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There is a risk of student dropout in the field of engineering, particularly in the domain of information technology. To find novel pedagogical and technological solutions to prevent student attrition, we must better understand student experiences regarding their learning and studying processes. This study was conducted within the introduction of a new engineering degree program at the University of Jyväskylä and focused on first-year students. The research questions are: How do IT students experience study burnout at the beginning of their studies? What kind of self-efficacy beliefs do IT students have at the beginning of their studies? How are the self-efficacy beliefs of IT students associated with their levels of study burnout at the beginning of their studies? Student experiences were gathered through a validated survey that measured student self-efficacy beliefs and their experiences regarding study burnout. The results indicate that most students have high self-efficacy beliefs but, at the same time, a few of them experience quite a high study workload stress at the beginning of their studies. Studying the development of the student experiences over time provides an understanding of the relations between the experiences of study burnout and self-efficacy. This knowledge may support the development of novel pedagogical and technological solutions so that students may be provided timely guidance, leading to improved student well-being and ultimately to decreased dropouts in the field of engineering. peerReviewed

Defining the intended learning outcomes is a significant part of curriculum design. Especially,the program-level competence requirements outline the objectives of the education, align the more detailed program structures and content of the curriculum, and create the basis for constructive alignment. Several different bodies aim at defining the goals of engineering programs on different levelsof abstraction.Some of these documents can be considered as statements of the 'minimum threshold'.Respectively, others provide detailed guidelines to support the design of post-secondary programsin specific engineering fields. For example, the CDIO Initiative has defined a general reference syllabus aiming at creating a taxonomy of engineering learning rationalized against the norms of contemporary engineering practice.While designing new engineering programs, it is interesting to study how different universities have documented the intended learning outcomes of their programs in related domains. In this paper, the program-level learning objectives of seven FinnishB.Sc. in Information Technology programs are discussed and reflected withthe CDIO Syllabus based on the information available on the public curriculumdescriptions. peerReviewed

This paper presents the development of an educational immersive virtual reality (IVR) program considering both technological and pedagogical affordances of such learning environments. The CDIO Stan ...

Increasing class sizes forces universities to change their education in ways that allow for independent learning for students. This study looks at a case where blended learning was introduced to alleviate some of the educationally negative consequences of large class sizes. Independent learning requires from the students to become more self-regulated while at the same time they need efficient feedback from lecturers to enact these self-regulated learning activities. In this paper we investigate whether at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) student perceptions of lecturing behaviour is such as to stimulate student’s independent learning and whether self-regulated learning behaviour results in more active engagement with the learning materials.

International audience; This article discusses the tension between quality assurance and quality enhancement in engineering education at a programme level. It acknowledges that accreditation has evolved for many years, but does not agilely support innovation or implement changes in educational programmes. Existing quality assurance systems, institutional collaboration networks, as well as new innovative quality enhancement models and processes are described, contrasted and synthesised. Quality enhancement is analysed based on its function as a source of inspiration and dissemination of good practice. The article reflects on a novel and more collaborative approach to quality enhancement, built on the foundations of specific pedagogical standards and rubrics (e.g. CDIO). One solution leading to real continuous quality enhancement could be flexible and agile evaluation processes. These are founded on measurement and rating frameworks and complemented with quality assurance for engineering education. Incremental enhancement is based on relevant needs identified collaboratively between programmes.

The main goal of the Nordic project Quality Assurance in Higher Education was to develop and implementa self-evaluation model in the participating Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to support their quality assurancework and continuous curriculum development. Furthermore, the project aimed at strengthening thecooperation of HEIs in quality assurance (QA) and disseminating good practices of QA. The framework ofdevelopment is based on the CDIO approach and the CDIO self-evaluation process. The main results are adetailed definition of the self-evaluation process, well-documented self-evaluations of the participating degreeprogrammes, and the identification of the main development areas and actions in each participating degreeprogramme. Furthermore, the project has increased the partners’ understanding of other partners and theirchallenges. Finally, quality assurance has been enhanced in each participating programme and new ideasand support for quality assurance work in other higher education institutes have been produced.

Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from sites of intramammary infection during a 10-month period and from extramammary sites (dairy cow teat skin, teat canals, and skin lesions; milking liners; and hands and nostrils of milking personnel) at two separately managed Finnish dairy herd establishments were analyzed to study the sources and reservoirs of bovine S. aureus intramammary infection. Selected isolates were subjected to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing and PCR analysis for genes encoding hemolysins ( hla to hlg ), leukocidins ( lukED and lukM ), superantigens ( sea , sec , sed , seg to seo , seu , and tst ), adhesins ( fnbA and fnbB ), and penicillin and methicillin resistance ( blaZ and mecA ). S. aureus was found throughout the herds in 94% of the cows. Nine PFGE types were found, with the herds each having their own predominant type and sharing one type. The degree of diversity of PFGE types in herd II, which integrated foreign heifers, was higher than that in herd I. For both herds, the majority of the PFGE-typed isolates both from milk and from extramammary sites represented the predominant PFGE types. In isolates from herd I, the most prevalent genes were hla - hlg , lukED , and fnbA ; in those from herd II, they were hla , hld , hlg , lukED , and fnbA . The other genes were pulsotype linked within the herds. The predominant PFGE types carried both fnbA and fnbB ; only fnbA was detected in the other PFGE types. No connection between specific virulence genes and the origins of isolates was found. The results suggest that for the two herds, most S. aureus isolates from extramammary sites were indistinguishable from the isolates infecting the mammary gland and that those sites can thus act as origins and reservoirs of intramammary infections. However, contamination in the opposite direction cannot be excluded.

Aims: To screen putative virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus causing persistent and nonpersistent bovine intramammary infections (IMI) with different clinical characteristics. To examine, whether a possible relationship exists between genetic profile and infection persistence, clinical signs of infection, clonal type determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and antimicrobial resistance. Methods and Results: One-hundred and sixty-one S. aureus isolates derived from bovine IMI, consisting of 17 different PFGE types, were screened by conventional and multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 24 virulence genes for haemolysins (hla-hlg), leukocidins (lukED, lukM), exfoliative toxins (eta, etb), enterotoxins (sea-seo, seu), toxic-shock syndrome toxin (tst), and genes encoding penicillin (blaZ) and methicillin resistance (mecA). The majority of S. aureus isolated at the onset of mastitis carried haemolysin genes (76·7–97·4%), lukED (96·6%), and at least one gene for pyrogenic toxin superantigen (PTSAg) (69·0%). Strains carrying PTSAg-encoding genes were more common among predominant PFGE types and in persistent IMI. Strains concomitantly possessing sed, sej, and blaZ, putatively plasmid-encoded, were typically found in connection with persistent IMI. Conclusions: Our results suggest that certain genetic elements are over-representative in S. aureus isolates especially from persistent bovine mastitis. This phenomenon seems to be in connection with clonal type and is often concomitant with penicillin resistance. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study to investigate associations between a large number of bacterial factors and outcome of S. aureus mastitis. The finding that widespread clonal types of S. aureus causing bovine mastitis of low treatment response may harbour characteristic genes could be improved for strain-specific diagnostic purposes.

In this paper, a large-scale industrial production scheduling problem is considered. The problem includes the allocation of a number of production runs with release and due dates into a processing unit. The environment is further complicated with sequence-dependent setup times. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is used to describe the scheduling task. However, due to the complex nature of the problem, the MILP model cannot directly be used to solve large-scale systems with industrial relevance. Therefore, an iterative heuristic procedure is used to address the notorious combinatorial complexity. Different properties of the algorithm are discussed and an illustrative example based on industrial data is presented.

Despite the significant progress made in the fields of operations research and process systems engineering ( Puigjaner, 1999 ; Shah, 1998 ) the complexity of many industrialsize scheduling problems means that a global optimal solution cannot be reached within a reasonable computational time. In these cases, the production schedule must be generated using e.g. some kind of sophisticated heuristics, which can often lead to suboptimal solutions. In this paper, we introduce a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) based algorithm, which can be efficiently used to improve an existing feasible, but nonoptimal, production schedule or to reschedule jobs in the case of changed operational parameters. The algorithm has been successfully applied to certain scheduling problems in both the paper-converting and pharmaceutical industry.

