WSII.4 - Embedding Empathy in Engineering Design Courses
Overview: The primary goal of the workshop is to explore and demonstrate effective strategies for embedding empathy into engineering education, particularly in design-based project work. By showcasing successful examples from this innovative approach at a European and a North-American institution, we aim to provide practical tools for educators to integrate empathetic practices into their courses. The intended outcomes include a deeper understanding of the role of empathy in addressing engineering issues, actionable strategies and practical methods for embedding empathy in engineering courses, and joining a growing global community of practice for nurturing empathy in engineering education.
At the beginning of the workshop, the facilitators will offer a brief introduction to the concept and practice of empathy in engineering education. Several tried-out empathic imagination methods are briefly introduced such as developing and voicing personas as a step towards stakeholder engagement; figure storming as an ideation method; and the human face perspective-taking activity. Following this, participants will be invited to engage in hands-on empathy activities in small groups. Participants are also encouraged to bring up ideas of how empathy activities could be embedded in their own contexts.
This workshop closely aligns with the conference theme of innovative teaching and learning methods in engineering education. By focusing on empathy, we address a critical yet often overlooked transferable competency that engineers require when they address wicked problems in the real world. Through the interactive exercises and dialogue, participants will gain practical strategies and skills that they can immediately apply in their teaching.
In conclusion, this workshop aims to equip engineering educators with the knowledge and tools to embed empathy into their courses, ultimately leading to more effective and socially responsible engineers.
Jan Van Maele
Jan Van Maele is a professor in the Faculty of Engineering Technology at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he teaches and researches communication with a focus on intercultural learning and community engagement. He has widely collaborated in these fields with partners in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Inês Direito
Inês Direito is a researcher at the University of Aveiro (Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation) in Portugal, and honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Engineering Education (University College London, UK). Her research is focused on exploring empathy as a tool to enhance engineering education and practice.