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2
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1 Institution of higher education, Bei-hang University,Beijing, China
2 Institution of higher education, Bei-hang University, Beijing, China
2 Institution of higher education, Bei-hang University, Beijing, China
(liuningmail@hotmail.com;wxf@hss.buaa.edu.cn)
Abstract- General thinking is different from engineering thinking which based on the reality of individual and collective as main body, it found that the existence of objectives and the internal rules for the purpose of scientific logic thinking.
Engineering thinking are engineers who look at the world and deal with problems way of thinking. It has the characteristic of nonlinear, the coordination of logic. The purpose of this article is based on the perspective and interpretation of engineering thinking of “A Plan for Education and Training Outstanding
Engineers" (PETOE) to provide a new thinking way for engineering education reform.
Key words Engineering thinking, Outstanding engineers,
Engineering education
I
、
INTRODUCATION
Engineering is a creative practice of human being, on the basis of people's purposes and goals exist as the premise.
According to certain programs that use subject of raw materials for series of tools to operate process, produce qualified material products process. Engineering thinking is the core of mode for conduct engineering activities, directly impact on molding for engineering abilities, is internal sources and ties of engineering practice feeling and behavior model.
It is distinguished from science, humanity way of thinking, but to emphasize the engineering knowledge for material, engineering ethics for Framework, engineering behavior for catalyst, philosophy of engineering as core element and combining with the four essential factors to form engineering thinking.
As the Era developing of science and technology, complex engineering project emerge endlessly. Traditional engineering education mode could not meet the requirement of modern engineering talent abilities and engineers qualities. High engineering education is not only a process of knowledge spreading, but pays more attention to cultivate engineering thinking. For the sake of adapting the current social requirement for engineering talents, enhancing quality of engineering training, China Ministry of Education proposes “The program of PETOE is based on the features of times, social demanding, aiming to cultivation and innovation ability, to adapt to the need of economic and social development of the high quality each type of engineering and technical talents.”PETOE is not only an important educational revolution, what is an important;it will provide a new path for engineering cultivation and model. So, to research on "PETOE" which influences on path of logic evolution for engineering thinking will be a realistic significance of implementing and developing PETOE.
II 、 Desiderated engineering thinking characteristic in modern engineering background
A
、
Engineering thinking further emphasizes complicity and integration
Currently human being civilization is from industrial mechanical civilization to information-ecological civilization. For a long time, reductionism, empiricism and classical theory which are based on Pure Science.
Nevertheless, now, are attracting complicated science which consists with system theory, rationalism and human elements. Not like traditional engineering paradigm, modern engineering, of which field becomes wider, which faced problems are more complex, which are more systematic methods of solution. Modern engineering environment is formed by natural science, social science and engineering science and become a complex engineering system. So, as a subject thinking of realizing engineering activities, modern engineering thinking need transform
Newton's scientific paradigm of linear thinking. Especially, we should reflect the combination of humanities spirit and science rationality in the process of engineering education and feature of complex thinking in the course of practical teaching model to meet need of current engineering project.
B
、 engineering thinking is combination with rational thinking and practical thinking

The traditional engineering thinking emphasizes rational thinking, which aims to explore the inner essence and deep principle, which is linear and single dimension thinking to guide practice. In the traditional engineering thinking which is main rational thinking. Although it contributes to understand the logic of formation for engineering practice, it will lead to separation between theory and practice. Then it results in passivation by linear thinking of theoretical knowledge. So the contemporary engineering practice needs multidimensional and paratactic nonlinear thinking for engineering talents. It is necessary to take measures to broaden our thinking, to analysis internal relation of engineering practice for promoting theory and practice to merge together.
C
、 outstanding engineering creative thinking
Practice essentially is creative activities, which is revealed by Marx’s scientific practices, which is integrated.
Even more surmount predecessors. Creation is the soul of engineering practice, the engineering practice in essence is a kind of innovation activities, and engineering thinking is innovation thinking directing source. The basic meaning of engineering is to create, to invent, to design and build, according to purpose of human being to develop and apply knowledge of scientist and technology. With the restriction of economic, human, political, legal and cultural to meet the requirements of society in a creative practice activities.
With the current engineering techniques becoming more mature, engineering design skill which reflects creative thinking is named "the most beautiful flower" by Friedrich
Engels.
III
、
Traditional higher engineering education training mode is lack of engineering thinking training in china.
