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Students of the undergraduate course Computer Science get acquainted with the most prevalent methods of Steganography and Cryptography in history as well as with up to date applications. To teach Cryptography and Steganography is complicated, because you need to plot figures and tables at the blackboard plus calculating the frequency of characters in the text is consuming a lot of work and time. Concealing information within pictures or voices is impossible to show on the blackboard and you can only partially explain how to apply the LSB (least significant bit) technique. Therefore, we have devised some applications which are appropriate to show all these algorithms. We wanted to know the usefulness of all the programs we wrote. The safety technology engineering students attended my lectures held at different times in two groups. In the first group of lectures I presented and used the programs described above while the lectures for the second group were delivered without these materials. Our hypothesis was that a group where we used the developed multimedia applications got better marks in the papers written than the other. An analysis of the results (Man-Whitney test) showed significant difference in paper results of the two groups (p<0,05). This showed: the paper results of students attending the multimedia lectures were better by one mark than the results of the other group where lectures were delivered without multimedia presentations. We can say the using of multimedia applications when teaching cryptography and steganography is productive, and the students understand the methods easier, and get better result when writing papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objective: The aim of the study is to assess financial expectations of the students of the Faculty of Management of the Jan and Jędrzej Śniadecki Bydgoszcz University of Technology after graduation and to determine whether the field of study has an impact on salary expectations. The hypothesis was formulated that students of finance and accounting have higher salary expectations than students of other fields. Additionally, it was assumed that 2/3 of the students of this faculty work while studying. The field and level of studies were taken into account. Methods: The study was conducted at the Jan and Jędrzej Śniadecki Bydgoszcz University of Technology. It involved 252 students of the Faculty of Management studying in the following fields: management (hereinafter ZA), management and production engineering (hereinafter ZIP) and finance and accounting (hereinafter FIR). The study was based on the primary data, obtained using a measurement instrument prepared for the needs of the study in the form of an online questionnaire (CAWI), as well as data on the number and structure of students of the Faculty of Management obtained from the University IT Department. Conclusions: The study results show that over 70% of the students take up work while studying. This indicates changes in the labour market, where the market demand for young people with both education and experience is clearly visible. The largest group of respondents, both employed and not working, are students of finance and accounting (first and second-cycle studies). The students of management and production engineering have the highest salary expectations after graduation, while students of finance and accounting have the lowest expectations. Students of management, however, fall between these groups. The salary expectations of finance and accounting students differ from the average salary expectations by PLN 1,334.69, by PLN 1,251.55 (for management students) and by PLN 1,194.76 (for management and production engineering students). Therefore, the largest deviation occurs for finance and accounting students who on average expect lower earnings than students of other fields. For all fields of study, the variation between salary expectations is low, which indicates homogeneity of the population. Interestingly, students of management in the highest percentage do not work in their profession (over 60%). The smallest disproportion between students who work and do not work in their profession exists in the case of finance and accounting students. The largest group working in their profession are students of management and production engineering, followed by students of finance and accounting. Most students, regardless of their cycle, combine work with studying. Among second-cycle students, the largest number of people - over half of the students of management and production engineering, and slightly less than half in the field of finance and accounting work in their profession. Among first-cycle students, the vast majority of respondents, regardless of the field of study, do not take up professional work. There is a relationship between salary expectations and the field of study, and it is statistically significant. This hypothesis was positively verified. Originality: The paper shows on the example of the students of the Faculty of Management of the Jan and Jędrzej Śniadecki Bydgoszcz University of Technology that the vast majority of management and finance students work while studying. The study highlights an extremely important aspect of current studying - combining studies with work, which has been noticed by researchers in Australia (Devlin, James, Grigg, 2008; Creed, French, Hood, 2015), New Zealand (Manthei, Gilmore, 2005) and the USA (Butler, 2007). The article is addressed to universities, in particular those offering courses, such as finance and accounting, management, management and production engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of learning a foreign language for specific purposes, the most suitable, adequate, and innovative approaches are constantly being sought, concerning how and which/what additional (supplementary) materials contribute to more effective 1) subject and 2) language content learning, as well as concerning easy knowledge transfer - from the native to the foreign language. The following paper examines the importance of various content components and illustrative materials as supporting engineering students’ foreign language teaching and learning. By means of an exploratory survey (survey card), the opinion of