Introduction to Next-Generation Engineering : Being Human in the Information Society

Abstract

While adopting Information Technology (IT) may have been a goal in itself in the past, during the last decade the emphasis has shifted, and IT has instead become a tool that enables us to realize other needs. This also sets new requirements for IT education: skills in software engineering and computer science alone do not provide students with the professional abilities they will need after graduation. To answer this call, the University of Jyväskylä launched in autumn 2021 a new engineering B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree program in Information and Software Engineering with close ties to the Humanities. The degree program was established on three cornerstones: 1) the ability to implement IT systems, 2) comprehension of the expectations and needs set on technology, and 3) mathematical-logical reasoning. As an introduction to the multidisciplinary studies, the students take a course called Being Human in the Information Society at the very beginning of their B.Sc. studies. This course aims at providing an understanding of the multidisciplinary context in which technology will be developed and applied when addressing the complex challenges of the future. In this paper, we will present the planning process of the new course, and describe the intended learning outcomes, contents, and learning methods of the course. In addition, faculty experiences and student feedback of the first implementation are discussed and reflected upon.