Engineering Commons^™

Empathy In Engineering And Ethics Education: Resources To Support The Engineering Education Global Community, Diana Bairaktarova, Inês Direito

Workshops

No abstract provided.

Development In Students' Perceptions Of Sustainability And Responsibility As Relevant Aspects Of The Role Of Engineers, Clara Lemke, Ann-Kristin Winkens, Marie Decker, Inanma Elif, Carmen Leicht-Scholten

Research Papers

Engineering and technology-based solutions can address the global challenges associated with sustainable development. In this context, engineers have a substantial responsibility in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Meeting the challenges of all SDGs influences economic, political and social aspects of human life. However, engineering students’ understanding of sustainability is often limited to its ecological and economic dimension, not taking into account or even neglecting social issues. Therefore, teaching approaches in engineering education should address the different dimensions of sustainability and the responsibility of technological development concerning society.

Exploring The Fabrication Lab Concept For Learning Sustainable Co-Innovation In Industrial Engineering Education – An Action Research Case From Austria, Selim Erol, Alice Grano

Research Papers

According to recent studies, cooperative innovation between universities and industry, especially with small and medium firms, is not as frequent as expected. Case-studies of regional innovation systems have shown that open access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure, services, skills and activities are needed to achieve long-term innovation partnerships. Co-innovation requires particular skills beyond technical knowledge, which are not always addressed in engineering curricula at university. Fab labs are a concept that potentially fosters students in the acquisition of such skills. In this paper, we describe our experiences in designing, building and running a fab lab as a new element for industrial …

What Do Engineers Do With What They Know: Observing Specialized Technical Knowledge In Practice, Zach Simpson, Corrinne Shaw, Nicky Wolmarans

Research Papers

The gap between engineering education and practice has been subject to considerable research attention. We look at studies of engineering practice with a view to informing education. Our interest is in identifying technical knowledge and how it is used in practice, as well as what kind of technical knowledge is used but not taught. This paper seeks to systematically review the existing literature on engineering practice, drawing from and adding to a prior data set developed by Andrea Mazzurco and colleagues, who found that there was a gap in studies of specialised technical knowledge in practice. Investigating their dataset we …

Innovating Pedagogy, Space And Technology In A South African Engineering Classroom, Fatima Mohamed Darsot, Zach Simpson

Research Papers

The use of technology has become ubiquitous in higher education; however, many university teachers, particularly in the global South, are not confident with using technology when teaching. As a result, engineering curricula often maintain the predominance of “chalk and talk” modes of pedagogy, which often leave students disengaged from what they are learning. Technology offers access to new modes of teaching and learning, but needs to be used in pedagogically meaningful ways. Lecturers are required to teach in innovative ways, using innovative technologies, but are required to do so in classrooms designed and built many decades ago. This is problematic …

Going Beyond Intentions: A Methodology For Assessing Entrepreneurial Activity Among Engineering Education Alumni, Saul Garcia Huertes, Ramon Bragós Bardia

Research Papers

This research paper proposes a novel methodology for evaluating entrepreneurial activity among engineering education alumni using their public CVs as our main source of information. The objective is to go beyond measuring entrepreneurship intentions or mindset through surveys, and instead analyse actual career data to assess the impact of entrepreneurship education. The study utilises shared user data and employs GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) models to infer entrepreneurial activity that extends beyond job titles, delving into the specific responsibilities and achievements associated with each position.