A
、
Isolation between rational thinking and experience thinking results in engineering integration missing
Nowadays, the engineering project is composed by various factors of complexity the system, a single discipline knowledge system could not explain and cultivate the modern engineering practice. As M.N Ehdi and R.R Ehan think “technology of knowledge is no longer guidance for engineering profession success, but it should be synthesized by a large number of professional knowledge
" engineering education should not only master solid scientific theory knowledge and engineering ethics, but require profound qualities of humanities. Under the circumstance of traditional engineering education model, science and engineering generally are called natural discipline, and then at the level of thinking which concentrates on theory training. However, humanities science is based on premise of personal growth and the social individual participation, which embodies human experience' concise and experience thinking reflection in term of thinking. In the engineering teaching process, the traditional engineering education pays more attention to grasp knowledge and theory of science and engineering courses. In contrast, cultivating qualities of humanities is shown to be supplements between science and technology knowledge. Most of humanities curriculums come from selective courses. The goal of humanities courses in china is to just extend the student's vision of knowledge, the role of humanities course was serious ignored, and cannot play a part in knowledge construction and integration. This trend of independent among disciplines will cause Chinese engineering education and engineering project to become utilitarian.
B
、
Based on the thinking, the engineering practice training of linear thinking
The world is in essence nonlinear, though, the basic theory is summarized from natural phenomenon, and it is adaptive for the social phenomenon as well. Since nonlinear reflect the stipulation of complex things, and social phenomenon and natural phenomenon are also complex, even more, to some extent, which is more complex than natural phenomenon. The traditional engineering education model is based on the premise of logic of discipline which guides engineering practice.
Engineering education deems that engineering knowledge is premise and basis of engineering practice, only to grasp or master knowledge of engineering practice, which could promote individual engineering practice, then resolve engineering problem. From the angle of cognitive, although it is reasonable, it confuses the relation between two kinds of thinking and misapprehends the relation between practice and theory. The famous educationist and engineering scientist, Rogers thought that “if you do not understand the scientific, it is impossible to study science, because science is knowledge. However, even if you do not understand engineering science, it is possible that you can engage in engineering or technical activities, because engineering and technology are both relative to production manufacturing.
When you know nothing, practice knowledge can exist; when you are clumsy in the way of practice, the theory exists as well." the core of the theoretical thinking is to understand and construct theory, and engineering thinking mission is to design and test engineering practice. The mastered theoretical knowledge is to supple principle and direction for engineering practice, however, engineering thinking incompletely depends on logic relation, it is integration of various entity and attribution. So the characteristic of engineering thinking is non-logicality and compound thinking. With the theoretical thinking to design

engineering, engineering will not be practical. With the thinking to construct theory, theory will be short of potency,
For example, traditional engineering courses emphasis on theoretical teaching of discipline and competence of logic reasoning. It is correct to text practice and theory by mean of theoretical frame, which will result in lagging of practical courses. This leads teaching into a logic linear thinking that causes confusion with theoretical thinking and engineering thinking.
C
、
Based on Para consistent logic on engineering thinking feature of creativeness from the perspective of thinking
Paraconsistent logic is presented by a modern logic founder whose name is Priest. Lotrinsky. He admitted that logic thinking is a kind of contradiction existence thinking in essence. At the course of engineering thinking, no matter who is decision maker or designer, when engineers face to engineering problems or contradiction, Engineers always deliberate problems according to their own mode of logic thinking. Nevertheless, by and large engineering exists with confliction and contradiction. Judgments and choice in the process of engineering activities are not an all-or-nothing proposition. Usually, engineers judge and weigh engineering activities among contradiction of non-logicality at the course of thinking engineering problems. In china, engineering universities always explore and construct various mode of teaching to promote students creative ability but the effect is limited and indistinctive. So, the main reason is traditional engineering education which core models are based on logic thinking to design and construct, and to pursue each step is reasonable especially, the revolution of instruction and training lie in the logic of
"contradiction law" . The teaching materials of the present engineering education are out-of-date and the mode is simple and crude. Courses of engineering are the same. The barriers of disciplines are obvious and lack of cohesion, the engineering knowledge is instilled into student's head.
Throughout the process of instruction, learning and teaching are not persuaded to have logic tradition, which restrict and block the engineering thinking of directors, teachers, and students. So it decreases their competence developments of exploration and awareness of creativities.
IV 、 Engineering thinking training of “a plan for educating and training outstanding engineers (PETOE)”
In view of the above problems, “a plan for educating and training outstanding engineers (PETOE)” breaks the constraints between the theory and practice, emphasizes on the cooperation between higher education and industry, strengthens the culture of quality and social responsibility and enhances students' engineering and innovative ability training. It has the following characteristics from the angle of thinking:
A
、
Depth cooperation between schools and enterprises, for forming the non-linear thinking from practice to
B
、 theory
In the background of modern engineering education, the separation model between school education and enterprise training is not conductive of future engineers.
The new training mechanism should take the educational thought of “engineering view” as the guide, and emphasizes on the combination of engineering practice training model between schools and enterprises. PETOE focuses on the establishment of depth cooperation mechanism between schools and industry enterprises, through jointing training to increase students' learning and practice opportunities in enterprises and make them master theoretical knowledge in a real engineering practice solidly. Through theoretical knowledge, PETOE guides the non-linear thinking ability of practice teaching effectively, and trains students the ability of systematic, comprehensive solution to the problems of engineering practice in accordance with the principles of "industry guidance, school-enterprise cooperation, classification of the implementation and various forms”. Specifically, in the four-year school system, students spend the first three years for the school courses and the last year for enterprise practice trained by industrial engineers including graduation design, examination and etc.
