About Opportunities for Faith & Learning Integration in a Mechanical Engineering Instrumentation & Measurement Course
| Authors | Joseph B. Tipton, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2019 Christian Engineering Conference |
| Place | Dordt University, Sioux Center, Iowa |
| Vol / Pages | pp. 22u201333 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pIXDMo7HD3g34FlSWsw9WDUXRi5TSOcE/view |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
How might a Christian worldview affect an instrumentation and measurement course both in content and practice? This paper attempts to answer this question and then utilize the answers at a Christian university to improve such a course. Approaching the question of worldview begins with an attempt to understand some of the tacit assumptions and ideologies present in the “default” engineering curriculum as inherited from secular institutions. Among them is the fact/value dichotomy which views empirical data as (hard, disembodied) fact while other forms of knowing are demoted to (soft, personal) opinion. This stands in direct contrast to the Christian worldview and – if left unchecked – fosters a form of “knowledge snobbery” among engineering students situated in a liberal arts university. These revelations are used to suggest improvements in an instrumentation and measurement course. One area in particular is measurement uncertainty. The adage of Segal’s law – “A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.” – captures the difficulties and “messiness” involved when embodied minds attempt to make empirical measurements in the physical world. Students are confronted with this in repeated measurement labs. Lab report deliverables encourage students to evaluate measurement comparisons and reflect on epistemological connections with their coursework across campus as they consider what “counts” as knowledge. Results after two course cycles of implementation reveal the challenge of putting faith into action in the vocation of teaching as well as the challenge of reintegrating disciplines that have become siloed by the prevailing worldview in higher education. Sustained and voluntary discussion group meetings yielded fruitful outcomes which points to the beneficial role of historical Christian practices in the classroom.