CDIO is a generalized model for the enhancement of engineering education. CDIO programs impart to the student a broad base of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become successful young engineers. This array of abilities is represented in the CDIO Syllabus. This paper examines the role of the Syllabus in the design of CDIO programs, and in meeting CDIO Standard 2. It compares the CDIO Syllabus with the UNESCO four pillars of learning, and finds them to be highly aligned. The Syllabus is then compared with the national accreditation and evaluation standards of several nations, and found to be consistent, but more detailed and comprehensive than any of the individual standards. Based on these comparisons, as well as other input received over the last decade, it is proposed that the CDIO Syllabus be modified, in part to add missing skills and in part to clarify labels, to make the Syllabus more explicit and more consistent with national standards. The result is called the CDIO Syllabus, Version 2.0.
In modern society, engineers are increasingly expected to move to positions of leadership, and often take on an additional role as an entrepreneur. This paper also explores the degree to which the CDIO Syllabus already covers these topics, and the extensions that might be necessary to more adequately cover these two important roles of engineers. The CDIO Syllabus is compared with modern models of leadership and entrepreneurship, and extensions to the Syllabus are proposed. The proposed outcome is an extended version of the Syllabus, called the CDIO+LE Syllabus.
This paper was presented at the 5th International CDIO conference, Singapore Polytechnic, 2009. It is posted here by permission of the authors.