Showing papers on "Engineering education published in 2006"
TL;DR: In this paper, the purpose of engineering education is to train engineers who can design, and that design thinking is difficult to learn and difficult to teach, and the most popular pedagogical model for teaching design is Project-Based Learning (PBL).
Abstract: This paper is based on the premises that the purpose of engineering education is to graduate engineers who can design, and that design thinking is complex. The paper begins by briefly reviewing the history and role of design in the engineering curriculum. Several dimensions of design thinking are then detailed, explaining why design is hard to learn and harder still to teach, and outlining the research available on how well design thinking skills are learned. The currently most-favored pedagogical model for teaching design, project-based learning (PBL), is explored next, along with available assessment data on its success. Two contexts for PBL are emphasized: first-year cornerstone courses and globally dispersed PBL courses. Finally, the paper lists some of the open research questions that must be answered to identify the best pedagogical practices of improving design learning, after which it closes by making recommendations for research aimed at enhancing design learning.
1,055 citations
TL;DR: This article found that young adolescents who expected to have a career in science were more likely to graduate from college with a science degree, emphasizing the importance of early encouragement and emphasizing the need for early encouragement.
Abstract: Young adolescents who expected to have a career in science were more likely to graduate from college with a science degree, emphasizing the importance of early encouragement.
776 citations
TL;DR: A conceptual model to define global competence, a curriculum model for instilling it and an assessment model to determine if graduates have attained it is presented in this article, with a description of a quasi-experimental research effort no...
Abstract: Engineering curricula are increasingly focused on developing student competencies. Many new competencies needed by engineers today are professional skills (sometimes called the ‘soft skills’). Among the new competencies for engineering graduates is global competence, the ability to work knowledgeably and live comfortably in a transnational engineering environment and global society. While there is broad agreement within the engineering community for the need to better prepare engineers for global practice, there is much less agreement as to what skills and abilities define global competence, what combination and duration of international education and experiences best instil it and what means and metrics should be used to judge whether students have attained it. This paper presents a conceptual model to define global competence, a curriculum model for instilling it and an assessment model to determine if graduates have attained it. It concludes with a description of a quasi-experimental research effort no...
188 citations
TL;DR: The Teachers Integrating Engineering into Science (TIES) Program as mentioned in this paper is a collaborative project among faculty from the College of Education and the college of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, which paired university faculty with middle school science teachers to create three units that included engineering design using a variety of interactive learning activities.
Abstract: The Teachers Integrating Engineering into Science (TIES) Program is a collaborative project among faculty from the College of Education and the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. The TIES project paired university faculty with middle school science teachers to create three units that included engineering design using a variety of interactive learning activities in order to engage a wide range of students. The units included a Web-based simulation activity, lesson plans, a design project, and three types of assessments that were standardized across schools. Results of assessments were disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, special education, and socio-economic level. Mean scores for these student population groups were compared to mean scores for the same groups on the 2004 Nevada eighth grade science criterion referenced test. These results indicate that engaging students in engineering curriculum activities may diminish achievement gaps in science for some student populations.
165 citations
TL;DR: The field of engineering education is in the process of reinventing itself and the four most recent guest editorials have documented this reinvention and have suggested shifts that are needed to establish engineering education as a serious and rigorous research-based discipline.
Abstract: The field of engineering education is in the process of reinventing itself and the January 2005 special issue of the Journal of Engineering Education was a milestone event in this transition [1, 2]. The four most recent guest editorials have documented this reinvention and have suggested shifts that are needed to establish engineering education as a serious and rigorous researchbased discipline [3–6]. Gabriele suggested that research in engineering education move from curriculum reform to conducting fundamental research in how students learn engineering and he stressed that this shift is needed now to move the field forward [4]. Haghighi emphasized that “engineering education research is the most effective avenue through which we can address overarching and grand questions” [5, p. 351]. He also encouraged the broader community of engineering educators to shift from “teaching to learning.” [5, p. 352]. Currently, engineering education research still tends to focus very heavily on teaching and curriculum development rather than research. Given this backdrop, the question now becomes “How does one prepare engineering educators to conduct the kind of research that is now being called for?” Specifically, we ask, “What can be done to prepare engineering education researchers to shift their focus from teaching and curriculum development to exploring fundamental questions about engineering learning?” In an attempt to begin to answer this question, we share some insights that have been gained from working with engineering faculty in the NSFsponsored project, “Conducting Rigorous Research in Engineering Education: Creating a Community of Practice,” hereafter called RREE [7].
