4. The future state of content & competency-based engineering education: Lean Engineering Education

In the first three chapters of this book, mechanical engineering education was explored through the lens of planning for the future. Three different future scenarios were provided to prompt thinking and actions along with a four-step protocol that can be used in planning for the future. A thematic gap analysis of the state of mechanical engineering was presented next, exploring student, employer, faculty and society needs of mechanical engineers and the academy. Advocacy for both content and competency mastery based on taxonomies was described next as a core improvement strategy for mechanical engineering education, with an emphasis on systems, sustainability and ethics competency development.