the students was collected and analyzed, which is indicative of the materials suitable for application in a working environment in their relation with the conceptual apparatus in the studied material in the native and foreign languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of higher education, the pursuit of interdisciplinarity aims to foster the exchange and integration of fragmented knowledge, yielding transformative outcomes. Employing a phenomenological method, this study delves into the interdisciplinary experience of twelve students from a first-year undergraduate calculus class. Through the analysis of written questionnaires, focus group sessions, and supplementary qualitative data, a comprehensive understanding of students' interdisciplinary encounters is unveiled and organized into three main categories: what students think about interdisciplinarity, how they act when being involved in integrations and what external factors are involved in shaping their experience. This paper presents emergent experiential themes, shedding light on both individual and collective experiences, as students navigate and enrich their calculus learning through interdisciplinary connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) course is crucial for mechanical engineering undergraduate students since it covers a wide range of engineering applications. It makes students ready for their careers in the area of NVH which has received attention from industry. The traditional treatment in teaching the course is mathematically challenging and might not be helpful for some undergraduates who are kinaesthetic learners. The explanation of topics can be facilitated by modern computation tools with simulation and visual capabilities in NVH course. These contemporary simulation tools make it feasible to more effectively and engagingly teach mathematically complex subjects to students for better understanding. This paper describes teaching NVH course in the Mechanical Engineering department at the KLE Technological University. Course is taught in two parts at 5th and 6th semester level. The first course is Mechanical vibrations and the second one Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH). Hands-on lab sessions with the simulation tool are included in the second course to give student in-depth understanding of concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is the means to take the sustainable development goals forward. Sustainable future cannot be built without the strong foundation of education. With the challenges and concerns grappling across the globe, engineers have a big role to play, especially with regard to the implementation and attainment of sustainable development goals. This study attempts to measure the knowledge level of engineering students regarding sustainability and UN Sustainable development goals. This study also aims to measure the understanding and perception of students understanding towards importance of SDG in their everyday life. As our country has a population that is mostly from rural backgrounds, the study also attempted to analyze if there is difference between rural and urban students' level of understanding on sustainable development goals. Finally, the paper attempts to measure student's willingness to learn sustainability concepts as a part of their curriculum. The study followed a descriptive research method. Data for the study was collected from 250 engineering students from west Tamilnadu comprising of 7 states. This region also is the hub for engineering education in the state. The survey was developed based on a thorough literature survey and standardized instruments were identified and administered through online mode. The result of the study indicates that the knowledge levels on SDG is low among the students. The understanding and importance of goals to the everyday life was found to be significant. The study also revealed that rural and urban students differ in 5 SDG's that pertain to their functioning. The results also indicate that majority of the students were willing to be involved in the SDG implementation and interested in having them in their curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting a research mindset among undergraduate students is crucial to fostering a culture of inquiry, critical thinking, and innovation. HEI's impetus on research at undergraduate levels has garnered increased attention in recent years across the country. For India to make a mark in research, especially in publication at an international level, HEIs must recognize the value of a research-oriented curriculum. The paper attempts to study the effect of undergraduate research experience and institutional support among engineers on research mindset and the impact of research mindset on career aspirations in research. The study followed a descriptive & relational research design. With a theoretical background of expectancy-value theory, four study variables were identified through literature: Undergraduate Research Experience (URE), Institutional Support, Research Mindset, and Career Aspirations in Research. Final and Prefinal year engineering students from tier 1 and tier 2 engineering institutions were the target respondents. Validated scales were adopted and used to collect data. The hypothetical model was formulated and tested with three direct effect hypotheses and indirect effects. Structural equation modelling (covariance-based method) was administered to prove the theoretical framework. Opensource GUI Software, Jamovi, was used for this purpose. The test results indicate a positive impact of URE and Institutional support on research mindset, and research mindset has a positive impact on career aspirations in research among engineers. Suitable suggestions and recommendations follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the complex landscape of alcohol consumption patterns among engineering students is crucial for shaping informed interventions and support systems. While prior research has primarily focused on aspects such as the prevalence of alcohol use and its consequences, there exists a significant gap in comprehensively exploring the underlying factors and implications. This research paper aims to bridge this void by exclusively addressing the intricate web of alcohol