165 citations
TL;DR: Using the grounded theory approach, this article examined the factors that were most instrumental in influencing African American males' decisions to pursue engineering as an academic major and career choice using open-ended biographical questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus groups.
Abstract: Using the grounded theory approach, this research investigation, drawing on a larger study, examined the factors that were most instrumental in influencing African American males’ decisions to pursue engineering as an academic major and career choice Using open-ended biographical questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus groups, numerous themes emerged from these data More specifically, the central themes that had major impact on African American males’ career trajectory were (a) strong interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; (b) strong familial influence and encouragement; (c) strong aptitudes in science and mathematics; (d) meaningful academic experiences and relationships with school personnel; and (e) meaningful enrichment programs, opportunities, and academic experiences Implications, based on the findings of this research, are provided for teachers, school counselors, and parents
153 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the connection between student performance in barrier courses and persistence in engineering and found that motivation to succeed might be the reason why some students persist even when they “struggle” with barrier courses.
Abstract: Attrition in engineering programs continues to be an important issue for universities across the country This study examined the connection between student performance in barrier courses and persistence in engineering Quantitative results showed that high school academic experience, student behaviors (including study habits, work habits, coping strategies), students' perceptions about faculty behavior (including teaching styles and the “weed-out” culture), the perceived culture of support in the engineering school, and motivation to succeed in engineering all impact students' performance in barrier courses Qualitative results showed that motivation to succeed might be the reason why some students persist even when they “struggle” with barrier courses
143 citations
TL;DR: The Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program was recognized with the Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education (GATE) as mentioned in this paper, which was presented by the National Academy of Engineering.
Abstract: On February 20, 2005, the National Academy of Engineering recognized the achievements of the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program with the Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education. As its founders and directors, we were commended “For innovations in the education of tomorrow’s engineering leaders by developing and disseminating the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program.” We are very proud that our program has been honored with this prestigious award. We hope the attention it focuses on the program highlights the ways that long-term, for-credit projects in the community provide the time and context for experiences that enable our students to: ● develop technical depth and multi-disciplinary breadth; ● experience start-to-finish design; ● acquire and hone many professional skills; ● create products that have a significant impact on their community; and ● grow as individuals, engineers, and citizens. These benefits of EPICS were outcomes that the engineering education community was seeking in the early 1990s [1–4]. We believe integrating time and context into other aspects of the curriculum will lead to further innovations that provide outcomes that the engineering education community seeks for the coming decades [5, 6]. II. OVERVIEW OF EPICS
130 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the learning experiences of engineering students of both genders in a problem-based and project-organized learning environment (PBL) at a Danish university and found that studying engineering in a PBL environment involves not only the mastery of technological knowledge but also an engineering identity development process.
Abstract: This article examines the learning experiences of engineering students of both genders in a problem-based and project-organized learning environment (PBL) at a Danish university. This study relates an amalgam of theories on learning and gender to the context of engineering education. Based on data from a qualitative study of an electrical and electronics engineering study programme, this study found that studying engineering in a PBL environment involves not only the mastery of technological knowledge but also an engineering identity development process. However, the association of an engineering identity with masculinity and the culturally defined engineering competencies leads to different learning experiences for male and female students. The nature of hard-core engineering subjects, based on male interests, privileges men and acts as a barrier to women. The masculine culture in engineering communities of practice involves more effort in identity management for women students than their male peers.
127 citations
TL;DR: The Technology Assessment group at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has developed several courses on the combination of these two subjects, integrating research results in the fields of sustainable development and technology dynamics as mentioned in this paper.
126 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The demographic and educational trends outlined in this paper suggest that although the Latino population will continue to grow very rapidly, the participation in higher education by Latino students and faculty will not keep pace.
Abstract: This article addresses Latino population growth in the United States and their participation in higher education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The demographic and educational trends outlined here suggest that although the Latino population will continue to grow very rapidly, the participation in higher education by Latino students and faculty will not keep pace. The projected increase of school-age Latinos will increase the pool of students at the K-12 end of the educational pipeline; however, without effective interventions, the higher education end of this pipeline will remain narrow, and only a small number of Latinos with graduate degrees will be produced.
TL;DR: Value-Sensitive Design, a methodology developed in human-computer interaction research, can serve as an engineering education tool which bridges the gap between design and ethics for many engineering disciplines.
Abstract: The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) has declared that to achieve accredited status, “engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.” Many engineering professors struggle to integrate this required ethics instruction in technical classes and projects because of the lack of a formalized ethics-in-design approach. However, one methodology developed in human-computer interaction research, the Value-Sensitive Design approach, can serve as an engineering education tool which bridges the gap between design and ethics for many engineering disciplines. The three major components of Value-Sensitive Design, conceptual, technical, and empirical, exemplified through a case study which focuses on the development of a command and control supervisory interface for a military cruise missile.
