ENGINEERING EMPATHY: USING PERSON CENTRED SIMULATION TO FOSTER INCLUSIVITY IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

Utilised heavily within medical education, person centred simulations have now emerged as a powerful methodological and pedagogical tool for integrating end user perspectives into engineering design processes. This is particularly important when facilitating the development of empathy within design, which is a difficult element to replicate within the classroom environment. Using a person-centred approach, an ageing simulation workshop was designed for mechanical engineering and product design engineering students, with the aim of aiding the development of empathy to enhance their ability to design devices for all individuals. Over the course of a three-hour workshop, students were split into groups with each group given a different scenario. Using GERT ageing suits and other devices, that mimicked mobility, hearing and visual impairments, students carried out several tasks based on their given scenario. Students were asked to identify challenges they faced while conducting the tasks within their scenario. Following a structured and evidence based debrief, each group had to isolate a specific challenge and come up with design concepts to solve that problem. This workshop brought a different dimension to both the module and the student’s way of thinking. It challenged the students in their abilities as engineers while emphasising the importance of empathy in design.