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The flipped classroom model is an innovative educational trend that has been widely adopted in the social sciences but not engineering education. In this model, an active instructional approach shifts the educational strategy from a teacher- to a student-centred approach. The purpose of this study is to compare the learning outcomes of engineering students attending a flipped-model section of the Dynamics of Structures course with students attending a traditional, lecture-based section of the same course taught by the same instructor. The results confirm previous research showing that test scores in the flipped course sections were slightly higher than traditional sections. Although the improvement in test scores was statistically insignificant, student statements indicated that the flipped model promoted a deeper, broader perspective on learning, facilitated problem-solving strategies and improved critical-thinking abilities, self-confidence and teamwork skills, which are needed for a successful engineering career.

Due to the high market demands for professional engineers in the Arab oil-producing countries, the appetite of Middle Eastern students for high-paying jobs and challenging careers in engineering has sharply increased. As a result, engineering programmes are providing opportunities for more students to enroll on engineering courses through lenient admission policies that do not compromise academic standards. This strategy has generated an influx of students who must be carefully educated to enhance their professional knowledge and social capital to assist in future earthquake-disaster risk-reduction efforts. However, the majority of Middle Eastern engineering students are unaware of the valuable acquired engineering skills and knowledge in building the resilience of their communities to earthquake disasters. As the majority of the countries in the Middle East are exposed to seismic hazards and are vulnerable to destructive earthquakes, engineers have become indispensable assets and the first line of defence against earthquake threats. This article highlights the contributions of some of the engineering innovations in advancing technologies and techniques for effective disaster mitigation and it calls for the incorporation of earthquake-disaster-mitigation education into academic engineering programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Most instructional technology specialists agree that educators need to integrate multimedia tools in their teaching environment. This research is an experimental study comparing the understanding and retention of two groups of undergraduate college students. Two different educational modules related to earthquake phenomenon were developed using Macromedia Flash. A pretest was given to assess the background knowledge of participants. The two groups of students received similar content from two different multimedia features: static pictures in black and white versus dynamic pictures in colors. Afterward, participants were tested to evaluate their learning of the subject content. Two months later, students were tested using the same instrument to evaluate their retention. Surprisingly, the results revealed no significant improvement in students' understanding and retention. The study suggests that teachers need to implement interactive applications in order to promote an active learning process in classrooms., INTRODUCTION When used well, technology can trigger human curiosity, fantasy, and challenge. Computer applications can motivate students to learn abstract concepts. But do multimedia components promote understanding and retention of [...]

Lebanon has historically suffered from the effects of devastating earthquakes. To successfully mitigate the cataclysmic effects of such looming disasters, effective preparatory activities and response strategies relying on government resources, community engagement and volunteering programs are crucially essential. The objective of this study is to assess the willingness of engineering students to join earthquake risk reduction programs initiated and led by universities and to determine their motives behind such engagements. In addition, the study aims to identify the competencies of engineering students in supporting response operations when a future earthquake strikes. Lebanese senior and graduate engineering students (n = 332) were surveyed. The findings revealed a strong tendency for Lebanese engineering students to participate in such volunteering programs, and that learning and altruistic factors are the leading predictors behind the intended participation. However, engineering students showed poor competencies and skills that are essentially needed for such a mission. This study emphasises the role of universities and engineering educational and professional programs in earthquake risk mitigation and response operations in future earthquake disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the unique and necessary role that Middle Eastern educational institutions must play to reduce the negative influence of fatalism regarding risk perception and disasters. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on conceptual analysis and real situational cases to confirm the existing fatalistic attitudes in the Middle Eastern communities and shows how education can be used to reduce and limit the negative effects of such fatalism on earthquake risk mitigation. Findings – The paper calls for the integration of critical thinking along with disaster risk education throughout the schools’ system to reduce the dominating culture of fatalism and to facilitate the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies in the Middle Eastern communities. In addition, the assistance of the religion instructors and clergy, in reducing fatalistic attitudes has positive implications. Originality/value – The paper represents an effort to accelerate the implementation of earthquake disaster risk reduction strategies in the Middle Eastern vulnerable communities. It uncovers the mask on one of the most critical social issues that has for long time hindered social progress in the Middle East region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about why students choose to enrol in post-graduate studies. Going through a Ph.D. degree is often seen as a risky decision. This study offers responses" analysis of two groups; the first consists of 274 graduate students enrolled in various engineering programmes in Lebanon and the second consists of 187 working engineers. Both groups of participants completed a survey investigating the factors that may impact on their decision to pursue a Ph.D. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Likert-scaled items aimed to identify the attitudinal and normative factors leading to the intention of enrolling in Ph.D. An independent t-test revealed no significance between students and engineers' intention. An exploratory factor analysis provided four factors: professional attitude, social attitude, financial attitude and subjective norm. Using multiple regression technique, the professional attitude appeared to be the main contributor to students" and engineers" intention. The findings are discussed and recommendations for future studies are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influences and motives behind students' decisions to choose an engineering major. To learn more about what drives students to enroll in engineering programs, three universities in Lebanon were targeted as a case study. A survey with Likert-scaled items measuring different types of influences and motives were completed by 387 undergraduate engineering students. After rating the potential influence sources, a genuine interest in the field appeared to be the main influence affecting the students' own decision. An exploratory Factor Analysis was applied to the various intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and generated four categories: personal growth, professional growth, social growth, and financial growth. One-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that the professional growth including job satisfaction that improves the level of students' creativity in a challenging environment was the leading motivator for choosing engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]