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The present research refers to the assigning of a hands-on group project to freshman engineering students, evaluating their performance, and deriving conclusions on student benefits and educational advances. The research procedure included action plans for the instructor and the students, instructions to the students on performing the work, organizational instructions to the teams and reporting guidelines, and evaluation of the success of the project. The main outcomes refer to the team co-operation, the performance of tasks, the quality of results and the reporting effectiveness. The ‘paper beam’ project benefited the student’s learning and proved the need of complementary learning styles in teams, of the appreciation of quality performance and results, as well as of the accuracy in project details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse to what extent the engineering curricula contribute to the development of visual literacy among engineering students. Communicating and thinking visually is a basic skill for all engineers, being a fundamental part of their educational stage. For this purpose, Engineering Graphics subjects from 30 engineering schools from Spain have been selected to review their content. The sample consists of 80 subjects of Engineering Graphics, mechanical design and computer-aided design. The curricula were analyzed using a quantitative and qualitative method. A database has been developed where keywords that identify the objectives of the analysis have been tabulated. Learning technical visual language and visualization skills as a means of developing visual literacy in engineering has been taken as the basis of the analysis. The results show that the curricula of the subjects contemplate the development of graphic skills around communication and technical representation and, to a lesser extent, visualization. On the other hand, the teaching activities contemplated do not dive into the cognitive aspects of graphics. We can also observe the pre-eminence of computer graphics as the main basis for teaching activities and marginal use of freehand drawing, which is basic for the development of Visual Literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors review extant natural language processing models in the context of undergraduate mechanical engineering education. These models have advanced to a stage where it has become increasingly more difficult to discern computer vs. human-produced material, and as a result, have understandably raised questions about their impact on academic integrity. As part of our review, we perform two sets of tests with OpenAI's natural language processing model (1) using GPT-3 to generate text for a mechanical engineering laboratory report and (2) using Codex to generate code for an automation and control systems laboratory. Our results show that natural language processing is a potentially powerful assistive technology for engineering students. However, it is a technology that must be used with care, given its potential to enable cheating and plagiarism behaviours given how the technology challenges traditional assessment practices and traditional notions of authorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the societally important issue of developing a more equitable approach to preK-12 engineering education. Our primary emphasis is on K-8 grades--a time when first impressions of engineering may be developed. Calls for increased participation by all students, including those who have been historically marginalized, motivate the need for theoretically grounded ways of developing and assessing educational programs. This paper draws from sociocultural learning theory and applies four theoretical and empirical analyses to derive design principles for equity that can inform curriculum, instruction, and assessment of preK-12 engineering education programs. We present a model for equity-oriented preK-12 engineering learning and delineate its dimensions and principles, which include socially engaged engineering, authentic engineering practices, asset-oriented pedagogies, and student engineering identity. We illustrate each with examples and discuss ways of implementing equity-oriented engineering curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature available on the academic performance of students in higher education is sparse, particularly in India. Limited research exists that precisely examines the academic performance of engineering students and the factors that contribute to their success. Utilising primary survey data of2288 fourth-year engineering students in Delhi, this paper specifically examines how the academic performance (Measured by Cumulative Grade Point Average) of students from socially disadvantaged caste groups (SC/ST and OBC) varies in India and what factors determine this. In this context, the study revealed a considerable performance gap among engineering students of different social groups. Especially, the findings indicate a significant gender and caste disparity in academic performance in engineering education. Females exhibited about 16.5 per cent lower performance compared to males, and SC/ST students demonstrated around 38 per cent lower performance in comparison to their OBC counterparts. We find that various aspects of the socio-economic background and factors related to the educational environment such as the type of institution, scholarships, and past academic experiences, are significantly determining the academic performance of engineering graduates from socially backward caste groups. Given the poor linkage between engineering education and the labour market, the findings of the study have considerable policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the teaching experience of the Engineering, Technology and Society Network, this paper analyzes the contributions made by STS studies to engineering education. This network offers educational perspectives for engineering students in their first semesters of higher education and has added recently a graduate education approach. This article describes how STS scholarship contributed a comprehensive view of technology, interdisciplinarity and development of critical thinking. Finally, it reviews STS education through active teaching and design in context, and describes the emergence of a graduate certificate program under an engineering, technology and society approach. This program combines engineering, social participation, technological assessment and STS thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies show that contextualized measures of high school achievement - in other words, how well students performed relative to their high school peers - can help identify students who have the potential to succeed in college, and thus can serve as a key measure in holistic admissions. Building upon previous work, this study further examines whether contextualized measures of high school achievement may help identify students who have the potential to succeed in engineering programs, especially among traditionally underrepresented students in engineering (defined in our paper as low-SES students, underrepresented students of color, and women). Based on longitudinal data from a Midwestern state's Department of Education database, this study finds that contextualized measures of high school performance are significantly associated with students' college performance - for all students in engineering, as well as across our three subsamples of traditionally underrepresented students. These findings have important implications for incorporating contextualized measures of high school performance when making