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The perspectives on Project Based Learning (PBL), traditional learning and engineering competencies are influenced by national and organizational culture. Based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory and grounded in constructivist learning theory, the purpose of this study is to identify the perspectives of Arab and Chinese managers on the effectiveness of PBL versus traditional learning. Utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics (Wilcoxon and Mann Whitney U test), findings show that Arab managers perceive 13 and Chinese managers 2 competencies to be more effectively developed by PBL, while the difference between PBL and traditional learning is perceived smaller among Chinese managers. A higher desire of avoiding uncertainty among Arab managers, higher achievement orientation among Chinese managers and an influence of educational systems were identified. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are advised to consider these findings, in order to compare with their institutions' utilization of PBL versus traditional learning and to prepare engineers for global employment.

The use of a portfolio curriculum approach, when teaching a university introductory statistics and probability course to engineering students, is developed and evaluated. The portfolio curriculum approach, so called, as the students need to keep extensive records both as hard copies and digitally of reading materials, interactions with faculty, interactions with other students and work they have completed on their own, is designed to encourage active learning, mainly in the areas of cooperation and collaboration. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the portfolio curriculum, a controlled experiment applying a pre-test-post-test control group design is conducted. Two tests are conducted, one before the commencement of the course (pre-test) and one after the completion of the course (post-test). The effectiveness is evaluated by comparing within-subject post-test and pre-test scores and by comparing the scores between subjects in the experimental group, i.e., those who learned using the portfolio curriculum approach and subjects in the control group, i.e., those who learned using a traditional method of teaching. In addition to analysis of the controlled experiment, a Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS) was completed on the first and last day of the semester by the participants so as to give a measure of student confidence, understanding, liking, and difficulty of the portfolio curriculum approach as opposed to using a traditional method of teaching and learning. The findings of these investigations are reported and discussed, as are the merits and problems encountered regarding the methodology and student attitudes regarding the portfolio curriculum approach.

Critical thinking extends to all aspects of professional engineering, especially in technical development, and, since the introduction of the ABET 2000 criteria, there has been an increased emphasis in engineering education on the development of critical thinking skills. What is hoped for is that the students obtain critical thinking skills to complement their abundant logical thinking skills. Critical thinking is a developmental skill that cannot be taught simply by traditional methods, i.e., step-by-step instruction followed by repetitive skills, as used for logical thinking skills. The research and development reported here is concerned with outlining how students first can be alerted to what critical thinking is, and how critical thinking can be nurtured through practical experience with appropriate guidance and reinforcement. The module "Introduction to Fluid Mechanics" has been selected to demonstrate how formal critical thinking components may be introduced with the development of principles of logic and an obligatory problem solving procedure. A method of assessment during various phases of critical thinking, i.e., initial design or set-up, testing of method or prototype, and evaluation of the results, of open-ended assignments in engineering for each year of the undergraduate course has been developed.

The impact of transitioning from an engineering diploma programme to an engineering degree programme for engineering students within the socio-economic context of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is still limited to anecdotal evidence. The purpose of this study is to utilise the Self-efficacy theory, Expectancy-Value Theory and the Self-regulation theory with the aim of identifying students' perceptions when exposed to degree level studies for the first time. Based on data obtained from a questionnaire survey, descriptive and inferential statistics are applied, including consideration of students' achievement and gender. Mean values of self-efficacy, expectancy as well as interest, attainment and utility values decrease, whereas students' self-regulation increases during the study period. High correlations are found between self-efficacy and expectancy, with further increased correlations at the end of the study period. It is concluded that clarification of the degree challenges at the beginning of the first degree semester needs improvement, male students require more encouragement to take the new learning environment as a positive challenge and that all students reflect increased maturity at the end of the study period.

