Practice. American Association for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh. (Flash presentation recorded later)

Domal, V. K. and J. P. Trevelyan (2008). Comparing Engineering Practice in South Asia with Australia. American Association for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh. (Flash presentation recorded later)

Tilli, S. and J. P. Trevelyan (2008). Longitudinal Study of Australian Engineering Graduates: Preliminary Results. American Association for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh. (Flash presentation recorded later)

Trevelyan, J. P. (2008). Murky Water and Confused Misperceptions (PDF). Article for Red Cross Newsletter (to appear).

Trevelyan, J. P. (2008). The intertwined threads of work (PDF). Engineers Australia. 80:2 p38-39.

Trevelyan, J. P. (2008). Teaching the human side of engineering (PDF). Engineers AUstralia. 80:3 p51.

2007

Mehravari, D. (2007). Systematic Checking in Engineering Design. School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Western Australia: 56p.

A. Stephan and J. P. Trevelyan. Accounting for maintenance: is there a gap? in ICOMS 2007. 2007. Melbourne: Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia.

Z. B. Razali and J. P. Trevelyan. Experience in laboratory and the ability to diagnose equipment faults. in 2nd Regional Conference on Engineering Education. 2007. Johor, Malaysia: Malaysian Council of Engineerin Deans.

Male, S., E. Chapman, et al. (2007). Do female and male engineers rate different competencies as important? Australian Association for Engineering Education Conference, Melbourne, December 11-13.

Trevelyan, J. and S. Tilli (2007). "Published Research on Engineering Work." Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice 133(4): 300-307.

Trevelyan, J. P. (2007). "Technical Coordination in Engineering Practice." Journal of Engineering Education 96 (3) pp 191-204. (also see seminar presentation)

Hodkiewicz, M. R. and J. P. Trevelyan (2007). You can’t manage what you can’t measure. Touch Briefings: Oil and Gas Processing Review. 2007.

Trevelyan, J. P. (2007). Mathematics and Engineering Practice. Perth, Australia, The University of Western Australia: 5 p.

2006

Gouws, L. and J. Gouws (2006). Common pitfalls with SAP™-based Plant Maintenance Systems. 2006 World Congress on Engineering Asset Management, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia.

Trevelyan, J. P., L. Gouws, et al. (2006). The nature of engineering maintenance work: a blank space on the map. 2006 World Conference on Engineering Asset Management, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia.

Gouws, L. and J. P. Trevelyan (2006). Research on influences on maintenance management effectiveness. 2006 World Conference on Engineering Asset Management, Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Maintenance Engineering Society of Australia.

Trevelyan, J. P. (2006). Coordination in Mechatronic Engineering Work. Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, University of Southern Queensland.

 

Working Papers

We present interim results as working papers before they appear as refereed publications. These can change without notice.

Engineering Work Roles & Technical Knowledge

Literature Review - March 2005, Revised February 2006 - Tilli and Trevelyan Review of literature on engineering work (44 pages)

Engineering Roles - February 2006 - Definition of Engineering Work Roles (207 pages)

Engineering Technical Knowledge - February 2006 - Work in Progress (78 pages)

The Nature of Engineering Work in South Asia: Identifying Engineering Roles - January 2006 - Domal & Trevelyan

Maintenance

Research on Influences on Maintenance Management Effectiveness - February 2006 - Gouws & Trevelyan (presented at the World Conference on Engineering Asset Management, July 2006)

Common Pitfalls in using SAP for Maintenance Management - Leonie Gouws and Johan Gouws (available from authors, presented at the World Conference on Engineering Asset Management, July 2006)

The Nature of Engineering Maintenance Work - A Blank Space on the Map - January 2006 - Trevelyan, Guows & Stephen (presented at the World Conference on Engineering Asset Management, July 2006)

Migration

Labour Force Oucomes for Engineers in Australia - January 2006 - Tilli and Trevelyan

Developing Countries

High Costs of Drinking Water in Pakistan - February 2006 and comments on Anita Roddick's new book 'Troubled Waters'

Expensive Labour and High Costs in Pakistan Engineering - February 2005

Notes for presentation to Engineers Australia Mechanical Branch and ASME Joint Meeting, July 28th 2004.

Working paper 2 – May 2003 – looks at some of the differences in engineering work in developed and less developed countries, and discusses some of the possible economic implications.

Working paper 1 – December 2002 – looks at migration as an issue that affects the supply of engineers in countries such as Australia and Pakistan.

Earlier introduction to project and some interesting questions.


Reference: http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/pes.html, updated regularly, last major update January 2008

For further questions and details of our research, please write to Sabbia Tilli ( )