undergraduate admissions decisions in engineering programs, to help better identify applicants from traditionally underrepresented student populations in engineering. This is particularly crucial as admissions offices move toward more holistic and test-optional practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to expand our knowledge on interdisciplinary design education by focusing on team development, which has remained a less explored aspect of interdisciplinary collaboration so far. An interdisciplinary design studio course, Collaborative Design, for food engineering and industrial design students in higher education provides the research context. The empirical basis of the paper comes from interviews with students on their experiences of interdisciplinary collaboration in the course, and the educator's observation notes. Drawing on these data, this article critically reflects on how and to what extent the teaching materials, methods and strategies incorporated into the course design guided and supported students' transition through the four stages of becoming a performing interdisciplinary team. The article concludes with four suggestions for design educators. First, encountering new ways of thinking, talking and doing that make sense for both disciplines engages students in interdisciplinary collaboration. Second, humour and positive social relations play an important role in team success in all stages of team development. Third, using the first weeks of the course to reveal the disciplinary differences and potential issues that would lead to conflicts through class discussions and warm-up activities facilitates a smooth transition from forming to norming. Fourth, adequate representation of each discipline should be ensured both in the design problem and solution, and among the tutors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary teams often undertake engineering projects beyond their original discipline involving different kinds of risks. Risk perception is an inherent and embedded part of the decision-making process, which depends on the personal background and instinctive attitudes or behaviors. Process safety and risk analysis training for engineers, and education for engineering students, provide valuable tools seeking safer workplaces; however, personnel's risk perception is commonly neglected. This paper analyzes the risk perception and appetite of undergraduate engineering students in Colombia based on a survey strategy and a weighted-approach following a Factor Analysis. The survey considered financial, social, physical, and professional risks, and four main reasons for risk-taking or risk-avoiding actions. The Factor Analysis allows us to classify the students tendency as risk-averse o risk-prone, and propose didactic teaching planning using a modular toolbox for process safety education, based on skills identified for junior engineers in Colombian Oil & Gas Industry. A total of 465 engineering students from 12 Colombian universities completed the survey in 2016. The results suggest that risk perception depends on the location, possible risk training, and accessible information. The obtained factors allow describing the students' overall risk profiles, which can serve as an input for refining the content and curriculum content of current engineering programs regarding process safety. Improving the training of risk management in the engineering curriculum will benefit upcoming multidisciplinary teams in high-risk industries. • Risk perception and appetite of engineering undergraduate students was evaluated. • A survey strategy and a weighted-approach using a Factor Analysis were considered. • The survey contemplated professional, financial, physical and social risks. • It considers preventive, adventurous, inspirational, or rewarding risk reasons. • Factor Analysis allow classifying each student as risk-averse or risk-prone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to apply mathematical concepts and procedures in relevant contexts in engineering subjects sets the fundamental basis for the mathematics competencies in engineering education. Among the plethora of digital techniques and tools arises a question: Do the students gain a deep and conceptual enough understanding of mathematics that they are able to apply mathematical concepts in engineering studies? This paper introduces the use of languaging exercises in the engineering mathematics course 'Differential Calculus' during the spring semester 2020, at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, TAMK. In this study, the students' conceptual understanding and learning of differential calculus is researched. In the learning process, the languaging method is used to deepen the conceptual understanding of the concepts of differential calculus. Pre-test/post-test setup was used to see the possible gain in conceptual understanding. During the course, students did online assignments, which included languaging exercises. Students described the concepts of differential calculus using natural language, pictures, or a combination of them. The students were also asked to fill in a self-evaluation form to collect their perception of their own knowledge of mathematical skills. Mid-term and final exams summarized the acquired knowledge. The study aimed to enhance the learning outcomes and to gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts by exploiting the languaging method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a design-based research project undertaken to test and implement an interest-based engineering challenges framework for pre-college students. This work is motivated by the need for innovative engineering education practices in pre-college settings, and making engineering more inclusive for people from diverse backgrounds. The design-based research methodology can be challenging to implement as it comprises of multiple, cyclical research activities that provide challenges in documenting and communicating the larger study's progress. This paper presents findings from this continuously evolving study, and also the design and implementation of this design-based research at roughly the halfway point for a four-year study. Each of the consequent versions scaffold to answer the broader research questions of the study pertaining to: engineering appealing to students' personal interests, empowering underrepresented groups to find meaningful connections to engineering, leading more authentic engagement in engineering and design practices, and improving students' attitudes and perception of engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of gender on the interest in engineering and technical subjects of the students in the first courses of secondary education. A statistical analysis was carried out, analyzing the use of a free virtual-reality application, developed by the 3M Foundation, which aims to bring these subjects to the students. Non-parametric statistical methods were used to analyze several variables, such as repetition of the experience, new learning and knowledge reinforcement as well as learning in different ways, which were collected through two questionnaires. These were Pre and Post the playing of the game and later, subsequently validated. This analysis demonstrated that gender has an impact on the interest of the students in engineering and technology but it does not have any influence on the rest of the studied variables. The results show that the interest of girls could be increased through group activities. Age has only influence on the desire to repeat the experience, with a varied level of influence, in the case of the technological contents. The motivational factors that have