Online quizzes have been shown to be effective learning and assessment approaches. However, if scenario-based online construction safety quizzes do not include time pressure similar to real-world situations, they reflect situations too ideally. The purpose of this paper is to compare engineering students' performance when carrying out an online construction safety quiz "with" time pressure versus an online construction safety quiz "without" time pressure. Two versions of an online construction safety quiz are developed and administered to randomly assigned engineering students based on a quasi-experimental post-test design. The findings contribute to scenario-based learning and assessment of construction safety in four ways. First, the results confirm earlier findings that "intrinsic stress" does not seem to impair students' performance. Second, students who carry out the online construction safety quiz with time pressure are less likely to "learn by trial and error". Third, students exposed to time pressure appreciate that they become better prepared for real life. Finally, preparing students to work under time pressure is an important industry requirement. The results of this study should encourage engineering educators to explore and implement ways to include time pressure in scenario-based online quizzes and learning.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the feasibility of an evidential reasoning (ER) method for portfolio assessments and comparison of the results found with those based on a traditional holistic judgement. An ER approach has been incorporated into portfolio assessment of an undergraduate engineering design course delivered as a project-based learning (PBL) course and the calculated utility interval means of the student results compared with weighted rubric means based on a traditional holistic judgement. The findings show the ER method superior to the traditional holistic judgement in that ER is capable of incorporating, firstly, assessors' ignorance of information concerning the portfolio development and content and, secondly, incomplete portfolio information. The ER approach is a commendable alternative to traditional holistic judgement of PBL portfolios, since it provides additional information, increases accuracy and is easier to use.

The twofold purpose of this study is to identify engineering students' perceptions of a problem-based learning environment and to analyse the influence of their personal "situation," general "interest" in engineering and "ability" to succeed on their perception, after they were exposed to PBL for the first time. Based on an adjusted version of the problem-based learning environment inventory [Senocak, E. 2009. "Development of an Instrument for Assessing Undergraduate Science Students' Perceptions: The Problem-based Learning Environment Inventory." "Journal of Science Education Technology" 18 (6): 560-569], data regarding students' perception were collected through a questionnaire survey and analysed by applying exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The analysis revealed a three-factorial PBL environment consisting of learning "facilitator support," "student responsibility" and "project quality," with strong influences of students' personal "situation" on "project quality," "interest" on the learning "facilitator support" and "ability" to succeed on "students' responsibility." Supporting students' general "interest" in engineering seems to improve their perception of the learning "facilitator support" and ensuring students' "ability" to succeed in a PBL environment seems to increase students' awareness of their own responsibility.

Various models of evaluating eLearning system success have been identified in the past and the need for effective evaluation of eLearning systems has been highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the present work is to elicit how both academic staff and students (the evaluators) view the performance of eLearning attributes when being taught using an eLearning system. The attributes are ranked using a multi-criteria evaluation algorithm called the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (Fuzzy TOPSIS). Here, using linguistic-response expert questionnaires, a set of eLearning system attributes and a set of eLearning system criteria are evaluated. The Fuzzy TOPS I S algorithm yields weightings foreach of the attributes which can then be ranked to arrive at the optimal solution in terms of how well they contributed to the success of the current eLearning system. IT service quality is found to rank highest, followed by technical system quality, information quality and finally the consideration of different learning styles. Large agreement is seen between academic staffand student evaluators, with minor disagreement between students of two different disciplines. As regards practical implications, it is shown from the rankings that the eLearning system must be reorganized and consideration of different learning styles must be improved. The Fuzzy TOPSIS method has been found to be a reliable and economic evaluation approach of eLearning systems, since it does not require large numbers of evaluators and provides a ranking of attributes which translate directly into priorities for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal, coke, and semi-coke are currently irreplaceable materials in the iron and steel industry. Coal is converted to coke or semi-coke in fixed bed coke-ovens which have many drawbacks and cause environmental damage. A novel method for the production of semi-coke using circulating fluidized bed partial coal gasification is experimentally studied. The method involves a fast devolatilization stage which promises to reduce the effect on the environment compared to conventional coke-ovens. Experiments are conducted with high volatile Shubarkol coal in a custom-made atmospheric reactor consisting of a riser, a cyclone, a loop seal, and equipped with a semi-coke withdrawal system. The reactor is operated autothermally, at temperatures varying from 700°C to 1000°C. The coal feed rate varies from 40 to 70 kg/h, with a particle size distribution up to 20 mm. During the experiments, char samples are withdrawn from the riser and the standpipe. The samples have a volatile content of 3-6%, carbon content above 85%, high structural strength (92.64%), low bulk density (270 kg/m3) and high porosity (28.4%) compared to conventionally produced semi-coke. It is confirmed that even using the laboratory scale setup it is possible to produce up to 0.367 kg of semi-coke per kg of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]