A learning model that is increasingly becoming popular among educators, is
service-learning based engineering education model. This model has a tremendous potential when applied to engineering curriculum in developing nations such as our country. Our nation has its own social and economic issues. A small percentage of people are both socially aware and financially capable so that they help communities in their humble ways.
How can we, engineering students, help solve such problems? How can we help underprivileged communities?
The answer comes from the fact that the communities are facing problems, some of which can be solved by applying smart engineering solutions designed by students as they learn with the guidance from people from academia and industry.
To elaborate on this, let's discuss three critical elements of this model:
1. Community problems: These are public/private institutions that help communities with their services. Some examples are: public libraries, night schools, science museums, construction workers' associations etc. They face a number of problems and they have many agenda items to improve the quality of life of their members. We, as students, can identify problems that can be converted to small engineering problems and with the help of faculty, industry people, can work on solving them. Some examples of such problems could be: designing a software database for library books to be accessed via the Internet (CS, IS), designing a solar power and storage system to be applied for night schools (EEE, EnI), building science/biology demonstration models for school children (ME/BIO), building battery-operated chairs for handicapped (ME,ECE,EnI).
2. Engineering solutions: While solving such problems, we learn actual implementation of the theoretical ideas learned from the courses. Not only the technical knowledge, but we learn a great deal about team building, finances, public relations, and most importantly professional approach to solving problems. Applying such practical solutions to real problems makes this model an extremely powerful tool. We can take those projects as LOP,COP to get suitable credits for our work. When we deliver the product to communities, we actually contribute serving the communities!
3. Industry reviewers: Our industry is more than willing to donate money for social welfare. They need a proper established channel. Funding such projects can be an excellent way not only to empower the communities by the delivery of products, but to help engineering students learn practical tools along the way. Industry can send the reviewers to critique the design and monitor the progress. This relationship is extremely helpful in terms of getting funded projects, practice school stations and finally placements!
This model is developed by educators in Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA and is currently running successfully since last 10+ years
(https://engineering.purdue.edu/EPICS). It has numerous imitations all over the world. If the BITS administration decided to apply this model, they will not only increase the level of engineering education, but help serving communities across the nation.
As students at BITS, we can go and talk to communities and take up small projects, work on it and make a difference as well. This will be our share of service to our nation while adding value to our own engineering education and opening doors of countless opportunities through industry contacts.