a greater influence on each variable, "innovation" and "usefulness", were also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the structural features of engineering engagement programs (EEPs) are related to the nature of their service-learning partnerships. "Structure" refers to formal and informal models, processes, and operations adopted or used to describe engagement programs, while "nature" signifies the quality of interactions or interpersonal dynamics within partnerships. We developed the Transactional, Cooperative, and Communal (TCC) framework to code interviews (N=30) with community partners, administrators, faculty members, and students at three well-developed and geographically-diverse EEPs. A thematic analysis approach was then employed to relate the three TCC partnership natures to six emergent structural themes: (a) program purposes, (b) partnership structures, (c) modes of interactions, (d) organizational partners, (e) individual partners and advisors, and (f) projects. The paper concludes by discussing specific implications of the TCC framework for educators and program administrators, the importance of recognizing both individual and organizational influences on partnerships, and the salience of engineering education as a context for service-learning and community engagement (SLCE) programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to understand the everyday experiences influencing the self-efficacy of a group of engineering students preparing for the TECO Green Tech International Contest. It also aimed to understand whether participants' self-efficacy levels fluctuated under the influences of these experiences. The paper takes a qualitative approach using focus group discussion, journaling, and one-to-one interviews as data gathering tools. Our study confirms previous theoretical assumptions and empirical findings that four sources of self-efficacy information are related to self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, the study also supports the role of collective efficacy and context in influencing engineering students' self-efficacy. During the first two weeks of the contest preparation period, participating students experienced a low sense of self-efficacy under the influence of perceived lack of knowledge and skills, contest pressure, doubt of team ability, and negative feelings. A couple of weeks prior to the contest, as the students draw inspiration from a growth in knowledge and skills, verbal feedback, and positive feelings, their self-efficacy was enhanced. Comparison with team members and trust in the advisor's credibility also strengthened their sense of self-efficacy. This research has the potential to inform the development of engineering undergraduates' contest self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the important elements of compiling a student portfolio. In the field of engineering, there is often a wide gap between students’ technical knowledge and their ability to communicate concepts to a broad audience. As a result, many new engineers enter careers without the necessary skills to clearly discuss their work with colleagues from different departments, peers from different organizations, and the wider public. Some engineering education programs are attempting to incorporate more emphasis on writing and communication into their course curricula, but there are still few opportunities for building and testing students’ skills in this area. This paper presents the purpose of a powerful portfolio in terms of what it can offer students, their educators, and their future employers. It also makes an argument for strong communication as a necessary skill in the engineering classroom, in R&D settings within a company, and across different departments and industries. It also offers some suggested guidelines for the process of compiling a portfolio, based on data and documents compiled from both educational institutes and engineering organizations. The intent of this work is to offer students and educators a brief overview of the portfolio process, with emphasis on organizing the components of such a collection so that a potential employer or peer would find them intuitive and easy to understand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grading individual students in teams or projects has always been problematic. To accurately gauge individual learning outcomes, students' grades need to be based on what they have learned as an individual within the team or project context. However, within engineering team-based projects, individuals have traditionally been assigned a grade heavily influenced by the team's project outcomes. Final year engineering projects (FYEP) suffer from similar problems. While typically in the Australian context, the projects are conducted by individuals, they are still conducted using the philosophy of PBL. To provide a reliable indicator of student capability and program quality and standards, FYEPs must be coherent, valid and reliable instruments for student assessment and program evaluation. This paper considers two Australian engineering education projects, one recently completed and one current, that investigate the issues of; how can individuals who learn in a team environment be assessed as individuals?, how can the outcomes from final year engineering projects be used to demonstrate the standards required by various state and professional accrediting agencies? And what are the issues that prevent staff effectively assessing the learning outcomes of individual students who learn in the project environment? The paper outlines an assessment model that was trialled and discusses the issues arising. The difference between this form of assessment and others in engineering education is that it assesses the learning outcomes of the individuals as opposed to assessing the product of the team. The paper also discusses the results from the first stage of data gathering on final year projects in Australia. The conclusion is that assessing the product rather than the learner degrades the opportunity to use projects as evidence of learning, but continues because it is easier for academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the pivotal goals in engineering education is to broaden participation ofdifferent minorities. An overlooked barrier yet to be explored is how hidden curriculum and its connected constructs may impede this goal. Hidden curriculum (HO refers to the unwritten, unofficial, and often unintended assumptions, lessons, values, beliefs, attitudes, and perspectives in engineering. This paper will present the development and assessment of a mixed-method vignette survey instrument to evaluate the responses of current engineering students and faculty when exposed to several examples of hidden curriculum. Results from 153 engineering students and faculty across the United States and Puerto Rico were used to assess the survey sub-subscales (HC awareness, emotions, self-efficacy, and self-advocacy). Findings revealed Cronbach alpha coefficients of 0.70 (HC awareness), 0.73 (emotions), 0.91 (self-efficacy), and 0.91 (self-advocacy). The overall instrument had a reliability of 0.74. Alongside HC awareness, we found that among different axes of inequity, gender, role, and institution type are important elements that shaped the responses of these engineering populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education, engineering students have to be prepared for their future jobs, with knowledge but also with several soft skills, among them creativity. In this paper, we present a study carried on with 128 engineering undergraduate students on their understanding of mathematical creativity. The students were in the first year of different engineering first degrees in a north-eastern Portuguese university and we analysed the content of their texts for the question 'What do you understand by mathematical creativity?'