consumption within the engineering student demographic. The study delves into a multifaceted analysis that encompasses five paramount parameters: social influence, self-regulation, craving, coping strategies, and the environmental context. To achieve this, a meticulously designed survey instrument was deployed to engineering students at an autonomous college during the specified time frame. The collected data underwent rigorous exploratory factor analysis, resulting in the identification of five hypothesized factors that intricately define the landscape of alcohol consumption among engineering students. The reliability of this research instrument was validated through Cronbach's α values, which exhibited a range from 0.60 to 0.79 and had a minimum and maximum factor loading of 0.49 and 0.62 attesting to the robustness of the instrument. This valuable tool is poised to aid educational institutions in assessing their engineering students' current levels of awareness concerning alcohol consumption patterns and their underlying factors. Furthermore, it offers a foundation for evidence-based strategies aimed at fostering responsible drinking behaviors and tailored support systems, ultimately enhancing the well-being and academic success of engineering students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper chronicles the implementation of the Engineering Project in Community Service (EPICS) course within a curriculum, highlighting its journey of evolution from a Non Mandatory Course -- Mandatory Course -- Credit course for engineering students. The EPICS program was introduced in 2016 by one of the affiliated colleges in India, started this initiative to overcome employability issues, and for developing leadership skills, team work, problem solving skills in students. The goal was to inspire students to actively engage in real-time, community-oriented projects, shifting their focus from theoretical concepts to practical application. This change aimed at addressing employability concerns in India by fostering a more hands-on and service-oriented approach to engineering education. Studies the implementation of EPICS in engineering education effectively to address employability issues in India while enhancing students' technology-based learning and other skills, analyses academic performance of student whether increased after introducing the EPICS program? The EPICS program follows a comprehensive Design Thinking process, which involves identifying real-time problems, developing ideas, generating creative solutions, prototyping, designing, seeking feedback, and ultimately delivering and maintaining the outcomes. As of now, the program has successfully completed its eighth iteration. In the first iteration, EPICS was introduced as a non-mandatory course, offering an opportunity for interested students from various disciplines to participate by registering in the course voluntarily. The EPICS program, spanning four years of engineering education, has yielded positive outcomes for its students. An analysis of the program's impact reveals that 60% of students secured placements in reputed companies, 35% pursued higher studies, and 5% ventured into their own startups. Throughout the iterations, the program has actively collected reflections from students and alumni, as well as valuable feedback from parents and industry experts. Based on the insights gathered, the course structure and delivery have undergone significant changes from the initial iteration to the current one. These refinements aim at enhancing the effectiveness of the program, ensuring a more enriching and impactful learning experience for the participating students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes an effort to improve the industrial engineering course knowledge of a group of mechanical engineering students who are in 4th semester. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of the "out of classroom" teaching strategy in the context of skill sets appropriate for the business and industry domains. The main emphasis is given on "Value Engineering" and "Value Analysis" techniques. The students were divided into group of clusters and they have been assigned in various projects by subject faculty which contains deferent levels to complete. The results show that the learning strategy can improve management, business, and engineering abilities, and that it has the capacity to do so in a single semester of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an instrument designed to assess the Social Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy of freshmen engineering students. This instrument included 34 items and comprised of 5-dimensions: rational problem solving (RPO), positive problem orientation (PPO), avoidance style (AS), negative problem orientation (NPO) and impulsivity or carelessness style (ICS). This instrument was administered in the fall 2019 to freshmen engineering students at a large private southern Indian university. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 4-factors: positive approach towards problems (PAP), AS, NPO and ICS. For these 4-factors, Cronbach's alpha ranged between 0.63 to 0.87. t-test was conducted on the 4-factors to find the differences related to gender, background, and prior experience. For PAP, participants with prior experience reported higher self-efficacy than the participants without experience. For AS and NPO, participants without prior experience reported higher self-efficacy than the participants with experience. However, there were no significant difference on the four factors with respect to gender and background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution of Engineering Education to the sustainable development of the industry have shown its importance. In each phase of industry revolution, core engineering branches have played significant role by providing competent engineering graduates. Over the years' industry requirements are changed accordingly the employability skills of the graduates needs to be uphold. Further, the core engineering branches are facing challenges to adopt the revolution of allied engineering branches and courses. To address these issues, the students of core engineering branches to be trained in various dimensions for filling this gap. Thus, the paper