27 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present evidence from the Engineering Change study, indicating that implementation of the EC2000 learning criteria has had a positive impact on engineering programs and student learning, compared to their 1994 counterparts, 2004 graduates report higher ability levels on nine measures of learning.
Abstract: This panel presents evidence from the Engineering Change study, indicating that implementation of the EC2000 learning criteria has had a positive impact on engineering programs and student learning. Compared to their 1994 counterparts, 2004 graduates report higher ability levels on nine measures of learning. Outcomes are linked to changes in program curricula, instruction, faculty culture, administrative practices and student experiences. A majority of employers surveyed consider recent graduates to be adequately or well prepared in technical and professional skills.
TL;DR: In this article, retention in the Rowan University undergraduate engineering program with many "female-friendly" features despite its design as best practices for all students was studied, and both male and female "stayers" in the program were compared to "leavers" on a variety of characteristics, including pre-college and family background, grades, satisfaction with the program, engineering self-confidence, and future expectations about their engineering major and career.
Abstract: The paper focuses on retention in the Rowan University undergraduate engineering program with many “female-friendly” features despite its design as best practices for all students. Both male and female “stayers” in the program are compared to “leavers” on a variety of characteristics, including pre-college and family background, grades, satisfaction with the Rowan program, engineering self-confidence, and future expectations about their engineering major and career. Data come from a special survey of all Rowan engineering students.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors introduce an alternative approach to this education based on the concepts of project-based learning, where students are challenged with open-ended problems requiring greater application of multiple engineering concepts and requiring interaction with outside experts from within the construction industry and related professions.
Abstract: The traditional civil engineering-based approach to construction engineering and management education focuses significant attention on core subjects such as scheduling, estimating, and contracts. This paper introduces an alternative approach to this education based on the concepts of project-based learning. Through the introduction of courses developed by the writers, the paper provides a foundation for changing current education approaches from a lecture-based format to a project-based format. In this format, students are challenged with open-ended problems requiring greater application of multiple engineering concepts as well as requiring interaction with outside experts from within the construction industry and related professions. An outline for a project-based learning course is presented with experiences and lessons learned from four implementations of the course. Student responses are presented to indicate the potential benefits of such an approach. This finding is further supported by the introduction of the Knowledge Landscape concept for construction education that emphasizes greater use of context, scope, and multiple intelligences in construction engineering education.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors take the viewpoint of a school of engineering and put the software engineer's education in the wider context of engineering education, and stress both the common aspects that crosscut all engineering fields and the specific issues that pertain to software engineering.
Abstract: We discuss the technical skills that a software engineer should possess. We take the viewpoint of a school of engineering and put the software engineer's education in the wider context of engineering education. We stress both the common aspects that crosscut all engineering fields and the specific issues that pertain to software engineering. We believe that even in a continuously evolving field like software, education should provide strong and stable foundations based on mathematics and science, emphasize the engineering principles, and recognize the stable and long-lasting design concepts. Even though the more mundane technological solutions cannot be ignored, the students should be equipped with skills that allow them to understand and master the evolution of technology.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The issue of women's underrepresentation in science, mathematics, and engineering (SM&E) fields in the United States, in both education and the workforce (Moore 2001, NSB 2002, NSF 2000, 2003, 2004a, 2004b), continues to be a theme in current research as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The issue of women's underrepresentation in science, mathematics, and engineering (SM&E) fields in the United States, in both education and the workforce (Moore 2001; NSB 2002; NSF 2000, 2003, 2004a, 2004b), continues to be a theme in current research. In spite of substantial gains, gaps still exist between women and men in terms of their college-level enrollment in the SM&E majors. Women are still less likely than men to choose a career that involves SM&E, and are more likely than men to earn bachelor's degrees in nonscience and nonengineering fields. Among those who do choose a major in SM&E, the majority is still concentrated in certain fields such as biology, psychology, and the social sciences (NSF 2000, 2004a, 2004b).
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report empirical findings on the impact of keeping and reviewing learning history in a dynamic and interactive simulation environment of engineering education, and the practical implications of using simulators in the field of engineering learning are discussed.