. Data collection was done in the first semester of the academic years 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 in a Linear Algebra course. The results showed that 'problem solving' category had the majority of the references in 2014/2015, but not in the academic year 2016/2017 were 'involving mathematics' category had the majority. This exploratory study pointed out for 'problem solving' and 'involving mathematics' categories and gave us hints for teaching mathematics courses in engineering degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe specific techniques of "inquiry-based learning" employed by three instructors in Engineering schools, one in Europe and two in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – Theorists such as Bransford et al. argue that twenty-first century educators need to teach students to do more than simply remember and repeat information. Engineering educators Prince and Felder critique traditional methods of teaching in which instructors focus on mathematics and theory, but fail to convey practical applications of that knowledge. They advocate moving students to a higher level of learning – past the stage of memorizing and reciting data – to more sophisticated methods of analysis, synthesis, and application of knowledge. To enact such transformations, Prince and Felder recommend "inductive teaching methods," including "inquiry-based learning," in which students learn through engaging with challenges and a series of questions. The paper provides examples of inquiry-based learning activities from each of the authors. The paper then discusses the cross-pollination of ideas and describes how the authors have shared inquiry-based teaching strategies and collaborated to develop new and relevant assignments and approaches to teaching. Findings – The willingness of learners to discuss a range of pedagogical topics, from specific practices to shared experiences and readings, led to an exchange of ideas, and also to deeper reflections on current practices. The cross-pollination of assignments and techniques resulted in well-structured, stimulating, and relevant research projects that engage engineering students from Texas to Portugal, and from communication to technical classes. Research limitations/implications – The use of inquiry-based learning activities and the sharing of resources across continents aimed at improving learning and teaching requires expanding upon and further development. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates the use of cross-pollination of ideas, development of assignments and improved approaches to teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering education encompasses students, faculty, the workforce, and the profession of engineering. This paper provides five snapshots that seek to explore the current state of engineering education from different perspectives of scale: the student, the program, policy, society, and technology. The multifaceted view provided by these snapshots indicates that engineering education is a complex, adaptive system that operates on different spatial and temporal scales. These snapshots are intended both to inform and to raise questions for engineering education researchers, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers. Four interlinking themes are found to thread through each of the five perspectives—the philosophical basis for engineering, the role of experience, resources, and change. The paper concludes with exploration of these themes in the context of engineering education today. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the obligatory but often contentious relationship that exists between contemporary second level education and the choice of undergraduate course by students within an Irish context. A survey of 1723 students from across four second level schools and all year groups was conducted asking students to elect a career that they would most like to pursue in the future. The results of this survey served to highlight the declining allure of engineering as a future career for students as they progress through second level. Focus groups were held in all four schools in order to identify the current motivations behind students' course choice, as well as students' perceptions regarding the decline in undergraduate engineering numbers. Students frequently highlighted future career prospects, as well as current matriculation requirements as factors to be taken account of in the uptake of undergraduate engineering degree programmes. Finally this paper also compares and contrasts the perceptions and motivations of current second level students with those of existing undergraduate engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating from the steady declining rate of engineering students in Malaysia, the country is predicted to be short of 236,000 engineers and technical personnel to achieve its 2020 Mission. Hence, it has built the first technical MARA Junior Science College that introduced engineering to lower secondary students. However, there is yet a study on whether or not it helps the students to increase their interests in engineering. Therefore, in this paper, a survey has been conducted to first and foremost investigate the technical students' interests in engineering as well as finding out the reasoning from those who are not interested in engineering. After that, a half day engineering program is introduced with a measurement on the interest in engineering before and after the intervention is held. Finally, the survey studies which field of engineering the students are most interested in. The results show that, before the program is introduced, only 8.47% of the technical students have shown high interests in engineering field with only 7.5% female students are interested in engineering compared to 18.42% for male students. After the program is introduced, as high as 33.05% students rated their interest in engineering field as 'most interested', with 39.47% in male students and 30% in female students. It proves that an engineering event is crucial in increasing students' interests in engineering. It also concludes that Electrical Engineering is the most favourite field of engineering with percentage score of 38.98%, while Electrical Power being the least. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer based learning is one of the effective tools to attract students and introduce them to state of the art tools. Because of the internet and video games, students are now more comfortable interacting with computers than last generations. Traditionally, advanced engineering tools such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are introduced to graduate students. Both of them are numerical simulation environments to design and analyze structures, thermal and heat transfer systems, and fluids. Students of that level are trained to use their programming skills to develop codes and solve technical problems starting from the basic theories. In the last decade, commercial packages have been designed to allow a regular practicing engineer to use such advanced tools with a basic level of knowledge. However, developments and improvements are still happening in the large research institutes and universities. In the present work, CFD was introduced in an undergraduate Fluid Mechanics course. The paper discusses the integration of CFD in the topics of the course. At the end of the course, the students were asked to use CFD to design and analyze