Reflection on Learning Outcomes 1 and 2
The assessment for this unit is 100% Individual Portfolio. Please make sure you have familiarised
yourself with the Portfolio Assessment Criteria. You are required to provide evidence of your
attainment of the Learning Outcomes for the unit. This formative assessment item will assist you to
meet the criteria for Learning Outcomes 1 and 2.
- Explain the historical impact of engineering on society.
a. Carry out some individual research on at least one engineer who had a positive impact on society prior to 1920. By considering a major project that this engineer completed, reflect on the skills that they had in addition to technical skills.
b. Carry out some individual research on at least one engineering project that went wrong and resulted in loss of life. Were appropriate risk management strategies were in place? What would you have done differently? - Explain engineering professionalism and ethics in the Australian context.
a. As described in the Week 1 materials, you should be thinking about the skills and knowledge that expert engineers have in addition to their technical skills. Based on the textbook readings, reflect on the tasks you expect to perform as an engineer in Australia. What new competencies do you realise that you need to have? What would you say is the value that you could add to an engineering organisation?
b. Engineers Australia (www.engineersaustralia.org.au) is the engineering professional body in Australia that accredits engineering courses and also assesses whether engineers trained overseas are able to practice as engineers in Australia. Students graduating from any accredited engineering course are expected to be able to
demonstrate a set of skills and knowledge called the Stage 1 Competency Standards (https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/About-Us/Accreditation/Accreditation-Overview#Stage1CompetencyStandards). Discuss the relevance of the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards. Carry out a self-assessment against the Stage 1 Competencies and reflect on your current stage of achievement. You will find the self-assessment form below this document on the Moodle site.
c. All members of Engineers Australia commit to practice according to the Code of Ethics (https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/ethics). Briefly discuss what the Code of Ethics means to you. What would you do if your boss asked you to lie for them? What about if a customer was behaving in an unethical manner?