Due to increasing competition in international markets, the efficient usage of available production resources has become more and more important to industry. Production planning facilities play a key role in achieving this goal. In this paper we will discuss a short-term production scheduling problem in the paper-converting industry and formulate it as two alternative variants of a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model on which a sequential updating procedure is applied. The objective is to obtain short-time production schedules for large-scale real-world systems. The features of interest are those of practical economical significance as well as computational efficiency.

Our paper describes the Nordic project ‘Quality Assurance in Higher Education’. The main goal of the project is to develop and implement a self-evaluation model in the participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to support their quality assurance work and continuous curriculum development in the field of engineering. The framework of development is the CDIO self-evaluation model. In this freestyle session we will introduce our results and challenge the audience to evaluate our work with clickers. At the same time we disseminate the project achievements and hopefully provide new ideas and support for quality assurance work on other higher education institutes.

The aim towards optimal utilization of business opportunities and manufacturing resources increases the requirements on both production planning and scheduling. One of the main goals is to maintain a high level of exibility to permit a fast response to changed situations in the market. In this paper, a scheduling problem encountered in the exible manufacturing of mobile terminals is discussed.

Despite the significant progress made in the fields of operations research and process systems engineering ( Puigjaner, 1999 ; Shah, 1998 ) the complexity of many industrialsize scheduling problems means that a global optimal solution cannot be reached within a reasonable computational time. In these cases, the production schedule must be generated using e.g. some kind of sophisticated heuristics, which can often lead to suboptimal solutions. In this paper, we introduce a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) based algorithm, which can be efficiently used to improve an existing feasible, but nonoptimal, production schedule or to reschedule jobs in the case of changed operational parameters. The algorithm has been successfully applied to certain scheduling problems in both the paper-converting and pharmaceutical industry.

While adopting Information Technology (IT) may have been a goal in itself in the past, during the last decade the emphasis has shifted, and IT has instead become a tool that enables us to realize other needs. This also sets new requirements for IT education: skills in software engineering and computer science alone do not provide students with the professional abilities they will need after graduation. To answer this call, the University of Jyväskylä launched in autumn 2021 a new engineering B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree program in Information and Software Engineering with close ties to the Humanities. The degree program was established on three cornerstones: 1) the ability to implement IT systems, 2) comprehension of the expectations and needs set on technology, and 3) mathematical-logical reasoning. As an introduction to the multidisciplinary studies, the students take a course called Being Human in the Information Society at the very beginning of their B.Sc. studies. This course aims at providing an understanding of the multidisciplinary context in which technology will be developed and applied when addressing the complex challenges of the future. In this paper, we will present the planning process of the new course, and describe the intended learning outcomes, contents, and learning methods of the course. In addition, faculty experiences and student feedback of the first implementation are discussed and reflected upon. peerReviewed

The CDIO Initiative is going through a process of reconsidering and updating the CDIO approach for engineering education development. Previous work resulted in substantial updates of the twelve CDIO standards and the introduction of “optional” CDIO standards. This paper reports on a similar review and update of the CDIO Syllabus to version 3.0. It has been developed by a working group consisting of four sub-groups and iterated and refined guided by feedback from the whole CDIO community. There are mainly three external drivers that 18 Proceedings of the 18th International CDIO Conference, hosted by Reykjavik University, Reykjavik Iceland, June 13-15, 2022. motivate the changes: sustainability, digitalization, and acceleration. There is also an internal driver in the form of lessons learned within the CDIO community, from using the Syllabus in curriculum and course development. Approximately 70 updates are proposed, amongst them three additions on the X.X level, namely 1.4 Knowledge of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3.1 Teamwork and Collaboration, and 5.3 Research. peerReviewed