a ground Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) following the requirements of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) competition. Having CFD as a design tool gave the students the chance to develop critical thinking in analyzing the available similar designs, solve the technical problems and ultimately create the new design to meet certain criteria. Beside the technical growth, the students also had to work in teams and manage the project within certain time and resources constraints. Each team was asked to present three designs, analyze them using CFD and choose the best one. The project had several stages including problem identification and engineering specifications outline, option analysis, engineering design, and finally analysis and optimization. The paper also includes the course outline, learning outcomes, details of the project stages. Assessment data are discussed and samples from the students' work are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of engineering students and professionals are interested in sustainability issues, but do not come from environmental backgrounds. As a result, courses designed for such students must strike a balance between providing useful environmental and sustainability knowledge and yet remain appropriate for those coming from a non-environmental background This paper outlines such a course that has been taught and refined for the last three years in the Faculty of Engineering, University of Windsor, to a mixed class of civil, mechanical, environmental and industrial engineering graduate students. The paper provides examples and descriptions of what was done in the class and their effectiveness for teaching sustainability, as well as what difficulties were encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the distance learning process by providing an informed student's perspective as well as the instructor's perspective on an Internet-based synchronous distance learning experience. Throughout the semester, the student maintained a class-by-class journal on his experiences and reactions to the Internet-based course. This journal served as a crucial resource in the subsequent evaluation of the virtual classroom experience. The analysis provided in this paper, informed by current research on traditional and distance education, suggests that community, interaction, pedagogy, attention, and feedback play important roles in the success of an Internet-based learning experience. Specific comments by the course instructor, as well as survey results from both students and other instructors for a number of synchronous Internet-based courses, are also presented. This data further illuminates the student synchronous distance education experience and contributes additional insight into the delivery method and its ongoing evolution. The unique observations and conclusions provided here are useful for both instructors and students interested in participating in synchronous as well as asynchronous computer-mediated education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, meeting our technological challenges demands educational excellence, a skilled populace that is ready for the critical challenges society faces. There is widespread consensus, however, that education systems are failing to adequately prepare all students with the essential twenty-first century knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in life, career, and citizenship. The purpose of this paper is to understand how twenty-first century knowledge and skills can be appropriately embedded in engineering education finalised to innovative product development by using additive manufacturing (AM). The study designs a learning model by which to achieve effective AM education to address the requirements of twenty-first century and to offer students the occasion to experiment with STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts. The study is conducted using the quality function deployment (QFD) methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of an undergraduate degree programme in software engineering over the ten year period from 1988 to 1998. Particular emphasis is given to the fundamental principles that have been established to guide the creation and evolution of this programme during this period, and to ensure that it has been distinctively a course in software engineering rather than in any other branch of computing. To this end, the fundamental engineering characteristics of the programme are compared with those of undergraduate courses in other branches of engineering. Desirable future developments in this programme are then discussed, and finally the different principles identified in the paper are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity and dynamics of the automotive industry require highly trained graduates with competencies and skills in various scientific and industrial fields, as well as practical skills. Theory with can be applied to practice in several ways: increasing practical application of labs and workshops, practice activities, race car contests, participation in scientific groups, work on research and development projects, internships, etc. The present paper explores the attitudes and perceptions of students who participated in an international competition for prototype vehicles powered with compressed air. Based on an exploratory questionnaire, uni- and multivariate statistical methods were applied, and the results were used to create a model related to the students’ perception of the usefulness of participating compared to the additional engineering skills learned. The results show that students involved in race car competitions enjoy positive feedback and more (regardless of country of origin) and learn professional skills with high-quality and relevant technical, social, and behavioral competences, which are required in the automotive industry today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at presenting the experience of the Power Conversion project in teaching students to design a proof-of-principle contactless energy transfer system for the charging of electrical vehicles. The Power Conversion is a second-year electrical engineering (EE) project in which students are to gather and apply EE knowledge to design and test a system. This system is to work with power level and operates independent from an electricity grid. The instructional method used in this project is design-based learning (DBL). As an educational approach, DBL is to support students to gather and apply knowledge inopen-endedassignments. The set-up of the project has gone through different modifications and iterations in three consecutive years regarding the organisation and supervision of the students. We have analysed the students’ design products in the past three academic years in order to evaluate whether the project set-up and supervision have influenced students’ designs. Results indicate that theopen-endedcharacter of the project has a positive influence on the designs especially regarding the criteria on efficiency, Maximum Power Point Tracking algorithm and power tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Learning new concepts outside one's domain can be challenging due to the complexity of the content, the method of delivery, and the assessment process. However, learning new concepts is a necessary part of education and individual growth. This paper outlines this challenge in the context of undergraduate and engineering students taking a sociology course entitled, "Who Gets Ahead: Sociology of Social Networks and Social Capital", We review some of the existing literature focused around teaching new concepts to