Students are both guided by the school teachers and enterprise engineers, so that students participate the actual project in every learning sector, and then form the schools – enterprises cooperate training model. Part of the specialized courses will be learned in the enterprise, and experienced engineers will be hired as teachers for site teaching at the same time to achieve the mechanism of interaction between schools and enterprises. In short, PETOE abandons the traditional higher engineering education theory and practice dualism linear thinking, and lets students learning engineering, understanding the project, understanding engineering in a contextualized environment. Depth cooperation between schools and enterprises forms an engineering education system, and the non-linear thinking can guide the engineering practice, thereby improving the overall engineering capability.
B
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Emphasizing on paraconsistent logic in the teaching approach, and improving engineering creative thinking ability
PETOE breaks the original mode of education and training, combines "teaching" and "learning" at the same time, integrates courses content, updates teaching methods, and converses teaching evaluation focus, so it can provide

good mapping environment for innovative thinking. "First of all, we should change the past single classroom teaching methods, establish teacher-leading student-centered teaching concept, build student-centered organization of teaching activities in the teaching process, give full play to students of subjective initiative to promote heuristic, cooperative learning, exploratory learning. "[9] Adapting teachers and students to enrich students' critical capacities in the environment of the "Law of Contradiction", and make ways of thinking changed from the static absorbed to the dynamic generation, then to inspire students’ initiative and enthusiasm of engineering practice innovation.
In addition, PETOE emphasizes capacity-building and personality development in accordance with the requirements of training objectives and combined with the features and advantages of the potential of every student, and highlights the training of project creativity. There are several aspects: enhancing students personalized guidance, encouraging students to choose a professional personality development, guiding students to develop a personalized training program, choosing the course, self-paced learning progress, independent development of individual expertise, encouraging students' awareness of innovation, expansion of the subject content and practical training to stimulate personal interests and hobbies, encouraging to study engineering problems in the dialectical perspective and developing students' creative thinking in the teaching process of the law of contradiction.
C
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System and conformity of curriculums, and highlighting integrated thinking
From the perspective of curriculum system and thinking relationship, curriculum system construction should be reflection of thinking law and structural carrier of the law of thinking. They are complemented with each other to achieve common goals of education. It is divided into two categories "the level course system" and "the modular curriculum system” from the angle of typical advanced engineering education curriculum system structure. The former Soviet Union is the representative structure of level curriculum system curriculum system, but also is the main reference mode of the traditional Chinese engineering education curriculum system. Curriculum system consists of three parts: basic courses, specialized basic courses and specialized courses with the purpose of training "specialist", in which conflict with modern engineering talents characterized "integrated" obviously.
From the angle of thinking, modular curriculum system breaks the traditional level curriculum system: decentralized combination mode of thinking, and has system, comprehensive thinking pattern throughout the entire education process, highlighting the complexity and integrated features of thinking. PETOE undertakes conformity recombines by "the modular curriculum system curriculum system", and breaks the boundaries among disciplines. Specifically, changing the category of past humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are in accordance with the teaching time to set a course for segmentation of teaching, which breaks away from restricting of disciplines knowledge system, and emphasizes the comprehensive of courses contents, integrates the system of courses through an interdisciplinary approach.
For example, "cooperation mechanism between colleges and enterprises, building the curriculum system and teaching together, cooperative participation to bring the engineering educational resources of cooperative enterprise into play, especially pay attention to develop those integrated courses and teaching material"[10], through student cross-school choosing course and mutual recognition of credits mechanism, advantage courses in all kinds of school discipline can be complementary. There are many measures to be carried out, such as: system integration, organization of various types, various forms and different levels of extracurricular activities and credits.
At the same time, strengthen students extracurricular activities guidance measures with teachers who have richen practical experience, high level and strong sense of responsibility. Finally, the purpose is to format a thick foundation, practical, systematic curriculum system, and meet the need for modern engineering ability.
V. Conclusion
In short, “a plan for educating and training outstanding engineers (PETOE)" is not only a change of mode of
Higher Engineering Education and an innovation and development of traditional engineering education model, but also the culture beyond the traditional engineering thinking. This transcendence is not to abandon past thinking, but combine with the trend of our era given the inherent requirements of the proposed project thinking. Marx said:
“With the discovery of each era in the field of natural sciences, material is mis bound to change their form.” So "a plan for educating and training outstanding engineers
(PETOE)" grasps the pulse of the times, highlights the flavor of the times engineering way of thinking ,fits the characteristics of the project development, and provides engineering talents an effective way to set off a revolution of higher engineering education.
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