An Engineer in Reading Land

Engineering has much to offer the field of education in bridging the gap between social sciences and teaching by utilizing scientific findings and experience to improve ongoing educational programs and to create new ones. Partial cause of failures at attempts for educational innovation can be found in the lack of appropriate design and implementation studies which could be provided by educational engineers. To remedy these failures, three recommendations are made: (1) In the near future, all participants in the introduction of a social change must become conscious of the need for engineering design information. (2) The profession of educational engineer should be established, along with schools which train professionals to design complex social systems. (3) The educational engineer should interact with both management and science. He can help the social scientist see more clearly the kinds of problems he must work on and help the administrator see more clearly what is feasible in regard to change. Presently engineering skills are missing in most attempts at educational change. Educational engineers could assist in these processes by designing systems and alternatives, planning implementation, and implementing change. (VJ)