Engineering education

About: Engineering education is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 24293 publications have been published within this topic receiving 234621 citations.

Feedback on Professional Skills as Enculturation into Communities of Practice

Abstract: 1 Background Professional skills are critical in engineering practice. Differing definitions and lack of empirical evidence make it difficult to help students develop these skills. 2 Purpose This research seeks to understand what it means to have professional skills in an industrially situated capstone project and, by extension, in engineering. We also aim to demonstrate the influence on those skills of the feedback provided to students. 3 Design/Method Our ethnographic study employs discourse analysis to focus on professional skills. Using the construct of communities of practice, we describe and analyze conversations between a coach and four student teams as the coach provided feedback, and conversations among students as they worked in teams. 4 Results Approximately half the discussion addressed the following professional skills: communication, documentation, teamwork, the economic impact of engineering solutions, and project management. Development of professional skills promotes students' enculturation into both a disciplinary community (chemical engineering) and an industrial community (semiconductor industry). Feedback on professional skills generally was given in the context of technical aspects, and we found an interplay between the teams' participation in professional skills activities and participation in more technical activities. 5 Conclusions Participation in engineering design projects provides students opportunities to practice both professional and technical skills. Feedback on professional skills helps students recognize how to simultaneously represent themselves as legitimate members of multiple communities of practice.

A Ten Year Assessment of the Pre-Engineering Program for Under-Represented, Low Income and/or First Generation College Students at the University of Akron.

Abstract: This paper summarizes the findings of a ten year study on a Pre-Engineering program aimed at dramatically improving both the recruitment and retention of under-represented students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at The University of Akron. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate The University of Akron?s operation of the special High School Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math Science, Educational Talent Search and Pre-Engineering Academic Achievement Programs with the primary objective of increasing the number of under-represented students in STEM. The programs are offered in collaboration with the College of Engineering Minority Engineering program, Increasing Diversity in Engineering Academics (IDEAs). The net effectiveness of the programs was measured using the following parameters: (a) average high school grade point average both before and after participating in Pre-Engineering programs, (b) high school math and science achievements, (c) retention rate for students returning from previous year, (d) students enrolling in colleges and (e) percentage of students committed to STEM upon graduation. The most noteworthy result stemming from the use of these strategies is that the targeted students, who have expressed an enthusiastic interest in pursuing mathematics and science, are highly motivated, ambitious and excited about exploring STEM.

Incorporating a Sustainability Module into First-Year Courses for Civil and Environmental Engineering Students

Abstract: As articulated in the Bodies of Knowledge for Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering, all civil and environmental engineering students should be introduced to the concept of sustainability. A sustainability module was added into two required first-year, 1-credit introductory courses, one for civil engineering and one for environmental engineering. Data from approximately 150 students were collected. Student attitudes about sustainability were evaluated using a written survey. There was greater initial knowledge of sustainability and positive attitudes toward sustainability among students enrolled in the environmental engineering course compared with those in the civil engineering course, but this did not translate into better performance on the related homework assignment. There was strong evidence that the inclusion of the sustainability module encouraged the students to consider sustainability in subsequent course assignments, even when not explicitly prompted to do so. This indicates that earl...

Engineering a Warmer Welcome for Female Students.

Abstract: It is noted that although more than half of undergraduates at American colleges and universities today are women, enrollment levels in engineering programs by women have not changed greatly in the

Engineering education for mechatronics

Abstract: This paper defines mechatronics, explains mechatronics philosophy, and describes characteristics of mechatronics products and systems. It reviews aspects of education and training for mechatronics and compares the two different approaches to engineering education: generalist engineering versus specialist engineering. It also examines the Japanese approach to product development strategies and mechatronics education and training. It also gives an overview of mechatronics education in higher education institutions across the world with a specific reference to a typical mechatronics engineering degree program. Finally it concludes that there will be an increasing need in the future for discipline-based mechatronics engineers.