To Withdraw, Investigate, Negotiate Or Integrate? Students' Coping Strategies With Disorienting Dilemmas In Interdisciplinary Project Courses, Xiaoqi Feng, Julia Sundman, Hanna Aarnio, Maija Taka, Marko Keskinen, Olli Varis

Research Papers

In today’s rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world, engineering educators are required to implement active pedagogical approaches to support students’ interdisciplinary problem-solving processes. However, interdisciplinary and experiential learning may evoke situations where students question their past learnings and even existing values, beliefs, or assumptions. Our study examined the emergence of “disorienting dilemmas”, a central concept to transformative learning theory, and students’ experiences in coping with them in engineering education. We interviewed ten students from two interdisciplinary project courses at School of Engineering in Aalto University, Finland, and conducted thematic analysis to identify the types of disorienting dilemmas and the coping …

The Role Of Earth System Literacy In Sustainability Education For Engineers, Sudeshna Basu

Research Papers

Engineers should be able to demonstrate sustainability competencies transcending their specialised discipline. But all cross-disciplinary sustainability competencies are not targeted adequately in engineering education and are often mismatched with competencies required by engineers in their professional roles. Future engineers should have an understanding of the environment alongside technical knowledge, with all engineering design and product showing consideration to sustainability. The study of the Earth system is relevant to the understanding of environmental issues and the interplay between the sub-systems of the Earth (atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere) . Yet, integration of Earth system literacy in the engineering curriculum has received …

Is “Improving The Quality Of Life” The Only Sustainability Issue That Is Related To Engineering? - Exploring Engineering Students’ Conceptions Of Sustainability, Lillian Yun Yung Luk, Inês Direito, John Mitchell, Kate Roach

Research Papers

UNESCO’s (2021) report on engineering for sustainable development has emphasized the critical role of engineers in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, there is a lack of clarity about the conceptualization or definition of sustainability (Moore et al., 2017), which makes it difficult to integrate sustainability into the curriculum. While Walshe (2008) conducted a study on high school students’ conceptions of sustainability in the UK, there appears to be a lack of research conducted in the context of higher education. The study presented in this paper explores engineering students’ understanding of sustainability in engineering and how it is …

Assessing Engineering Students Preparedness For Lifelong Learning And Self-Reflection Competency, Rani Dujardin, Lynn Van Den Broeck, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important in the field of engineering. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are responsible for the transfer of field-specific knowledge, but also for preparing students for LLL. To do so, HEIs need a clear view of the extent to which engineering students are prepared for LLL. Research suggests two approaches in the assessment of LLL, namely (1) a holistic approach measuring general preparedness for LLL and (2) a specific approach measuring a subcompetency of LLL. The current study combines both approaches by using Kirby’s lifelong learning scale (LLS) and Grant’s Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). Firstly, a …

Student Perspectives On Sustainability In Engineering Education: Multiple Case Study Of European Bachelor's Programs In Industrial Engineering And Management, Francisca Trigueiros, Jenni Kaipainen, Frederico Silva, Niklas Geising, Erdem Ata Tosun

Research Papers

The global sustainability crisis is calling for engineers to take action. To enable and empower engineers to address this crisis, there must be a change in engineering education. Given the industry's key role in not only causing but also solving this sustainability crisis, it is especially crucial to improve how sustainability is addressed in industrial engineering and management (IEM) education. This paper examines (1) to which extent European IEM degrees are covering sustainability; (2) European IEM students’ motivations to learn and work with sustainability topics; and (3) their perceptions of their degree’s contribution to their knowledge and motivation regarding sustainability; …

Engineering Science Students’ Self-Regulation: A Baseline, Shan Tuyaerts, Tinne De Laet, Lynn Van Den Broeck, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Today’s society is characterized by swift technological advancements. Engineers cannot solely rely on what they learned at university, as new technologies pop up quickly. They need to participate in lifelong learning (LLL) in order to keep up with the state-of-the-art. Self-regulation is a core competency for lifelong learning that can be used as a proxy for it in an educational context. This study aims to establish a baseline for engineering students’ self-regulation. Their levels are measured by the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), consisting of three subscales: need for self-reflection, engagement in self-reflection, and insight. 1128 students enrolled at KU …

Exploring The Variation In Gender Balance On Undergraduate Engineering Courses In Uk Universities, Kate Bellingham, John E Mitchell, David Guile, Inês Direito