discusses the development of students of core engineering through means of comprehensive training to make them employable with quality circle approach. The comprehensive training has been conducted for specific set of students of electrical engineering for placements in core companies with higher packages. Various surveys have been conducted to identify the skill-set requirements of students and expectations of industry. survey conducted. The outcome of the comprehensive training is found to be efficient in terms of placement opportunities and improvements in packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic information system (GIS) education empowers engineering students to make informed decisions, integrate comprehensive data, and communicate effectively through maps and visualizations. In GIS education, it is common to employ problem-based learning, which can benefit from the advantages of peer assessment methods. Among the benefits of peer assessment are the enhancement of students' capacity for analysis and synthesis, improvement in organizational and professional communication skills, and the development of critical judgement. However, a consequence of its application is that there may be variation in students' final grades, with no consensus in the literature on this matter. This paper explores the extent to which the application of peer ratings among students can modify student grades in the field of GIS education. This was achieved by conducting an experiment in which undergraduate engineering students assessed two problem-based learning activities carried out by their peers in two different basic GIS courses. The ratings obtained after the peer assessment were compared with the grades given by the instructors. The results allowed us to debate whether the teaching benefits of this strategy compensate for the differences between the students' grades and those given by instructors. Although no clear pattern was found in the mean ratings awarded by the two groups of evaluators, the results show that student engagement in peer assessment was high. This experience has demonstrated that the assessments of the two groups complement each other and allow students to gain a better understanding of their ratings and how to improve their skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deep integration of modern information technology and auxiliary training, virtual reality technology represented by human-computer interaction has gradually received widespread attention. In this paper, virtual reality technology is applied to the physical fitness training of college engineering students to assist teaching, so that learners in the virtual sports situation with the help of VR sensing equipment to complete a variety of sensory real-time interaction, combined with the goal of stimulating feedback mechanism to improve students' self-efficacy and interest in learning, and use practice to explore the teaching effect and potential value of the achieved not only to promote the diversified development of sports skills learning, but also to provide a reference for the application of virtual reality technology in sports. It can not only promote the diversified development of motor skills learning, but also provide reference for the application of virtual reality technology in sports. The application of virtual reality technology in the physical fitness training and teaching of college engineering students can be used as a means to stimulate the effect of the potential learning ability of the learners, in the awakening of interest in the sports situation at the same time to promote the improvement of sports skills, while the traditional classroom learners in the emotional attitude did not have a positive effect on the promotion. Secondly, it is difficult to form an effective stimulating effect in physical quality by different teaching methods. The experimental results show that the application of using virtual reality technology to optimise engineering students' physical fitness training is significant and proves the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students newly admitted to the university must familiarize with the higher education system, must survive to the transition from pre-university system and adapt to the style of learning/organization/evaluation, basically have to adjust to student life. This change from the pre-university system to the university one has a major influence on the young person on several aspects. Some concern personal life, because it is possible for him to access a university in another city or country and then break up with his friends and his current partner. This factor, among many others, can influence school dropout. Thus, in first years of study, the Communication discipline was introduced in the faculties with a technical profile, precisely to improve and facilitate communication in the new environment in which young people develop and to encourage them to work in a team. The paper presents the analysis of the way in which the aforementioned discipline influences interpersonal communication and obviously friendship relations between new colleagues. Two questionnaires were proposed: one for initial evaluation and one after the semester passed, completed by students at the first and at last seminar. The results showed that this discipline is really important and brings added value to collegial relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up new opportunities in education, particularly in the field of mobile robotics. Mobile robotics is a fast-growing field, and with the increasing demand for skilled robotics engineers, it is essential to provide students with hands-on experience in designing and developing robots. In this regard, an IoTbased 3D printed mobile robot platform has been developed for students training. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has been gaining attention as a means to improve science and engineering education. STEM education aims to foster critical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity, and innovation among students. It involves an educational policy that aims to develop the next generation of skilled professionals by integrating the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The goal of this approach is to provide students in mechatronics, who are assigned to the robotics lab during their studies, an up to date knowledge and experience in research and development activities. Thus, this paper aims to provide education that focuses on the acquisition and application of engineering knowledge, including control engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, information engineering, among others, with the main focus on mobile robot research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy lifestyle among university students is an apparent issue in their quality of life. The criticality of this issue is supplemented by reports that students' lifestyle was severely impacted due to the pandemic and abrupt shift to online learning. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the lifestyle of engineering students at a Malaysian public university. This paper also seeks to determine gender differences in students' lifestyles. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents via Google Forms to uncover their eating habits, physical activity, and sleeping habits. Data were collected for three months from four engineering programmes. Simple random sampling was employed, and 120 responses were obtained. The findings revealed that the students have been practising a moderately unhealthy lifestyle; possess average eating habits; are physically inactive, and do not attain sufficient sleep. This study also observed no significant differences between male and female students' eating and sleeping habits. In contrast, a significant difference was reported between male and female students' physical activities. The results also determined a moderate correlation between eating habits and sleeping habits and also between eating habits and physical activity. The findings recommend universities implement precautionary measures such as constructing relevant courses and health programmes to raise students' awareness of the importance of a holistic lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to analyze the methods of management in the case of engineering teams. Design/methodology/approach: Critical literature analysis. Analysis of international literature from main databases and polish literature and legal acts connecting with researched topic. Findings: The considerations presented in the publication made it possible to analyses the most important aspects of managing engineering teams. The publication draws attention to the specificity of managing engineering teams and the features that distinguish it from management in other types of organizations. In particular, it points out how to develop engineering teams in subsequent stages. The paper presents soft skills that should characterize people managing engineering teams, such as: dependability, work ethic, communication skills, community and teamwork, time management skills, goal setting, mental ability and takes direction well. The paper has a special focus on the best practices that should be followed to effectively manage engineering teams. Especially nowadays, in the era of Industry 4.0, there is a need for team management in industrial companies as well as more and more cooperation between people and machines. This kind of approach requires careful planning and management of engineering teams. The best practices presented in the publication can provide assistance to engineering teams in today's industrial enterprises wherever teamwork is necessary. Originality/value: Detailed analysis of all subjects related to the problems connected with management of engineering teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the study of the high frequency transformer incorporated in solid- state transformers, specifically on the development of the steps that enable the design of an optimized high frequency transformer and its equivalent model based on the desired characteristics. The impact of operating a transformer at high frequency and the respective solutions that allow this impact to be reduced are analyzed, alongside the numerous advantages that the utilization of these transformers has over traditional 50/60 Hz transformers. Furthermore, the power scheme of the solid-state transformer is outlined, focusing on the power converters, which are immediately before and after the high frequency transformer (HFT). We also investigate a control technique that allows for correct operation and the existence of power bidirectionality. In a novel approach, this paper demonstrates the systematic steps for designing an HFT according to the desired specifications of each given project, helping students and engineers achieve their objectives in power-electronic applications. Moreover, this paper aims at increasing the knowledge of this area of power electronics and facilitating the development of new topologies with high power density, which are very important to the integration of renewable power sources and other applications. Finally, a simulation is presented to validate a high frequency transformer and its control technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the challenges posed by globalization and internationalization, engineering education programs are increasingly focused on knowledge, technologies, and competence that meet global needs. Against this backdrop, higher engineering students are often encouraged to collaborate in teams with others from diverse, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds, for the purpose of preparing them to accommodate change and innovation across international working contexts. Within a growing number of intercultural systematic and meta-analysis reviews in engineering education, little attention has been paid to intercultural team characteristics, and even less has been given to the challenges of intercultural teamwork and the relevant coping strategies. Using a systematic approach, this paper reviewed 77 journal articles to identify the intercultural team characteristics of engineering students based on team formats, level of collaboration, learning goals, evaluation methods, and learning gains. Through the process of intercultural collaboration, several challenges and corresponding coping strategies were reported at the individual, relational, and contextual levels. Recommendations for future practice for engineering educators