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Professional bodies expect engineers to show competence in both mathematics and engineering topics such as mechanics, using their abilities in both of these to solve problems. Yet within engineering programmes there is a phenomenon known as ‘The Mathematics Problem’, with students not demonstrating understanding of the subject. This paper will suggest that students are constructing different concept images in engineering and mathematics, based on their perception of either the use or exchange-value for the topics. Using a mixed methods approach, the paper compares 10 different types of concept image constructed by students, which suggests that familiar procedural images are preferred in mathematics. In contrast strategic and conceptual images develop for mechanics throughout the years of the programme, implying that different forms of competence are being constructed by students between the two subjects. The paper argues that this difference is attributed to the perceived use-value of mechanics in the career of the engineer, compared to the exchange-value associated with mathematics. Questions are raised about the relevance of current definitions of competence given that some routine mathematical operations previously performed by engineers are now being replaced by technology, in the new world of work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

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]

In this paper we discuss perceptions of the benefits of learner-generated podcasts for supporting postgraduate engineering students in a mathematics-intensive course. The course under study had previously been highlighted as one in which students had struggled to attain knowledge that formed an essential underpinning to their degree programme. Podcasts were used as a means of concretising abstract mathematical knowledge so that students could access and share such concepts in a meaningful way. The experiences of three students (in a single cohort) were examined qualitatively at every stage of the exercise: introduction, pre-test, podcast creation, podcast peer evaluation, post-test, and focus-group session. The data suggest that this specific technique led to improvements in mathematical learning through the analysis of podcasts rather than through the creation of them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The use of online resources in the assessment of engineering modules is generally being encouraged in higher education institutions. This paper reflects upon the experience of open book testing of first year engineering students in two elements of assessment in a continuously assessed two semester long module. This mode of assessment is more convenient for the large percentage of part-time students on the programme, who only attend one day per week. A longitudinal study over a four year period shows that not all students like to be assessed in this way, even though evidence indicates improvement in pass rates over those achieved from more traditional modes of testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Staff and students have similar perceptions of which skills are key. • Skills can be grouped as personal effectiveness, communication or research skills. • Confidence in all skills areas is increased by the design process. • Skills development is supplemented by extra-curricular activities. • Design meets accreditation and industrial needs. Abstract Integrated learning makes use of group work to develop students’ professional competencies in tandem with their transferable skills. This paper looks at the skills required to undertake a fourth year chemical engineering “capstone design project” ( Design ) and the skills developed therein. Staff and students were surveyed about their perceived skills abilities, both before and after the project; the results of which showed agreement as to the skills necessary to undertake Design: these were grouped under personal effectiveness skills, communication skills or research skills. Students described a number of extra-curricular activities that contributed to skills development but sometimes failed to appreciate their transference to academic arenas. The surveyed students indicated that their confidence in all skills areas was increased by Design: but there were instances where some individual sub-set devaluing occurred. There is a link between experiential practice, predominantly as a result of producing assessed components, and high skills confidence; hence, it is recommended that students are encouraged to reflect on their project experience and that integrated learning be promoted to develop all skills effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formula Student (also known as Formula SAE) is an international competition for universities that challenges the students with a comprehensive engineering problem. Most of the participant universities and all the companies involved in the organization of the competition have identified this event as the most suitable tool for hard and soft skills development. This paper evaluates this development by means of two different objective assessments in the frame of a specific team, identifying the potential of the competition and showing a particular approach to enhance soft skills development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2011, the School of Engineering at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile launched an alternative admission program to attract talented high-school students from low-income families who would not be accepted by the conventional admission process but have otherwise shown outstanding academic results at the high-school level. Applicants came from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and were admitted through a formal process that looked for personal skills beyond standardized test results. Students accepted through the alternative admission program showed promising academic gains after their first year of college, a result that has repeated across cohorts. Proper academic and psychological support was needed to level out the disparities in students’ prior knowledge of science and math fundamentals. Future work is required to explore the principal factors affecting academic performance of underrepresented students who are not part of the schools’ dominant culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separate approaches in engineering education, research and practice are not very useful when preparing students for working life; instead, integration of education, research and industrial practices is needed. A triangular approach (TA) as a method to accomplish this integration and as a method to provide students with integrated expertise is proposed. The results from the application of TA, both at the course and programme level, indicate that the approach is suitable for developing engineering education. The student pass rate for courses where TA has been used has been higher than for previous approaches, and the student feedback has been very positive. Although TA aims to take both theoretical and practical aspects of engineering as well as research and education into account, the approach concentrates mainly on activities and therefore leaves the goals of these activities as well as the values behind these goals uncovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many universities, admissions decisions are made based upon the advanced-level (A-Level) results. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of A-level and international equivalents as a predictor of early achievement in higher education. About 135 UK and 92 international undergraduate engineering students from 35 countries were assessed at different stages of their instruction. The results show that the key predictor for academic performance is whether or not the students received a British education. The implications are that more policies and awareness are needed in order to effectively support international students in engineering during their transitional process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic dishonesty (cheating) has been prevalent on college campuses for decades, and the percentage of students reporting cheating varies by college major. This study, based on a survey of 643 undergraduate engineering majors at 11 institutions, used two parallel hierarchical multiple regression analyses to predict the frequency of cheating on exams and the frequency of cheating on homework based on eight blocks of independent variables: demographics, pre-college cheating behavior, co-curricular participation, plus five blocks organized around Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (moral obligation not to cheat, attitudes about cheating, evaluation of the costs and benefits of cheating, perceived social pressures to cheat or not to cheat, and perceived effectiveness of academic dishonesty policies). The final models significantly predict 36% of the variance in “frequency of cheating on exams” and 14% of the variance in “frequency of cheating on homework”. Students don’t see cheating as a single construct and their decisions to cheat or not to cheat are influenced differently depending on the type of assessment. Secondary findings are that a student’s conviction that cheating is wrong no matter what the circumstances is a strong deterrent to cheating across types of assessment and that a student who agrees that he/she would cheat in order to alleviate stressful situations is more likely to cheat on both exams and homework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study that uses assessment to stimulate creativity and communication skills of engineering students at Uppsala University and Vaxjo University in Sweden. Details on the educational system of both universities; Comparison of the two educational system; Methodology used in the evaluation of the students.