Research Papers

The underrepresentation of women in engineering remains a persistent issue despite efforts to attract more female students. The percentage of UK engineering undergraduates who are female is published annually, however no institutional breakdown is given. This scoping study aims to inform the direction of future research by investigating the nature and possible causes of the distribution of female engineering undergraduates across the UK HE-sector. Student data gathered from UK universities by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for 2019/20 is explored using Tableau. Overall, 16% of UK engineering undergraduates are female but this varies from 5% to 36% for individual …

How Diverse Are Global Perspectives On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Engineering Education?, Jan Van Maele, Becky Bergman, Inês Direito, Homero Murzi

Workshops

The SEFI Special Interest Group on Gender & Diversity has recently been renamed as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, broadening the definition from a focus on gender to embrace a wider range of diverse identities – such as language and cultural background, religion, physical ability, and socioeconomic status – and to promote and support equity and inclusive practices within SEFI and beyond. In the process of redefining the Special Interest Group’s mission, it has become clear that definitions of diversity, equity and inclusion may vary considerably between different contexts and institutions. Therefore, it is relevant for the engineering education community to …

Revolutionising Engineering Education: Creating Photorealistic Virtual Human Lecturers Using Artificial Intelligence And Computer Generated Images, Johannes H Moolman, Fiona Boyle, Joseph Walsh

Research Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional classroom learning, making virtual and remote education increasingly important. In this context, the use of photorealistic virtual humans, or avatars, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer an immersive and engaging environment for delivering traditional classroom-based lectures. This paper proposes a process that combines AI and Computer-Generated Images (CGI) to create photorealistic virtual human lecturers for educational purposes.

The proposed process flow involves generating audio from text inputs, which is passed to a 3-Dimensional (3D) facial animation rig that matches lip, tongue, eye and facial movements to the audio using AI. This generates a …

The Study Of The Effectiveness Of Design-Based Engineering Learning (Dbel): The Mediating Role Of Cognitive Engagement And The Moderating Role Of Modes Of Engagement, Lina Wei, Liang Wang, Wei Zhang, Peiyun Xu

Research Papers

Aim Design-based engineering learning (DBEL) offers a potentially valuableapproach to engineering education, but its mechanism of action has yet to beverifiedby empirical studies. Accordingly, the present study aimed to establish whether DBELproduces better learning outcomes, thereby building a strong, empirically groundedcase for further research into engineering education.

Methods To build a more comprehensive model of design-based engineeringlearning, the variables of cognitive engagement (the mediator) and modesof engagement (the moderator) were introduced to build a theoretical processmodel. Questionnaires and multiple linear regression analysis were used to verify themodel.

Results and discussion All four features of DBEL (design practice, interactivereflection, knowledge integration, …

European And National Strategies Supporting The Implementation And Development Of Continuing Engineering Education At Scandinavian Universities, Ida Marie Lybecker Korning, Bente Nørgaard

Research Papers

Lifelong learning (LLL) and continuing engineering education (CEE) have been on the European Union’s agenda for almost three decades, formally initiated by the European Year of Lifelong Learning in 1996 and reinforced with several initiatives targeted at LLL since then. The current initiative, the European Year of Skills 2023, aims to promote a mindset of reskilling and upskilling. Nonetheless, before 1996, some universities were already developing diverse CEE activities and collaborating with external stakeholders such as the local industry. Many of these activities, however, have been initiated by passionate university staff or based on personal relationships within the organization. CEE …

A Framework For A Scoping Review Of Digital Transformation Of Engineering Education, Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf, Jacob Højholt Leegaard

Research Papers

The digitalization of engineering education has made significant progress in recent years not only due to societal circumstances such as COVID-19, but also thanks to technological development and progress and digital transformation of engineering education seems more imminent than ever. This paper presents the development of a framework and process for an ongoing scoping review regarding frameworks for digital transformation of engineering education. Empirical studies on digital innovations in specific small-scale contexts are numerous and the literature is rich. This study, however, aims to identify more systematic and holistic approaches to digital transformation. At this stage the review work has …

Exploring And Operationalizing Inclusive Teaching In Engineering Education, Keith Fouch, Ellie Abundo

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Inclusive teaching is vital in engineering education because of its potential to enhance learning for all students. The purpose of this research is to explore faculty experiences with inclusive teaching, specifically focused on engineering settings. Our findings highlight dominant beliefs, practices, and challenges that emerged from our preliminary analysis. Future work will corroborate these findings with additional faculty as well as engineering student perspectives and beliefs.