Abstract: This paper reports empirical findings on the impact of keeping and reviewing learning history in a dynamic and interactive simulation environment of engineering education. The simulator for engineering project management had two learning history keeping modes: automatic (simulator-controlled) and manual (studentcontrolled), and a version with no history keeping. A group of industrial engineering students performed four simulation-runs divided into three identical simple scenarios (single project) and one complicated scenario (multi-project). The performances of participants running the simulation with the manual history mode were significantly better than users running the simulation with the automatic history mode. Moreover, the effects of using the history mechanism with the ability to undo further enhanced the learning process. The findings imply that students’ decision when to record the history during their engineering training process can have a particularly strong enhancing effect on learning. In addition, the simulator as educational innovation improves students learning and performance. The practical implications of using simulators in the field of engineering learning are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors found that Latino students begin school far behind their non-Hispanic peers, and moving more of them into the math and science pipeline will require a broad strategy that begins with preliteracy skills.
Abstract: Because Latino students begin school far behind their non-Hispanic peers, moving more of them into the math and science pipeline will require a broad strategy that begins with preliteracy skills. T...
TL;DR: The University of Queensland's Project Centred Curriculum in Chemical Engineering (PCC) as mentioned in this paper is a program-wide approach to meeting these requirements, which integrates project-based learning with more traditional instruction.
Abstract: Chemical engineering education is challenged around the world by demands and rapid changes encompassing a wide range of technical and social drivers. Graduates must be prepared for practice in increasingly diverse workplace environments in which generic or transferable attributes such as communication and teamwork together with technical excellence are mandated by prospective employers and society at large. If academe is to successfully deliver on these graduate attributes, effective curriculum design needs to include appropriate educational processes as well as course content. Conventional teacher centred approaches, stand-alone courses and retro-fitted remedial modules have not delivered the desired outcomes. Development of the broader spectrum of attributes is more likely when students are engaged with realistic and relevant experiences that demand the integration and practice of these attributes in contexts that the students find meaningful. This paper describes and evaluates The University of Queensland's Project Centred Curriculum in Chemical Engineering (PCC), a programme-wide approach to meeting these requirements. PCC strategically integrates project-based learning with more traditional instruction. Data collected shows improved levels of student attainment of generic skills with institutional and nationally benchmarked indicators showing significant increases in student perceptions of teaching quality, and overall satisfaction with the undergraduate experience. Endorsements from Australian academic, professional and industry bodies also support the approach as more effectively aligning engineering education with professional practice requirements.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on MIT's participation in the creation of such institutions in India and in Iran and explore the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, the Birla Institute of technology and Science, and the Aryamehr University of Technology.
Abstract: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) emerged from World War II with an impressive, worldwide reputation in basic and applied science and engineering. After redefining its own engineering education in the 1950s, MIT responded to the challenge of U.S. policy makers and foundation officials and its own sense of mission in engineering research, teaching, and practice by assisting in establishing new technical institutions of higher education around the world. This paper focuses on MIT’s participation in the creation of such institutions in India and in Iran. Three case studies explore the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, and the Aryamehr University of Technology. The aim of establishing an international system of expertise with MIT at its apex reveals both the strengths and the limitations of the “export” effort.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors found that despite the best attempts of academic staff to teach students the mechanics of citation, the rules of referencing continue to be broken, particularly by those new to Western university systems (either first-year undergraduate students or international students from different cultural backgrounds).
Abstract: Despite the best attempts of academic staff to teach students the mechanics of citation, the rules of referencing continue to be broken, particularly by those new to Western university systems (either first-year undergraduate students or international students from different cultural backgrounds). In late 2003, 16 postgraduate international engineering students failed an assignment as a result of plagiarism. In response, collaboration between the lecturers and the learning support staff over three years yielded significant improvements in academic scholarship. The improvement in performance was achieved by making cross-cultural assumptions about academic scholarship in the Western context explicit, while putting in place additional workshops for students. Instead of focusing on policy, remediation and punishment, staff worked to foster an understanding of critical scholarship in the Western academic context. The approach also demonstrated the benefits of partnership between engineering faculty and learnin...
TL;DR: By introducing practicing engineering to the course from day one, student motivation is increased, and the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of engineering is demonstrated more clearly, this "hands-on approach" allows the student a greater insight into the life of an engineer.
Abstract: This paper discusses a teaching experience obtained in the undergraduate course of Control Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil. The course endeavors to introduce the students to the university and to the real world of engineering and to develop an understanding of basic engineering concepts and foster professional skills. By introducing practicing engineering to the course from day one, student motivation is increased, and the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of engineering is demonstrated more clearly. This "hands-on approach" allows the student a greater insight into the life of an engineer. It strengthens a weakness found in established teaching methods, allowing the individual to embark on his or her engineering education with greater confidence in his or her ability as an engineer.