and programs faculties, and future research directions for engineering educational researchers, are proposed in order to support engineering students' intercultural team learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing applications of virtual reality (VR) technology are growing. The challenge is to design, integrate, and evaluate VR simulation for manufacturing Systems that improves the effectiveness of the planning process. In this paper, we discuss the technical infrastructure necessary to design a collaborative virtual manufacturing planning system. We describe the VR system setup and the integration of hardware and software to produce high-fidelity virtual simulation for manufacturing planning purposes. The designing guidelines are demonstrated by a high-fidelity VR simulation of a stamping process. The VR simulation also presents a method of visualizing computer-aided engineering content. Also, this paper assesses the factors that affect overall fidelity of the VR simulation. Objective evaluation of the VR simulation was conducted using the fidelity framework and the scales, whereas the subjective evaluation methods used were VR-simulation-driven data interpretation. The VR simulation was evaluated by a selective sample of 33 senior engineering students using a highly reliable scale (Cronbach's Alpha =.93) questionnaire that was designed to evaluate functionality, performance, and experience. The results of the subjective evaluation validate the evaluation of objective scales to be high-medium for the VR system used (M = 5.24, M = 5.11) respectively. Significant positive relationships were found between all factors, except distraction, which had a significant negative relationship with fidelity. Overall, the realism and sensory systems factors were found to be the main significant factors affecting the fidelity of the VR system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The experiences of students and professionals with disabilities are routinely excluded from scholarly and policy debates about equity in engineering. Emergent research suggests that engineering is particularly ableist, yet systematic accounts of the possible exclusion and devaluation faced by engineers with disabilities are largely missing. Purpose/Hypothesis: This paper asks, do engineers with disabilities have more negative interpersonal experiences in engineering classrooms and workplaces than those without disabilities? Utilizing a social relational model of disability, I hypothesize that engineers with physical disabilities and chronic and mental illness are more likely to experience exclusion and professional devaluation than their peers and, partly as a result, have lower persistence intentions. Data/Methods: The paper uses survey data from 1729 students enrolled in eight US engineering programs (American Society for Engineering Education Diversity and Inclusion Survey) and 8321 US‐employed engineers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Inclusion Study Survey). Analyses use regression, mediation, and intersectional approaches. Results: Consistent with expectations, engineering students and professionals with disabilities are less likely than their peers to experience social inclusion and professional respect at school and work. Students with disabilities are more likely to intend to leave their engineering programs and professionals with disabilities are more likely to have thought about leaving their engineering jobs compared to peers, and their greater risks of encountering interpersonal bias help account for these differences. Analyses also reveal intersectional variation by gender and race/ethnicity. Conclusion: These results suggest that engineering harbors widespread ableism across education and work. The findings demand more scholarly attention to the social, cultural, and physical barriers that block people with disabilities from full and equal participation in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of a simple pendulum are often presented to undergraduate engineering students in introductory courses in dynamics. It is usually the first dynamic system considered by students that is modelled by a differential equation. This paper presents the standard material given to students. It is fair to say that students are accepting this material, but many do not fully appreciate its importance as a basis for the analysis of other dynamic models. Students also believe that the behaviour of a forced simple pendulum is obvious and is not worthy of a deep analysis. This paper presents many interesting results that are available in the open literature, but is not usually presented to undergraduate students. Some of these are counter-intuitive results such as unstable points becoming stable when forced and deterministic models giving chaotic pendulum trajectories. Many results demonstrate that simple pendulums are very interesting and worthy of analysis. The extension of a forced simple pendulum to an application that all students have experience of a child playing on a swing is presented. Only a limited analysis of the swing models is presented. This leaves some open questions for students and lecturers alike to explore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting engineering students' academic performance is crucial for teachers to implement teaching interventions. How to use students' behavior records to predict grades during school has attracted extensive attention from researchers. Various machine learning methods have been proposed by previous researchers to predict engineering students' academic performance through their learning records. However, one of the major challenges now is that many researchers ignore the problem of reduced accuracy of prediction models due to imbalanced data. Simultaneously, a single classifier is susceptible to data changes and has an unstable classification performance. To this end, this paper proposes the RBF-Naive Bayes (RBFNB) prediction model to predict students' academic performance, which integrates Radial Basis Function (RBF) Network algorithm and Naive Bayes algorithm. The method of RBF Network is applied to predict the academic performance of students and generate prediction results. Then, the method of Naive Bayes is adopted to correct the previous prediction