First Peoples Engineering - Creating cultural spaces
- Publisher:
- Curran Associates, Inc.
- Publication Type:
- Conference Proceeding
- Citation:
- 9th Research in Engineering Education Symposium and 32nd Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, REES AAEE 2021: Engineering Education Research Capability Development, 2021, 2, pp. 1021-1030
- Issue Date:
- 2021-01-01
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CONTEXT We are starting to understand the differences across Aboriginal Australian cultures by acknowledging both the local landscape and experiences which create cultures and identities, yet from these some universal factors emerge. These commonalities are widely acknowledged, and their significance is crucial in terms of growing and improving understanding within and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures. They impinge on engineering practices and are both a constraint and an inspirational source of sustainability. PURPOSE OR GOAL We are exploring ways to change western perspectives of First Peoples concepts of engineering, education, and learning. For two-way learning to occur in Australia it is essential to understand both the specific and the shared cultural features of Aboriginal peoples and ways of expressing cultural issues. This helps people understand the innovative engineering and technology within Aboriginal Australia culture, a technology that was developed with a very different form of language and educational process. Our purpose is to provide ways and means for educators to alter their understanding and teaching to incorporate Aboriginal knowledges as valid and useful resources. APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS This is a theoretical exploration of how concepts from First Peoples' cultures can inform engineering practice including provision of evidence from positive outcomes. The work applies different perspectives of Western, Aboriginal, and Engineering cultures to the development of suitable comparisons for stimulating discussions and engendering new insights. ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES The work reported here can inform classroom practice providing uniquely personal experiences of different knowledges in action, raising key points. The examples in this paper use community experiences and use localised storytellers to illustrate different perspectives available to engineering students and community members, extending sharing of knowledge and enabling learners to learn from First Peoples narratives. The benefits are designed to carry over to all areas of professional practice and increase the incentive to listen to clients and colleagues in an ever more complex world (Mathews, 2020). CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY We want to encourage all engineering lecturers to embed their work in the culture of their country, wherever they are, incorporating local First Peoples' approaches and retain their own awareness of the context in which that knowledge grew.
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