unfamiliar students, as well as discuss some of the literature around teaching the topic of sociology to engineering students. Finally we will describe our approach taken to teach a sociology course to engineers, as well as some of the observations taken during the course. The outcome of the course showed that many of the student's concerns of the course's requirements stay the same from the beginning to the end, however their perceptions of sociology change to a highly positive one when they are able to apply theories and concepts to real-life examples such as their internships or interpersonal relationships and concrete empirical studies. The challenge is to get them to consider multiple interpretations of social phenomena, as there is a tendency to look for one right answer. Eventually, the success of any sociological course is on how these concerns can be met through innovative teaching methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is the aim of the paper to reflect on the lessons learned after ten years of existence of the Sino-French School for Engineering at Shanghai University (UTSEUS), as well as on perspectives for an evolution related to recent developments in the French Higher Education landscape. The authors present background, rationale, modalities and perspectives for this venture set up by three French universities of technology in China by drawing parallels with other well-established Sino-foreign operations. It is shown that the combination of transnational and international approaches allow for transferring and adapting a foreign education model on a large scale, but also for establishing reciprocal mobility of big student cohorts. The approach is based on an integrated foreign language learning and intercultural content. This successful experience also shows how universities play an integrative role for a country's cultural and industrial relations at an international level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of lecture capture in Engineering classes to provide students with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the course content. Students were asked to provide feedback on what they perceive the benefits and the drawbacks of lecture capture to be. The results show that the students consider lecture capture an effective tool to help them succeed in the course. The videos are available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week thus allowing students to bridge the gap between what they have understood in the formal class setting and what they are able to better understand after reviewing the videos in a more informal, relaxed environment. In addition, most of the students indicated that the availability of the videos did not encourage them to skip or miss any classes. The main drawback was associated with technical difficulties which resulted in some wasted time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Engineering graduate education, particularly at the doctoral level, relies heavily on mentored research experiences often conducted in a research group. PURPOSE (HYPOTHESIS) The purpose of this study is to understand how and under what conditions research groups foster successful learning and professional development for graduate engineering students, and how these findings can be used to inform management of engineering research groups to optimize student learning, productivity, and intent to complete the degree. DESIGN/METHOD This study utilizes a sequential exploratory mixed methods design, with nine months of ethnographically guided observations and interviews used to develop an online survey instrument. Data reported in this paper include results from the ethnographic analysis and survey responses from over 800 students at four institutions. RESULTS Key findings from the ethnographic analysis indicate that group size directly influences the mechanisms of student learning. Survey results confirm the prevalence of engineering graduate research groups, as well as several elements common across research groups from different universities and academic departments, including: interactions and communication, access to resources, and role of the advisor. CONCLUSIONS An understanding of the mechanisms for learning in research groups can be used by engineering administrators, faculty members, and graduate students to create an environment that fosters successful learning and professional development. We also recommend practices for ensuring positive experiences for all graduate students, which may ultimately reduce attrition from engineering graduate programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a theoretical basis for cultivating engineering education as a complex system that will prepare students to think critically and make decisions with regard to poorly understood, ill-structured issues. Integral to this theoretical basis is a solution space construct developed and presented as a benchmark for evaluating problem-solving orientations that emerge within students’ thinking as they progress through an engineering curriculum. It is proposed that the traditional engineering education model, while analytically rigorous, is characterised by properties that, although necessary, are insufficient for preparing students to address complex issues of the twenty-first century. A Synthesis and Design Studio model for engineering education is proposed, which maintains the necessary rigor of analysis within a uniquely complex yet sufficiently structured learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Model engineering has played an important role in the development of several technological breakthroughs. Some examples include James Watt's work on the broken Newcomen engine model at Glasgow University, which introduced him into steam engines. Richard Trevithick developed several scale models in order to demonstrate the way of functioning of his early road steam locomotives. Recent advances in computer aided design (CAD) and computer modelling have provided resources for a more virtual oriented education to mechanical engineering students, which may have resulted in a reduction in the actual time dedicated to the construction of real pieces of machinery or equipment. The choice of the type of machines to be modelled also represents a challenge for a curious student, especially if we try to recreate devices engineered by the ancient Greeks, Romans, by Leonardo da Vinci, or the more recent steam and hot air engines. The list of potential devices to be modelled is almost endless. In this paper, we report on a contest for the construction of functional models from the ancient Greeks. We also report on the development of steam and hot air (Stirling) models. The difficulties found by the students during the projects are discussed in terms of the course level of the students and their specific backgrounds and interests. The construction of operating scale models also represents a good option for university departments with limited budgets, since the amount of materials and production time required is considerably less than what is required for full scale machines. Some suggestions for the implementation of this kind of workshops and contests are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Academy of Engineering report. Educating the Engineer of 2020, calls for systemwide efforts to align our nation's engineering curriculum and engineering profession with the needs of today's global, knowledge-driven economy for the purpose of increasing student interest in engineering careers. We developed an innovative global internship program for which students researched real-world problems in another country and then documented their research