When students take part in I’m an Engineer they get to vote for their favourite engineer to win £500 to spend on communicating more engineering. It gives them ownership of the project and they decide who gets, in effect, a small grant for public engagement. But what are students’ votes based on?
This is how 109 students (or groups of students) have ranked certain criteria from most to least important when considering how to vote for engineers, since January 2012. The results come from a Drag & Drop ranking activity in the first lesson plan “You’re the Judges” that teachers run to introduce their students to I’m an Engineer.
The top ranked criteria are linked to society, with engineering being used for good: saving lives, safety & reducing environmental impact. There are also insights into how students might perceive engineers and engineering companies. Reassuringly, the more superficial criteria lurk at the bottom of the list.
Teachers, how do these criteria compare to how your students judge the engineers? Did students generally agree on the rankings or did certain criteria provoke more discussions than others?
