Comprehensive and practical method for integration of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) into engineering education

Paper in proceeding, 2021

In this paper, a new approach to work with the underrepresentation of women in engineering is presented: instead of looking at ways to make the education more attractive to women, queering the engineering education is suggested. The education intervention presented problematizes the traditional professional engineering role and the effects it has on society. A
metaphor is introduced to support the transformation: theatre. In the theatre metaphor, the frontstage relates to the outcomes of the future work of the engineers we educate (i.e. innovations, technologies, cities, etc.), the backstage is where our students will perform their future work (i.e. the future workplaces), and behind-the-scenes is where they are trained to become engineers (i.e. the education). Teaching modules for both teachers and students are presented, together with tools that can be used in learning the gendered aspects of the specific subject matter at hand.