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Evaluators often find themselves in situations where resources to conduct thorough evaluations are limited. In this paper, we present a familiar instance where there is an overwhelming amount of open text to be analyzed under the constraints of time and personnel. In instances when timely feedback is important, the data are plentiful, and answers to the study questions carry lower consequences, we build a case for using a machine learning, in particular a sentiment analysis. We begin by explaining the rationale for the use of sentiment analysis and provide an introduction to this method. Next, we provide an example of a sentiment analysis leveraging data collected from a program evaluation of an engineering education intervention, specifically to text extracted from student reflections of course activities. Finally, limitations of sentiment analysis and related techniques are discussed as well as areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a reform of the doctoral study programme at the authors' faculty in Slovenia, an introductory course on scientific research methods became mandatory. It includes the topic of information literacy and covers its five main elements according to ALA 2000 standards. A librarian/researcher runs the practical part. As this course has been running for seven years we were interested in its impacts: (1) what are students' subjective impressions about the course and (2) if and how such a systematic education on information literacy topics objectively impacts their publishing and citations. The paper first presents the results of the questionnaire among 120 PhD students (the response was 67.5%, i.e. 81 of them) conducted immediately after the completion of the information literacy course. Four indicators were measured to address Question 1. Question 2 was approached by examining students' citation practices in their own PhD theses and their publishing results. The hypothesis was that the information literacy course increased students' competence. It was tested using quantitative parameters, such as the number of references in PhD theses and the number of scientific publications written during the study and shortly after it, separately for reformed programme students who attended the information literacy course, and for pre-Bologna reform students who did not take this course. We found that although pre-reform students on average cited a few more references than their post-reform colleagues, there were smaller differences among post-reform than among pre-reform students. Also, the median/typical post-reform students cited more references, what can be attributed to the information literacy course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon architecture and environmental engineering students' approaches to health and wellbeing issues in design studio project briefs. The design studio project is a key aspect of the students' fourth year programme in a dual accredited (RIBA/ARB and CIBSE) BEng course in the SW of England. Whilst the overarching site and brief are set by the studio leader, each student develops their own project agenda drawing on extensive urban and site analysis as well as precedent research. Particular detailed aspects of the brief are then further analysed and researched as part of an engineering report study. The research draws on first author's earlier work on effects of non-prescriptive briefs on transdisciplinary studio working in architecture and engineering programmes. Drawing on visual ethnography methods, the preliminary observations drawn out of the study begin to consider key intrinsic/extrinsic motivations and assumptions students draw on to develop a health and wellbeing agenda in their projects and the way these motivations further inform analysis in the engineering reports. The implications of the research are twofold. First, the preliminary analysis enables new insights into assumptions graduating architecture and engineering students draw on to develop a health and wellbeing motivated agenda. Second the study has benefits for design studio education brief setting approaches in particular, increasingly drawn upon in engineering and multidisciplinary built environment pedagogy. Practical application : This paper enables new initial insights into ways designers (architects and building services engineers) approach health and wellbeing issues at early stages of design, drawing on a higher education empirical setting. It is particularly relevant to professionals as well as educators in the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students who possess information competency are better equipped to use the large volumes of data at their disposal and think critically and creatively. This study aims to address the research gap in Pakistani higher education by examining the information competency of undergraduate students at a premier university. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 669 undergraduates, using descriptive and inferential statistics to draw inferences. The study found that students perceived their information competency to be slightly higher than average, with no significant difference based on gender or academic year. The subject domain significantly predicted students' information competency level, with engineering students expressing higher information competency levels than students from other disciplines. The social sciences group of students reported feeling less information competent compared to the other five groups. The study addresses the literature gap and provides crucial measures for academicians and library practitioners to create effective digital and information literacy programmes for university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Needs analysis is the key step to designing relevant and useful courses in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), but finding ways to deliver needs in a motivating and interesting way is also paramount. Therefore, investigating students' motivation to learn ESP is central in needs analysis. Few studies have investigated needs from the perspective of ESP learners' motivation. Focussing on engineering fields at three Iranian state universities, this study aimed to identify factors that affect engineering students' motivation for learning technical English in ESP courses. Using a mixed method design, this study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, semi-structured interviews with 40 undergraduate students helped to identify motivational variables, select a theoretical framework and develop instruments for the second phase. In the second phase, a survey using a 28-item questionnaire with 152 students, semi-structured interviews with 60 students, in-depth interviews with eight ESP practitioners and non-participant observation in seven ESP classes were done in parallel. Principal Component Analysis on survey data resulted in five motivational components of main sources of engineering students' motivation to learn technical English: 1) ideal-self, 2) ought-to self, 3) instrumentality promotion motivation, 4) learning conditions, and 5) learning experience. These components were in agreement with Dӧrnyei's L2 Motivational Self-system. Further quantitative and qualitative data analyses revealed that long-term goals and the practicalities of using technical English in every day life promote motivation more than a sense of obligation to learn technical English. Moreover, the results showed that Engineering students had negative attitudes towards elements of ESP learning experience, which best explained the reasons for students' low motivation. The findings also supported the significant effect of academic levels on motivation. The factors that motivated students call for modifications in ESP courses which are discussed as pedagogical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women constitute a clear minority in the field of information and communications technology (ICT) in higher education as well as in the job market. At the same time, this field is expected to have a shortage of qualified people in the future. Do women and men engineering graduates have the same career opportunities? This article problematizes the relationship between higher education in engineering and opportunities on the job market. The results show that men reach higher positions to a greater extent than women, and that women remain in low-qualification jobs to a greater extent than men. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article describes part of an investigation into the reliability and potential benefits of incorporating peer assessment into English language programmes. Undergraduate Engineering students attending a university in Hong Kong were asked to assess the English language proficiency of their peers - among other assessment criteria, such as preparation, content, organisation and delivery - as exhibited in the seminar, oral presentation and written report of an integrated group project. The article compares the students' attitudes towards assessing both the English language proficiency and other aspects of the performance of their peers. It also compares peer and teacher assessments. The findings suggest that students had a less positive attitude towards assessing their peers' language proficiency, but they did not score their peers' language proficiency very differently from the other assessment criteria. Students and teachers were different in their respective marking behaviours and the ways oral and written language proficiency were interpreted. While students derived benefits from the peer assessment exercise, a question mark hangs over incorporating peer assessment for both language proficiency and the other criteria into the regular assessment process until such differences are resolved. Suggestions are made for improvement in procedures and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]