Position paper: BE(Hons) data engineering

Abstract

This paper describes the UTS view of Data Engineering, and the degree program that has been created to educate Data Engineers. The document describes the guiding philosophies and the key ideas used in designing the program. The design of the program takes advantage of the 3rd, 4th and 5th shifts in engineering education[1]. Namely the shift to emphasizing design (problem solving) (3), the shift to applying education, learning, and socialbehavioral sciences research, and the shift to integrating information, computational, and communications technology in education. Mills and Treagast[2] question the relative value of Problem Based or Project Based learning in the Australian context. They quote a comparison of problem-based and project-based learning at tertiary level by Perrenet et al[3]. They noted that the similarities between the two strategies are that they are both based on self-direction and collaboration, and that they both have a multidisciplinary orientation. The differences that they noted included: • Project tasks are closer to professional reality • Project work is more directed to the application of knowledge • Project-based learning is usually accompanied by subject courses (eg maths, physics etc. in engineering), whereas problem-based learning is not. • Management of time and resources by the students as well as task and role differentiation is very important in project-based learning • Self-direction is stronger in project work, compared with problem-based learning.