New technology and the need to change the focus in engineering education

The history of engineering is a history of the development of tools to enhance and expand the engineer's effectiveness in creating solutions to societal problems. Most of the tools have been focused on improving the engineer's ability to calculate, or to analyze mathematical models of the physical system or process under design. Since 1965, I have seen a revolution in the ability of engineers and students to perform the calculate step of the design or problem solving process. Students bring everyday to the classroom laptop computers more powerful than engineers could yet imagine 40 years ago. While this enormous power to calculate has changed how engineers think, it has not significantly changed the manner in which undergraduate engineering is taught. Engineering educators need to reconsider what is taught and how students learn in light of revolutionary and continuously changing tools for the design of new technology.