Disrupting Engineering Education, Euan D. Lindsay, Roger G. Hadgraft, Fiona Boyle, Ron Ulseth

Integrated Engineering Department Publications

Traditional engineering education approaches are recognizable around the world – lectures, tutorials, laboratories, some projects. With the emergence of Industry 4.0, the world in which engineers practice is evolving at an ever-increasing rate, combining a greater focus on complex sociotechnical problems with new technologies and increasingly powerful design tools. In general, the engineering curricula have not adapted quickly to this change, but there is a shift in expectations of who and what engineering students should be. Engineering curricula are becoming more flexible, as are the learning environments in which they are implemented. This chapter draws upon the Doblin 10 types …

Informal Learning As Opportunity For Competency Development And Broadened Engagement In Engineering, Madeline Polmear, Shannon Chance, Roger Hadgraft, Corrinne Shaw

Books/Book chapters

Informal learning is increasingly being recognized as a way to complement the formal curriculum within engineering and provide additional opportunities for competency development while engaging diverse students. Learning about engineering occurs throughout life, via experiential and spontaneous opportunities that inform our understandings of the world. Learning is not confined to the engineering curriculum and class time but, rather, continues informally and implicitly throughout the daily lives and activities of university students. Often framed in contrast to formal learning, informal learning is more as it represents a significant portion of students’ time and effort and contributes to their persistence, competence development, …

Integration Of Omnet++ Into A Networking Course In An Electrical Engineering Technology Program, Murat Kuzlu, Brian Emmanuel Tamayo, Salih Sarp, Otilia Popescu, Vukica M. Jovanovic

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Networking courses are an integral part of electrical engineering technology programs as the majority of electronics in the modern day are required to communicate with each other. They are also getting more attention in manufacturing engineering technology programs because of the development of emerging technologies in Industry 4.0 arena. From laptops, computers, cellphones, modern day vehicles and smart refrigerators, these devices require a certain level of networking in order to communicate with other devices, whether it be locally, or even across the other side of the world. The objective of networking courses in an electrical engineering program is to demonstrate …

Enhancing Online Hands-On Learning In Engineering Education: Student Perceptions And Recommendations, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Designing effective online engineering courses that include hands-on components or labs requires a thorough understanding of student perspectives and the development of strategies to improve learning outcomes. Despite the growing number of studies on online learning, little information exists on the unique challenges engineering students face in hands-on courses. To address this gap, this study used a questionnaire to gather engineering students’ perspectives on course design and delivery. The findings highlight the challenges faced by students in online engineering courses with hands-on components, such as difficulty in collaborating with peers. To address these challenges, recommendations are proposed, such as incorporating …

Development Of A Simevents Model For Printed Circuit Board (Pcb) Assembly Processes, Siqin Dong, Mileta Tomovic, Krishnanand Kaipa

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the foundational building blocks of most modern electronic devices. PCB assembly is defined as the process of mounting different electronic components on a PCB. Circuit board assembly utilizes an automated technique with most steps completed by machines for different operations (e.g., pick-and-place components, soldering, etc.). In this paper, details of a student course project, carried out at Old Dominion University, on the design and simulation of PCB assembly processes based on MATLAB discrete-event system are presented. An essential component in the advanced manufacturing technology course is the hands-on experience where students implement multiple software simulation …

Enablers And Barriers Of Communication In Virtual Engineering Teams: The Role Of Teamwork Skills And Emergent Conflict, Pilar Pazos, Francisco Cima

