Special Interest Groups

Australasian Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Education Centre (AAIEEC) Special Interest Group

The group is dedicated to supporting Australasian Association of Engineering Education (AAEE) members to transition to the use of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) in engineering education. Our goal is to facilitate the research, development, and application of AI in the field, and to create a network of professionals and institutions to drive innovation.

SIG aims

The SIG aims to engage the community in the following ways:

• Curriculum Development: Designing AI-focused modules or courses within engineering programs to ensure students are well-versed in AI principles relevant to their field
• Research Collaboration: Facilitating collaborative research efforts among educators to explore innovative AI applications in engineering education.
• Knowledge Exchange Hub: Creating a platform for sharing best practices, teaching methodologies, and resources for integrating AI into engineering curricula.
• Professional Development (Empowering Educators): Organizing workshops, seminars, and training sessions to enhance educators’ AI knowledge and teaching skills.
• Student-centric Exploration: Engaging students in captivating AI-related projects and learning experiences, sparking curiosity and practical application.
• Ethical Implications: Addressing ethical considerations and societal impacts of AI within engineering education, promoting responsible AI development and use.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering diversity and inclusion within AI in engineering education, ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities.
• Evaluation and Assessment: Developing assessment frameworks to measure the effectiveness of AI integration in engineering education and refining teaching methodologies based on outcomes.

Membership

• Voting Members: Any member of the Australasian Association of Engineering Education is eligible to join. To register, AAEE members can sign-up at https://www.aaieec.org/membership. Validation of AAEE membership will occur by providing an AAEE member number.
• Non-voting Members: We welcome anyone with an interest in genAI and engineering education to join our community. Whether you are a researcher, educator, student, or industry professional, there are many ways to get involved and contribute to our mission. To register, non-voting members can sign-up at https://www.aaieec.org/membership. Non-voting members can leave the AAEE member number field blank.

Special Interest Group on ‘Engineering Education for International Students’

The Special Interest Group (SIG) on ‘Engineering Education for International Students’ was launched on 20 August 2020 with the purpose of bringing together members of the AAEE community interested in international student education in engineering. The activities of the SIG include quarterly webinars and discussion forums with aims and objectives as outlined below. The SIG on ‘Engineering Education for International Students’ is currently led by A/Prof Siva Krishnan, Deakin University, A/Prof Jayashri Ravishankar, UNSW Sydney and Dr. Chamith Wijenayake, University of Queensland.

SIG Aims
• To promote deeper understanding of the motivations, needs and challenges of international students in engineering courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• To develop curricula that are inclusive of their learning needs, provide pathways for recognising previous engineering qualifications and expertise, and qualify their entry to professional practice.
• To build the capacity of international engineers and measure the impact of pedagogy on international student learning and achievement.
• To raise the profile of international engineers by strengthening the professional identity, particularly in postgraduate courses through programmatic experiential and work integrated learning.
• To develop the confidence of engineering businesses to offer placements and internship opportunities to international students and thereby influence the future of professional engineering work.

SIG Objectives
• To increase membership and active participation of engineering educators with AAEE activities
• To foster recognition that graduate quality and employment outcomes of international engineers entering the workforce, particularly through postgraduate courses, is a sector-wide challenge.
• To influence engagement of staff in engineering units across the sector to collaboratively address challenges facing engineering education of international students
• To collectively engage with engineering business organisations for harnessing learning and work of international students entering the workforce.

Special Interest Group on Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education

The Special Interest Group (SIG) on ‘Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education’ was launched in the latter part of 2023 to bring together members of the AAEE community interested in inclusive practices in engineering education. The SIG focuses on ensuring the sense of belonging of a diverse engineering community of students, educators, and professional engineers. The activities of the SIG include quarterly webinars and discussion forums with objectives as outlined below. The SIG on ‘Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education’ is led by Karen Whelan, ADLT at QUT.  We welcome leadership from others around aspects of inclusion and diversity practice.

The Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering Education SIG aims to amplify current engineering education research and practice that focuses on diversity, inclusion, and equity. In addition, we aim to connect those engaged in inclusion and diversity research in engineering education, to create a positive impact on the engineering community. The SIG operates with a recognition that diversity and inclusion are the responsibility of all.

The Objectives are:

1. To promote deeper understanding of the experiences of people from marginalised identities within engineering education and engineering practice.
2. To develop research and practical advice for educators on creating inclusive curriculum, inclusive learning environments, and inclusive approaches to assessment, that can lead to a sense of belonging.
3. To influence engagement of staff in engineering units across the sector to collaboratively address challenges facing diverse students and academics and encourage creative and diverse thinking to help uncover and eliminate barriers to diversity and inclusion.
4. To grow engineering education research in diversity and inclusive education and practice with women, gender diverse people, the LGBTIQA+ community, First nations people, and people with a disability, while highlighting the impact of intersectionality.
5. To give voice to diverse engineers and engineering educators within our community, creating a safe space to challenge the systems, practices, and processes that oppress and marginalise.
6. To collectively engage with a broader agenda around diversity and inclusion within the engineering profession.
7. To proactively contribute to industry, community, government, and Engineers Australia in support of diversity and inclusion strategies.

Higher Degree by Research Students Network

AAEE’s Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Students Network is a collection of PhD and Masters by Research students working on projects related to engineering education. Organised by students, for students, the network catches up monthly, holds organised networking and social events with international colleagues and in 2020 launched the inaugral AAEE HDR Symposium, a half-day workshop focusing on providing mentorship and peer-feedback on students projects. If you are a PhD or Masters by Research student working on a project related to engineering education and interested in joining the network’s mailing list please email aaee@engineersaustralia.org.au