experiences by means of multi-media case studies. This paper describes the methodology, collaboration among US and Indian universities in order to conduct the internship programme, the project timeline and execution, an overview of the projects and an evaluation of the value of the experience to the participants. The evaluation shows that the students perceived that they are more informed about global issues, are better prepared to deal with the future, obtained real-world experiences, and improved their higher-order cognitive skills due to their participation in this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses teamwork skills and independent-learning skills that enhance active learning. Problem-based learning (PBL) was incorporated into science, where real-life problems were chosen from the field of engineering to motivate students to activate and develop these skills. The analysis of students' questionnaires shows that engineering students have positive attitudes toward cooperative learning and towards the use of computers in engineering problem solving. Students, who were taught using PBL rated their progress in teamwork skills significantly higher than their peers who were taught in the traditional way. Moreover, the PBL participants reported significant improvement in independent-learning skills using a computer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building a technology-driven world appears to be the main motivational force behind students choosing to undertake engineering studies. The first year of engineering education plays a significant role in demonstrating sufficient mathematical and scientific rigor to satisfy these motivational factors. The common applied mechanics courses play a central role in achieving this. At the same time, a vast majority of students suffer from a lack of the necessary mathematical skills and analytical orientation for various reasons. Due to different educational philosophies and teaching pedagogies, a lack of proper integration between mathematics and applied mechanics is common. Several efforts were made to build better curriculum, teaching, and learning systems, resulting in widely varied solutions, but most of them require drastically different implementation approaches. With sufficient rigor in teaching and assessment, the first-year applied mechanics (common) courses designed for engineering students can solve students' mathematical and motivational lapses and help bridge the gaps between pre-university and university education endeavours. This paper presents evidence supporting this argument. In particular, datasets collected from the direct experiences delivering the first-year static and dynamics courses to many students over the past decade and a half are analysed to establish the proposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faculty of Engineering Technology of the Open University of Sri Lanka has been offering engineering programmes at a distance for the last two decades or so. However, completion rates in Faculty of Engineering Technology are lower compared to the other faculties of the University. This paper investigates the reasons for low completion rates in the faculty and suggests ways and means to overcome this problem. The study concludes that increasing student numbers will not necessarily increase percentage of students completing the programme though the number of students completing is increased. It is found that students offering courses for the first time in the system of distance education in their academic career perform poorer because they are not conversant with distance education techniques. It is recommended that the Faculty must offer an orientation programme on distance education to all the students enrolling for the first time, before they commence their regular programmes. Further, it has been found that considerable percentage of students who obtain eligibility to sit the final examination by completing the continuous assessments do not sit the final examination. This has been found to contribute towards non-completion of programmes as students sitting the final examination in the subsequent years perform poorly in their exams. To overcome this problem, it is recommended that current practise of allowing the student to carry forward their eligibility to unlimited period of time must be disbanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we characterize breadth of problem scoping in an engineering design problem. Specifically, we present several measures that quantify the number and variety of factors an individual problem-solver considers during the engineering design process. We apply these measures to data collected from freshman and senior engineering students who solved a short design problem. The results o four study indicate that graduating seniors do consider a broader array of factors than freshmen as they undertake the problem-scoping stage of the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need arises to equip engineering students with a wider horizon of concepts in terms of environmental, economic, and social attributes, for decision making of sensitive to sustainability issues. Pedagogic frameworks have to address a multidisciplinary analysis of sustainability. This paper addresses the rationale behind the recent integration of sustainability concepts into an undergraduate civil engineering curriculum in Hong Kong. Incentives and barriers for implementation of the curriculum are addressed. A team-based design project with a problem-based learning approach is highlighted. The initial results of stakeholder evaluations suggested that multidisciplinary skills developed during the learning process might contribute significantly to pertinent knowledge on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a cognitive study of a qualitative character in relation to the learning of the two variable functions and partial derivative concepts in the engineering context. It defends the fact that didactic settings in context can be conducive to a logical meaningful learning for the student with sense in the future professional area. This motivated us to research what happened at cognitive levels for students in this type of didactic environment. The theoretical framework is described by the study of cognitive functioning in a mental act of learning (the process of resolving problem). The analysis reports the experience which results in the implementation of didactic setting designs with one group of engineering students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has adopted a revised set of criteria for accrediting engineering programs. Nevertheless, as in the past, civil engineering departments will be required to demonstrate proficiency in specific subject areas which are included in the ABET program criteria. This paper investigates, according to civil engineering students, the level at which their understanding of various subjects required by ABET and listed in the Program Criteria for Civil and Similarly Named Engineering Programs and the General Criteria (Professional Component) has been enhanced by being involved with projects associated with the steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions. The results are also compared with students who have practical civil engineering experience. In particular, the findings suggest that students who are directly involved with project work believe that four areas have been greatly enhanced. They include: structural engineering, project management/scheduling and estimating, constructability, and teamwork. Understanding of engineering codes and standards, health and safety issues, materials engineering, and ethical considerations