results for improving the accuracy of the prediction. The proposed RBFNB prediction model was applied to the data set about the engineering students' academic performance from a university and the Kalboard 360 public data set, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the success rate in the career of an individual depends mainly on the knowledge acquired during graduation. In the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario, engaging students to develop practical skills through an online platform is inevitable. Students by the end of graduation need to be industry-ready, for which working in a team to refine practical skills is mandatory. It is a known fact that due to cognitive diversity, working in a team makes it possible to perceive different perspectives, supplement one another, and make a reciprocal contribution towards the achievement of goals. Applying conceptual ideas in a team to enhance the hands-on experience is one of the tactics. Hence, in this paper, the authors propose the inclusion of Value Added Course (VAC) in the Electrical and Electronics Engineering curriculum to make students proficient and industry-ready. VAC can be offered to students during vacation, soon after the completion of thirdsemester exams. The use of an appropriate online platform addresses the requirements of the Teaching-Learning process. This paper proposes supplementing the initial steps of product design to assimilate fore knowledge of fundamental courses of third semester through pragmatic approach. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is described by measuring the Graduate Attributes attained. Index Terms--online teaching, Value Added Course, assimilation of fundamental courses, pragmatic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical Engineering Education needs the students to have prior knowledge of mathematical tools and analytical skills which warrants the need for collaborative learning. This paper explores the impact of collaborative learning strategies on the academic performance of students in electrical and electronics engineering. The purpose of this paper is to assess the learning of students in courses with a high quotient of analytical thinking and reasoning. The objective is to enhance the learning of students through creative and collaborative activities designed to ignite young minds. Homogeneous groups were formed and instructions related to collaborative activity were read out in class and made available on the learning management system. Students are given five to eight days for submission of results, interim evaluation, and preparation of presentation which is assessed based on published rubrics. The impact of collaborative learning strategies discussed in this paper is targeted towards the positive growth of individual students acquiring technical and managerial skills. The technical training conducted for students necessitates them to have prerequisite knowledge of foundation courses. It is observed that the students who have experienced collaborative learning methods have performed better during technical training. The collaborative activities have shown a positive response from students in the classroom and their performance in exams has improved. Group activities like chart-making, case-based learning, project-based learning and role play exercise can be planned for few topics in any engineering course design to ignite young minds towards technical topics discussed in theoretical courses with no practical content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied learning refers to an educational approach whereby students learn by engaging in direct application of skills, theories and models. Undergraduate research is a valuable applied learning approach. This paper presents research experiences for students enrolled in an Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology program, mentored by the author of this paper. Research projects in the areas of smart house systems and fault tolerant digital systems using computer-based tools are presented. The paper discusses results, including engaging strategies, challenges, lessons learned, and assessment of the undergraduate research experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes growth of research publications in the field of engineering produced from IIT Bombay during the period 2006 to 2016. Analysis has been made by taking into account the publication output of IIT Bombay as reflected in Scopus Database. Viable attempts has been made to find out the year wise growth of publications, preferred source for publication, national and international collaboration pattern, degree of collaboration. This paper highlights IIT Bombay's contribution to the field of engineering that is available in Scopus database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Engineers graduating from premier institutions of India look for global opportunities that will provide a chance to work with the best and the most innovative minds in the world. Nevertheless, to compete in the global job market, they require added competence in English. However, it is seen that despite exemplary hard skills, lack of good communication skills has obstructed the growth of engineers. This study aims to find a viable tool to enhance engineering students' communication skills despite many limitations. The purpose of this study is to explore how presentations can be used to address problems of low levels of English ability in highly skilled, high-functioning engineering professions. Design/methodology/approach: This paper discusses a study conducted in India's premier institution where around 240 first-semester engineering students were the sample. It uses partial ethnographic research to verify its hypothesis that presentations compel students to plan, prepare, practise and perfect their communication skills. It presents an ethnographic experiment conducted by the researchers and data collected using the qualitative research method of interviews. Findings: The results of the paper indicate that making engineers plan, prepare and make presentations can explore their ability to communicate in English. It also concludes that presentation helps students explore all four language skills, that is, reading the information collected, listening to