Education Commons^™

Real-World Process Design For Mechanical Engineering Students: A Case Study Of Pbl In Dit, Kevin Delaney, John D. Kelleher

Conference Papers

Engineering education deals primarily with calculating quantitative performance of engineering objects, such as machines, circuits or dams, and with designing variations of these objects. However when engineering graduates enter the workforce they must be able to do a great deal more than solve the technical problems taught in engineering school [1]. More specifically they will need to deal with a great range of problems some of which are not technical engineering problems at all. Examples of such problems include working as part of a larger group, project management, negotiation, component sourcing and an awareness of the multi-disciplinary nature of engineering. …

An Integrated Approach To The Teaching Of Numerical Methods To Engineering Students, Garrett Keane, Michael Carr, Patrick Carroll

Conference papers

In Technological University Dublin, historically, numerical methods were taught to engineering students using a format of traditional mathematics lectures, to a large class group consisting of students from five different engineering disciplines, complemented by small class tutorials. Assessment was by a single, written exam only.

In order to improve the overall effectiveness of the students’ learning experience, it was deemed beneficial to also introduce practical computing classes in which the students would be required to apply the general mathematical methods covered in lectures to discipline-specific examples.

Three different practical computing assignments were devised for the students to undertake, and 20% …

Analysis Of A Pilot Implementation Of Problem Based Learning Strategy For A Logistics Undergraduate Education Programme, Margaret Farrell

Conference Papers

Research findings suggest that a supply chain manager's job is complex and multidimensional, requiring both general management and logistics/supply chain specific knowledge, competencies and skills. The challenge for logistics educators is to design and develop curricula, teaching and assessment methodologies that can support wide-ranging and integrative learning objectives, which include team, people, project management and technological skills. Problem based learning (PBL) draws heavily on andragogical principles, requiring the student to be self directed and responsible for their own learning as they seek to solve a ‘real life’ problem, within a group. The paper presents the analysis of the teachers experience …

Geolearn – Exploiting New Educational Tools In The Spatial Information Sciences, Audrey Martin, Kevin Mooney, Eugene Mcgovern

Conference Papers

GeoLearn is an educational research group within the Department of Spatial Information Sciences (DSIS) in the Technological University Dublin (DIT). Its aim is to promote, develop and evaluate emerging learning methods and resources, such as E-Learning and other innovative educational techniques in the Geomatics discipline.

The GeoLearn group has conducted a number of pilot studies of E-Learning for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with International groups and the evaluation of the feedback from participants is presented. The group has also participated in the education service of the European spatial data research organisation (EuroSDR) delivering and evaluating its courses to multi-national participants. …

Problem Based Learning In Spatial Information Sciences: A Case Study, Audrey Martin, Eugene Mcgovern, Kevin Mooney

Conference papers

This paper describes the introduction, implementation and evaluation of a Problem Based Learning component in the Geodetic Surveying syllabus of the fourth / final year of the honours degree programme in Geomatics at the Department of Spatial Information Sciences, Technological University of Dublin,Ireland. The reasons behind adopting this constructivist educational approach as opposed to traditional instructivist methods more commonly employed are addressed, together with an evaluation of the process from both the educator (academic) and student (learners) perspective. The results of this case study are considered in the context of a number of interconnected pedagogical issues including (a) enhancement of …