are also perceived to be enhanced. Furthermore, the results complement documentation from the American Institute of Steel Construction including comments from students participating in the steel bridge competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of the paper is on implementation of a core undergraduate course offered to non-electrical engineering students. The course provides a foundation and an avenue for physical system modelling and applying a system approach to problem solving. It is a prerequisite course for the automatic control course offered in the seventh semester. The logical sequence of the course follows the flow of data from sensing element, transduction, signal conditioning and digital conversion. Several specially tailored experiments are designed to motivate students and inculcate professional attitudes. Based on students' questionnaires, they are more interested in laboratory work, and in using problem solving skills, than in theories and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer Research Experience for Undergraduates offered by the NSF-sponsored VaNTH Engineering Research Center in Bioengineering, core competency instruction in ethics and communication was integrated into students' research experiences outside of formal courses. This paper describes our instructional approach and presents an initial evaluation of its effectiveness. A simple concept mapping assessment used at the beginning and end of the summer suggests that students made gains in both areas. In ethics, students developed greater awareness of key concepts, such as respect for persons (informed consent), beneficence, justice, and integrity. Gains in communication were more modest, but the maps revealed growth in understanding the importance of audience and the multifaceted nature of technical communication. Overall, the study suggests that students can make measurable strides in core competencies without taking formal courses. Future research should consider integrating components of our intervention into other non-credit experiences for engineering undergraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001, a survey found that 87% of engineering professors in the United States spend the entire class time lecturing to a passive group of students material that is copied down and never looked at again. This paper presents the results of scientific inquiry and keen observations all leading to the same conclusion: engineering education has to reform itself. Presently, almost all engineering students learn best doing lots of homework (∼50%) and theoretical study (25%) are accommodated by lectures, homework, and rote-problem tests. Regrettably, an overwhelming number of the creative students do not learn this way and fail. Learning as a process needs to be put at the heart of education moving us away from the traditional educational enterprise. The presented data benefits researchers and practitioners in that they highlight the urgency of the issue and show how the proposed paradigm shift is underpinned by our understanding of how people learn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental engineering education at universities is a rapidly changing field globally. Traditionally it has resided in the civil engineering program addressing water and wastewater quality, treatment, design and regulatory issues. In recent years environmental engineering has become a much broader field encompassing water, wastewater, soil pollution, air pollution, risk assessment, ecosystems, human health, toxicology, sustainable development, regulatory aspects and much more. The need to introduce environmental engineering/green engineering/pollution prevention/design for the environment concepts to undergraduate engineering students has become recognized to be increasingly important. This need is being driven in part through the US Engineering Accreditation Commission Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria 2000. Thus there has been a major shift in environmental engineering education and it no longer resides only within the civil engineering discipline. This paper focuses on the development of innovative curricula for a brand new engineering program at Rowan University that integrates environmental education for all engineers. A common course known as "engineering clinic" was developed for all engineering students throughout their eight semesters of engineering education. One of the clinic goals is to integrate engineering design and the environment. The program, in its seventh year, indicates successful implementation of environmental education in all four engineering disciplines in their course work and clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the implementation of a required course on electronic instrumentation for informatics engineering students. These students had proved in previous years to require a special approach, as their motivation for this subject was low. The course focuses on the basic concepts of Electronic Instrumentation, including analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue conversion and introducing the concept of instrument control. The course was organised in a set of lectures coupled with laboratory experiments, and a small project. To foster collaborative learning all the students work on the same laboratory experiments, simultaneously, organised in groups of two. The students'feedback on the course was more positive than in previous years, although not substantially so in terms of results. We feel that a change of attitude took place effectively, and that this could be attributed to the laboratory experiments using LabVIEW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a role-playing game developed by faculty and students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to teach engineering within a rich cultural and historical context. Based on the successful Reacting to the Past series of role-playing games developed for humanities courses, this game differs in that its focus is engineering (a nineteenth-century sewerage project in Worcester, MA) and it is designed to include science experiments (water sampling), original research using nineteenth-century technical and historical/cultural material, data analysis (geospatial mapping of nineteenth-century data on pollutants, populations, and sewerage overflows), arguments from data, and cross-cultural communication. Developed in a humanities department with undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and later expanded in collaboration with research librarians and engineering faculty, the course is intended to engage students deeply in engineering issues – including offering a design project – while also immersing them in the cultural, historical, economic, and social conditions that influence engineering decisions. Ultimately, the goal of the game is to allow students to experience the world of engineering as a complicated, challenging, and satisfying enterprise that requires and rewards not only technical expertise, but also sensitivity to human contexts and diverse points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Engineering schools are struggling to maintain or increase the number of engineering students. Most attempted solutions focus on better marketing and publicity of the engineering field to K-12 students. How- ever, a large population of K-12 home-schooled students remains relatively untapped. This paper provides background information about the home- school population and their academic performance. The methods that universities and engineering schools can use to recruit home-schooled students are provided in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]