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The engineering education at Aarhus University, Denmark, includes the course Statistics and Design of Experiments (DoE) that encompasses both collaborative and individual learning activities. The choice of examination method is important, as students adapt their learning behavior accordingly. Group examinations align well with collaborative learning and individual examinations are successful in assessing individual learning and detecting free riders. To avoid organizing and exposing the students to two examinations and thus imposing additional undesirable costs, we aimed to develop a single highly structured oral group examination method that addresses both collaborative and individual learning in an organized fashion without increasing demands on academic staff. The oral group examination method described in this study is a three-in-one exam where all group members in a project group are present at all times. First, the students’ collaborative skills were addressed with focus on knowledge application and analysis. Then their individual skills were addressed with focus on basic knowledge understanding. Finally, students were given the opportunity to evaluate their own knowledge and create new knowledge, which includes the pinnacle of Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid. The examination method was tried out with four classes of engineering students (142 in total): two Chemical engineering and two Biotechnological engineering classes in their second and third year. Afterwards, students reflected on their perception of the exam in a survey. In summary, the examination method embraced assessment of both collaborative and individual learning and provided time for in-depth discussions with all group members, in the project group, on a high taxonomic level. We encourage other educators to explore this examination method. The present study includes a “ready-to-implement” protocol and a “ready-to-use" Student Scoring Sheet to keep track of the contribution of each student. The engineering education at Aarhus University, Denmark, includes the course Statistics and Design of Experiments (DoE) that encompasses both collaborative and individual learning activities. The choice of examination method is important, as students adapt their learning behavior accordingly. Group examinations align well with collaborative learning and individual examinations are successful in assessing individual learning and detecting free riders. To avoid organizing and exposing the students to two examinations and thus imposing additional undesirable costs, we aimed to develop a single highly structured oral group examination method that addresses both collaborative and individual learning in an organized fashion without increasing demands on academic staff. The oral group examination method described in this study is a three-in-one exam where all group members in a project group are present at all times. First, the students’ collaborative skills were addressed with focus on knowledge application and analysis. Then their individual skills were addressed with focus on basic knowledge understanding. Finally, students were given the opportunity to evaluate their own knowledge and create new knowledge, which includes the pinnacle of Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid. The examination method was tried out with four classes of engineering students (142 in total): two Chemical engineering and two Biotechnological engineering classes in their second and third year. Afterwards, students reflected on their perception of the exam in a survey. In summary, the examination method embraced assessment of both collaborative and individual learning and provided time for in-depth discussions with all group members, in the project group, on a high taxonomic level. We encourage other educators to explore this examination method. The present study includes a “ready-to-implement” protocol and a “ready-to-use" Student Scoring Sheet to keep track of the contribution of each student.

Enhancing courses with technology in a manner that supports students’ learning, has clear underlying pedagogical values and is aligned with a university strategy for course development is far from trivial. This paper describes and evaluates a Learning Design approach to such a process — a process that was initiated by a university strategic goal of providing more and better use of technology for education. At the heart of the process is the Learning Design educational development methodology. The paper discusses the tensions between the goals of the process: learning activities supporting students’ learning and the university’s overall strategic goal regarding technology. We find that although tensions exist, they do not hinder the design of better teaching using technology, and we conclude that Learning Design is a useful methodology to address these tensions.

This paper will evaluate the effects of new learning spaces for mixed on-campus and online students. In 2015, the Electronics Engineering study programme at Aarhus University School of Engineering (ASE) in Herning decided to provide an online learning option in addition to the traditional classroom instruction. Consequently, the flipped learning approach was introduced in both the online and on-campus teaching, allowing online students to join the classroom teaching synchronously and asynchronously. However, due to a high dropout rate, various initiatives for improving online student retention have been implemented since 2016, and despite heavy legislation affecting the university, which makes it almost impossible to work full-time while also studying full-time, the majority of the 2016 online student intake is still actively engaged. A number that continues to increase with the 2017 and 2018 intakes. From 2016-2017, data was collected and evaluated to gain further insight into what it is like to be an online student. The findings have led to new strategies for collaboration, student-centred learning and optimised learning spaces for how we conduct flipped learning at ASE in Herning. Some of the new strategies have been introduced to the 2018 student intake; among these are Slack and RealTimeBoard. Likewise, new ways of team collaboration, where the students sit in their teams at round tables, have been implemented. Each team consists of a mix of on-campus and online students, and the lecturers connect to the students’ (virtual) workspaces via an iPad, thus combining a physical and virtual experience in the learning space. Conclusion is that organising the classroom with round tables together with RealTimeBoard supports the strategy of creating a more modern classroom with a student-centred approach to learning and a better integration of on-campus and online students, while Slack was not considered an appropriate ‘candidate’ for a modern communication platform.