Intelligent Design and Engineering Design Education

This paper briefly explores the intersection of current controversies about evolutionary theory and ideas from intelligent design (ID) with engineering education.Some of the statements about the nature of design that were brought to the fore in recent controversies in the United States and elsewhere over evolution and intelligent design can have significance for engineers and engineering educators [1].From the time of the "blind watchmaker" to current day arguments, reference to human-made works and engineering abound in the literature of theology, evolutionary theory and its opponents.Whatever else is lacking in the controversy, careful review highlights some commonly held misunderstandings about the nature of intentional design and the engineering process.Understanding these misconceptions can provide a guide for changes in engineering curricula.By exploring some of the assumptions about the design process that are implicit in these arguments we may gain insight into the learning aims and needed goals for engineering design education.