peers, writing or preparing their presentation and finally speaking in front of the audience. Practical implications: This paper argues that presentation can be made a practice even in a large class of multi-level second language (L2) learners as it will generate interest in students and will develop many qualities such as team spirit, confidence and public speaking. Social implications: This study will help to address problems of low levels of English ability in highly skilled, high-functioning engineering professions. Originality/value: Since engineering classes in Indian institutes often comprise 80–120 students, the English teachers face immense challenge of simultaneously improving communication skills of a large number of students who are multi-lingual, multi-level L2 learners. Therefore, this paper presents an effective and interesting way of involving all the students and using presentation to improve their communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic created an enormous challenge to academic institutions in the United States and around the world. Most higher education institutions in the United States shut down campuses and completed the second half of the spring 2020 semester virtually. During the fall 2020 semester, some institutions started with face-to-face classes but had to switch to virtual learning after noticing an increase in positive cases. Others adopted a blended approach to supplement face-to-face meetings. None of these approaches necessarily resolved the challenges faced by Engineering Technology programs which typically incorporate more laboratory and other hands-on modules in their curriculum. Due to the applied nature of Engineering Technology programs, it is important even in the era of COVID-19 to ensure that students stay engaged in creative ways to learn by doing. Consequently, this a posteriori study was initiated to learn about the level that Engineering Technology students engaged with online course materials during the spring and fall 2020 semesters. Thus, the lessons learned can be applied to future courses that incorporate blended learning. This paper reviews students' patterns of interactions with course videos to assess their relationship with the academic success of the students in some upper-level blended courses. It was observed that the students who performed better in the courses demonstrated at least a 44% level of engagement with course materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineering drawing is a basic engineering course, which is popularly remembered as the language of engineers and finds the applications in all the domains of engineering as well as architecture. And now due to the intervention of computing facility, it gained further momentum in the field of engineering and technology. This paper traces the development of higher order thinking (HOT) skills in the field of engineering drawing. This paper makes an attempt in proposing distinct platforms for inculcating higher order thinking skills among the engineering students, which further enables them to achieve their highest potential and prepare them to propose solutions for the real world problems. Spatial visualization coupled with an intensive practise in free-hand sketches and manual drafting which is slowly dwindling in today's era of computerization, is proposed for improving HOT skills in the domain of engineering drawing. Students' understanding of the engineering drawing course has registered a substantial improvement and is recorded in the assessment performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an introduction to content in the current issue including two papers on the characteristics of current and future engineering students, four papers that examine what engineering students need to learn and challenges facing them, and three papers that explore from different angles the process of studying to become an engineer.

Contribution: A redesign of the Moodle platform to adapt digital educational content [learning objects (LOs)] to the specific needs of students with disabilities. The approach, extendable to a range of disciplines, was empirically tested with blind and deaf engineering students. Background: Previous studies identified difficulties that blind and deaf students face in accessing digital content for learning. General guidelines and specific tools are available to help educators adapt digital content and existing learning platforms for access by students with varying abilities/capacities. Such tools are usually for a specific disability rather than a range of capacities, and few provide empirical evidence of effectiveness. Intended Outcomes: The engineering-related digital content adapted using the techniques described in this paper should enable blind and/or deaf students to use an oscilloscope, understand communication channels, and distinguish the different types of telecommunication networks. Application Design: The Moodle learning platform was adapted using existing e-learning accessibility standards so that digital LOs could be automatically presented in formats accessible to blind and/or deaf students. This model is extendable for other types of disabilities, helping educators adapt existing content for access by students with differing capacities. The teacher adds content (in non-auditory and non-visual formats to describe content otherwise inaccessible to deaf or blind students) and students upload reusable profiles/metadata describing their specific accessibility needs to connect to suitably adjusted content. Findings: Learning improvement with the adjusted platform was evaluated via multiple choice pre- and post-tests. Students’ learning performance improved significantly across all groups: blind (45%), deaf (46.25%) and deaf-blind (87.5%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

, we have a special section and eight regular research papers. The first two regular research papers are linked by the common theme of code smells, and these are followed by a systematic literature review on risk factors found in software development. The paper derives formal, methodological, and technological requirements for a modelling language quality evaluation method to tackle some of the open model-driven engineering quality challenges. [Extracted from the article]