IEEE pushes for teaching about standards

The IEEE has recommended that engineering schools give students an introduction to technical standards. When I first saw this on twitter, I thought it would be just another push for more education without considering what the addition should replace. Fortunately, IEEE president Moshe Kam realizes that a adding a course in standards isn’t feasible, but that instructors can work standards into existing curriculum. That makes sense. To quote Kam, ”We are not looking for standards to be taught wholesale, because such an effort would probably be too time consuming and difficult. Still, we must acquaint our students with the idea of standards and provide them with some preparation, even if it is only at the level of general awareness.”

The article goes into explain that IEEE has teaching aids available. There must be  thousands of standards in electrical engineering and students have such a wide range of interests. Still, giving them a sense that they may have to design to industry standards can only help. Anyone interested in a career designing communications components or systems should at least know that standards are essential. Without them, no company’s equipment could interoperate with another’s. Even with standards, interoperability can be difficult to achieve because standards are often open to interpretation.

The article doesn’t, however, say if introducing standards should occur at the undergraduate or graduate level.