Beyond Borders: Reimagining Engineering Education - A Decolonizing Textbook Toolkit & Workshop

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Description of Session

In 2020, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to worldwide protests addressing systemic racism, sparked a surge of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts in academic institutions. These initiatives aimed to establish a campus environment that is safer, more inclusive, and actively opposed to racism, with the ultimate goal of benefiting students (Buckner et al., 2022, p. 4). In recent years, there has also been growing awareness of the need to decolonize education (Tuck and Yang, 2012; Battiste, 2013) and challenge the prevailing Eurocentric perspectives within various academic disciplines. Engineering, being a pivotal field that shapes the world we live in, is no exception.

Supported by an EDI research award of the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science at Concordia University, our team delved into a study to examine undergraduate engineering and computer science course textbooks primarily used in a Canadian university to identify and challenge colonial patterns. In keeping with the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization (EDID) approach, our research contributes to the efforts of unlearning colonial logic and pluralizing knowledge systems relating to teaching engagements in engineering and computer science fields. One of the outcomes of this project is to develop a toolkit that promotes decolonizing curriculum and pedagogy by acknowledging colonial legacies and dismantling harmful engagements in education.

In this pre-conference workshop, we like to invite you to a journey of embarking on a transformative path towards decolonizing engineering education. This interactive session aims to equip faculty, educators, students, and industry professionals with an enriching toolkit to challenge the limits of traditional perspectives, dismantle biases, interrupt colonial patterns and foster a truly inclusive learning environment within engineering disciplines. Through interactive discussions and practical exercises, participants will gain the tools and insights needed to reimagine engineering education, celebrating diverse perspectives and dismantling the constraints of colonial legacies.

Workshop Format:
The workshop will combine the toolkit presentation, interactive sessions and collaborative activities. Participants will have the opportunity to explore case studies, analyze existing engineering textbooks, and brainstorm innovative approaches to integrate diverse perspectives and deepen their accountability into their own teaching materials.

Some questions that we delve into in the workshop:
- In what ways do engineering textbooks perpetuate coloniality in higher education?
- In which ways is our textbook supporting and empowering students towards anti-racism, capacity for protest and resistance, and critical thinking?
- What critical aspects with regard to racism and anti-racist critique in engineering are textbooks omitting and ignoring?
- What are the complexities, challenges and possibilities of dismantling colonial structures in engineering education?

Who Should Attend:
This workshop is open to educators, researchers, curriculum developers, students, and anyone passionate about creating a more inclusive and globally conscious engineering education. Whether you are a professor or a student just starting your academic journey, your unique perspective and insights are essential to the success of this workshop.

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops, Book launches, and Visual Art Exhibits / Pre-Conference Workshop

Chair

• Tanja Tajmel, Concordia University (Montreal, CANADA)

Workshop Organizers

• Tanja Tajmel, Concordia University (Montreal, CANADA)

• Ezgi Ozyonum, Concordia University

• Tatiana Spina, Concordia University Montreal, CANADA

Presenting author

• Tanja Tajmel, Concordia University (Montreal, CANADA)

• Ezgi Ozyonum, Concordia University

• Tatiana Spina, Concordia University Montreal, CANADA