Teaching engineering/engineering teaching: interdisciplinary collaboration and the construction of academic identities

This paper calls for a debate on effects that the current education system is having on our learners. Many students entering Higher Education struggle to rise to its rigorous academic demands. The need for support services is on the increase with greater focus on key skills, study skills and self-management. Students undertaking higher study can face financial hardship and emotional turmoil in striving to achieve, but the problems do not start here. Much of the trepidation felt by students comes as a result of earlier educational experiences, and is merely exacerbated as their learning experience progresses. It is time to re-assess the whole educational process and to question whether the system exists to encourage learning or to measure failure.