TL;DR: The TQM 9-C EDEX Model as discussed by the authors is a new educational excellence model for engineering education in India, which can be used in the engineering institutions to enhance the quality of education offered by them.
Abstract: TQM is no longer limited to industries and business houses. The principles of TQM have been successfully adopted in the field of higher education by developed countries such as the USA and UK. The authors of the present study review the literature to find out who the customer is in education and emphasize the need for development of a new educational excellence model, ‘TQM 9-C EDEX Model’, in the field of engineering education in India. The present study, while developing the new model, extensively reviews the existing educational models and analyses the multifarious ills presently confronting engineering education in India. This new model can be effectively used in the engineering institutions to enhance the quality of education offered by them.
TL;DR: The challenges facing engineering education and the profession are confronting a challenging crossroad in the 21st century as mentioned in this paper, and it would be fair to say that none of us are very satisfi f with the status quo and what seems to be facing us in the near term.
Abstract: Engineering education and the profession are confronting a challenging crossroad. Some of us see it as a crisis, others, as an opportunity for positioning our community and our society for the 21st century. It would be fair to say, however, that none of us are very satisfi ed with the status quo and what seems to be facing us in the near term. As Charles Dickens wrote in the opening of A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. Author and journalist Thomas Friedman has declared that the world is now fl at. Globalization of the economy has amplifi ed the impact of technology on modern societies in ways that could not have been predicted. The connectivity provided by the Internet has generated new markets for products and services, but has also made available labor that is often both educated and cheap. This is likely to have a profound impact on the distribution of wealth in both the developed and the developing parts of the world and may, in particular, alter the socioeconomic structure of countries where the general well-being of the population has been taken for granted. That education plays a role in the prosperity of nations is not debated, but many authors, like Landes, for example, argue that it is specifi cally the presence of both knowledge and know-how that determines how well off societies are. The education of engineers is therefore critical to every nation to ensure the prosperity of its citizens. The modern professional identity of engineers emerged in the early 18th century with the establishment of the Ecole Polytechnique in France and the foundation of professional engineering societies in England. The current way Re-Engineering Engineering Education for the Challenges of the 21st Century
TL;DR: This article used a personality test and open-ended interviews to explore creativity between two groups of entrepreneurship masters' students: one at a business school and one at an engineering school, and found that both groups had high creative potential, but that engineering students channelled this into practical and incremental efforts whereas the business students were more speculative and had a clearer market focus.
Abstract: As creativity is increasingly recognised as a vital component of entrepreneurship, researchers and educators struggle to reform enterprise pedagogy. To help in this effort, we use a personality test and open-ended interviews to explore creativity between two groups of entrepreneurship masters' students: one at a business school and one at an engineering school. The findings indicate that both groups had high creative potential, but that engineering students channelled this into practical and incremental efforts whereas the business students were more speculative and had a clearer market focus. The findings are drawn on to make some suggestions for entrepreneurship education.
Abstract: An instrument is developed to measure customer-perceived quality of higher engineering education. Critical determinants of educational service quality are identified, and the instrument is described. Using data collected from students in public and priv..
Book•
08 Aug 2006
TL;DR: A response of the engineering profession to the challenges of security, poverty and under-development, and environmental sustainability is described and new ethical code based on a recently introduced model of Nature as an integral community is provided and discussed.
Abstract: A response of the engineering profession to the challenges of security, poverty and under-development, and environmental sustainability is described. Ethical codes, which govern the behavior of engineers, are examined from a historical perspective linking the prevailing codes to models of the natural world.Anewethical code based on a recently introduced model of Nature as an integral community is provided and discussed. Applications of the new code are described using a case study approach. With the ethical code based on an integral community in place, a new design algorithm is developed and also explored using case studies. Implications of the proposed changes in ethics and design on engineering education are considered.
TL;DR: A technique is described that introduces ethics into technical courses in small enough units not to push out technical material, and where this technique might fit into the larger undertaking of integrating ethics into the technical (scientific or engineering) curriculum is explained.
Abstract: Perhaps the most common reason science and engineering faculty give for not including 'ethics' (that is, research ethics, engineering ethics, or some discussion of professional responsibility) in their technical classes is that 'there is no room'. This article 1) describes a technique ('micro-insertion') that introduces ethics (and related topics) into technical courses in small enough units not to push out technical material, 2) explains where this technique might fit into the larger undertaking of integrating ethics into the technical (scientific or engineering) curriculum, and 3) concludes with some quantified evidence (collected over more than a decade) suggesting success. Integrating ethics into science and engineering courses is largely a matter of providing context for what is already being taught, context that also makes the material already being taught seem 'more relevant'.