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Communication is a critical process that facilitates team members' coordination, expertise exchange, decision-making, and, consequently, team elfectiveness. A focus on effective communication is critical in virtual teams due to their lack of face-to-face interactions and social presence. Communication becomes challenging in remote settings, and specific skills emerge as more essential to success. It is known that effective teams rely on planning, execution, and interpersonal skills to be successful. Still, the specific impact of these skills on virtual team effectiveness is not well understood. Additionally, conflict can emerge as a significant barrier to collaboration for remote teams that can hinder their …

Development Of Sensing And Programming Activities For Engineering Technology Pathways Using A Virtual Arduino Simulation Platform, Murat Kuzlu, Vukica Jovanovic, Otilia Popescu, Salih Sarp

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The Arduino platform has long been an efficient tool in teaching electrical engineering technology, electrical engineering, and computer science concepts in schools and universities and introducing new learners to programming and microcontrollers. Numerous Arduino projects are widely available through the open-source community, and they can help students to have hands-on experience in building circuits and programming electronics with a wide variety of topics that can make learning electrical prototyping fun. The educational fields of electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology need continuous updating to keep up with the continuous evolution of the computer system. Although the traditional Arduino platform has …

Teaching Analytics Online: A Self-Study Of Professional Practice, Andrew J. Collins, Brandon Butler, James F. Leathrum Jr., Christopher J. Lynch

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to education enterprises throughout the world, the main response by educational institutions was to move to online learning environments. The purpose of this study was to understand better how instructors could improve online learning for a professional-level week-long short course in a highly technical area (data analytics), which had, pre-COVID, been a hands-on computer, laboratory-based learning experience. The authors used self-study of professional practice to elicit and understand the major issues and concerns of the transition to an online learning environment. Under the guidance of a colleague in teacher education, three course instructors …

Predicting Engineering Integration In K-12 From The Perspective Of Pre-Service Teachers, Pilar Pazos, Francisco Cima, Jennifer Kidd, Kristie Gutierrez, Dorothy Faulkner, Minjung Lee, Krishna Kaipa, Orlando Ayala

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The integration of engineering content at the pre-college level is gaining global traction as a strategy to improve learning outcomes and to promote inclusion and diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Preservice teacher (PST) programs have become natural insertion points for integration efforts by providing future K-12 teachers with the resources and preparation to teach engineering as part of their academic preparation. There is a need to understand the socio-cognitive mechanisms by which teacher preparation programs can help teachers to integrate engineering in their future classrooms. This work examines how an innovative cross-disciplinary program impacted important social-cognitive drivers …

Two Sides To Every Psyche: Implications Of Positive Psychology For "Mental Health" Research In Engineering Education, Muhammad Asghar, Angela Minichiello

Engineering Education Student Research

“Mental Health.” Throughout the 20th century, these familiar words have been quietly commandeered by a physiological model of health (Greenspoon & Saklofske, 2001). Unknowingly, society conspired to use these words—colloquially, academically, and scientifically—for the sole purpose of depicting (or implying) negative states of the human mind. Since the origins of psychological research over 100 years ago, our understanding of what mental health is has been conflated with notions of mental illness. Resultantly, we have tacitly agreed that the presence or absence of suffering is the sole implication of our mental health (Horwitz & Scheid, 1999).

Perceived Factors Contributing To The Subjective Wellbeing Of Undergraduate Engineering Students: An Exploratory Study, Muhammad Asghar, Angela Minichiello, Assad Iqbal

Engineering Education Student Research

Engineering education is perceived to be a tough field of study with detrimental effects on the mental health of undergraduate engineering students. High levels of anxiety and depression are reported among this population. Overall, mental health research is often biased toward looking at mental health from a deficit perspective and investigating mental health as a negative phenomenon. This trend also persists in engineering education research. The purpose of this exploratory study, therefore, is to investigate the condition of subjective wellbeing (SWB) of undergraduate engineering students to understand the factors that they perceive as positively contributing to their overall wellbeing in …