Page 3 - GCET Bulletin November 2018 Issue

International Standards with Local Vision

A glimpse of High School A day without Engineering
Nuran Amir Moustafa Elsayed
Graduates’ Perspectives BEng (Hons) Automation and Robotics Engineering Student

Mahmood Al Hosni
Engish Lecturer
Dudley North said “ We tasted the species of Arabia yet we never
Below is one of my assignment submissions I worked on for one
of the educational MOOCs (massive open online courses) I feel the scorching sun which brings them forth”, So is the case
participated in and was offered by MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab. with engineering, Ladies and Gentlemen we , engineers are
Upon asking for a volunteer from one of my foundation classes brutally underestimated !When our names are only mentioned
I’m teaching at college, to conduct an interview on the experience when a building crumbles or car gears crack something must be
of high school, a female student came forward to volunteer for drastically wrong about the world we live in today! Thus, dear
this interview. I found at first glance that intrinsically-motivated readers, let me raise my and every engineer’s self-esteem by
students are among the first to apply for something that is imagining a day without engineering!
out-of-class! Let your mind float in vast world of imagination with me!
I asked her the following questions: You wake up, step out of the bed on the bare mud floor (No
1. As it’s been a year since you left at high school do you have material engineers to alter limestone or marble into even-shaped
good memories of it? Why or why not? tiles!).
2. What do you think the purpose of high school is/was?
3. What are 1 or 2 skills that you think you acquired from
college? Name 1 or 2 skills
4. 1 or 2 skills t you think you realized that you need at college?
Think of at least two skills.
Initial Feedback:
Upon interacting with her, it became clear that she was motivated
to study for a “high grade” because her parents persisted that to
ensure a bright future for her she needs to score high to get a good
job and a good future. Additionally she believed that school
taught her many skills like teamwork, presentation skills, and
“studying hard” as a virtue important at that stage. Upon coming
to college she realize that being in mixed classes, she thought that
school can never make her ready, say, to work with men (if she
finds a job after school), or to study with boys, since she is at
college. She feels always shy to speak or present in presence of You look up to the ceiling, mud-made ceiling, and it's about to
the opposite gender, particularly. However she thinks, upon shatter in pieces, the pillars of the house aren't strong enough to
spending a semester at college, she feels that she is overcoming hold the roof (No architectural engineer in hand!). You enter the
that obstacle gradually. She also found time to join student clubs bathroom, reach out to brush your teeth but sorry no toothpaste,
and participate in volunteering activities at school and at her no chemical engineers for that! You go back to your bedroom,
community as well. She still feels she needed to be good at basic really bored, no TV, no mobile phone, even no printed books!
computer skills; sending emails and studying online were not part You decide to go to a library to read some handwritten books, but
of school preparations. alas! No transport medium! You decide to take the camel! Yes
Reflection and follow up: darling, we are in nearly the Stone Age by now! You reach the
I’ve realized from this interview that, especially girls, who library, which is basically another mud-made crumbled building,
happen to be dominating at the private college I teach in, seem to sweaty and just begging for a sweep of air, unfortunately you
be much more motivated to score higher at school, than boys, don’t have neither a fan nor an AC! On your way back home you
probably because a lot is at stake; that social status, not finding a decide to buy a carpet so that you wouldn't have to walk on the
job and thus staying at home, etc. I still need to further investigate bare mud floor, but regrettably you find them out of stock! No
this by talking with a male student. That being said, for her, home machines to produce a hundred carpets in one minute! You have
has played a major role in setting attitudes towards future life and at least to wait for one more week until it is hand-woven!
study, while, school helped her achieve the high scores she I can continue listing the virtues of engineers on mankind
needed to move forward to the next stage. Not that schools helped endlessly, yet that's enough for now! Before leaving, the paper
her prepare for college life in terms of using computers and you're probably holding right now came out of a machine
communicating and studying online, however, generally, she designed by an engineer! Finally let me state!
emphasizes that high school is for setting the foundations for a
successful start for the future and realizes that though school We are underrated I won't deny, Yet over spilled milk we won't
seems to spoon feed students, it was a great place for her that cry, Get up, work to change the world's fate,Chin up, young
helped her start jump her academic life at college. engineer, you are going to be great!

International Standards with Local Vision