Engineering Education Commons^™

Challenging The Notion Of Role Models In Engineering Outreach Programs For Youth, Kelli M. Paul, Karen Miel, Merredith D. Portsmore, Adam Maltese

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering outreach programs often portray outreach educators as role models for youth. It is widely believed that introducing youth, especially girls, to potential engineering role models will broaden participation in engineering majors and careers. Based on interviews with and surveys of fourth- and fifth-grade girls participating in an engineering outreach program, we question whether youth are looking for career role models, and we challenge the assumption that youth will take up an adult as a role model simply because the adult is presented as such. We question what role these ‘‘models’’ play in the minds and lives of youth and …

Lgbtq+ Safe Zone Ally Workshop, Rocio Chavela Guerra, Stephanie Farrell

Workshops

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals have historically faced harassment, exclusionary behavior, and discrimination in many aspects of their lives, including in educational settings. This workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and tools to (1) recognize the negative impact of bias and heterosexual/cisgender privilege on the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals; (2) recognize challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in STEM fields; (3) identify strategies for creating an inclusive and affirming environment; and (4) formulate a plan to become an ally for LGBTQ+ individuals. The workshop is open to students, faculty, and the professional community in STEM fields and …

Teaching Competencies, Samuel Bengmark

Workshops

In search of a model of teaching competencies for engineering education, we led a focus group discussion as a workshop at SEFI2023, where we got practitioners’ perspectives on essential competencies for teaching. These were compared to a model of teaching competencies called the S2L model, developed and used at a technical university in Sweden. The aim of the workshop was to enrich the participants’ understanding of which competencies are essential for teaching and to challenge and improve the S2L model. After the workshop, the competencies collected from the participants were analysed using content analysis. The results show that the teaching …

Validity Of Student Professional Practice Competency Claims, David Lowe, Anthony Kadi

Research Papers

The University of Sydney has introduced a program of engaging engineering students throughout their degree program in diverse forms of self-selected exposure to, and engagement with, professional practice. To gain recognition of completed activities students are required to submit “claims” that include identification of the core competencies that were developed and demonstrated during the activity, along with a detailed reflection on their learning. Given that the claims are highly individualised and often unsupervised, assessment is predominantly limited to evaluation of the reflections along with evidence of the activity. A key question in the program relates to the validity of the …

Integrating Learning Analytics Into Engineering Education: Design Strategies For Teachers, C.A. Vonk, E. Ventura-Medina, C.C.P. Snijders, U. Matzat, R. Zhang, T. Cristea

Workshops

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Analysis Of China's Application-Oriented Talents Cultivation Policies, Yingying Qiao, Yiang Yang, Ling Zhu

Research Papers

Faced with a new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the Chinese government has implemented policies to cultivate application-oriented talents. Application-oriented talents utilise engineering theories and technical methods to achieve engineering objectives. Cultivating such talents enables Chinese engineering education to meet better the needs of local economic and social development, promoting the differentiated development of Chinese higher education. We use quantitative methods to analyse China's application-oriented talents cultivation policies. The analysis focuses on the changes in policy contents and characteristics of policy responses to capture the developmental trends and critical stages of these policies. Findings from our …

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.

Epistemologies Of Assessment Instruments, Raenita Fenner, Peggy O'Neill, Kerrie Douglas, Elliot P. Douglas

Research Papers

Understanding our epistemological perspective when conducting engineering education research is important for situating the knowledge claims we are making. Depending on that perspective, we may situate the knowledge claims as definitive, representing an absolute Truth, or as contingent, representing a contextualized truth. Traditionally, quantitative research has been identified as positivist, while qualitative research is diverse in its epistemological assumptions, ranging from positivist to interpretivist to Critical and the “posts.” Thus, results from quantitative studies are often treated as generalizable, absolute, and decontextualized, while quantitative studies are treated as particular, contingent, and contextualized. Assessment instruments, being quantitative, are associated with positivist …

Assessment Of Online Accreditation Of Engineering Programs: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (Chat) Analysis, Kasongo Didier Nyembwe, Tajudeen Mojisola, Zach Simpson

Research Papers

This paper shows how Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) can provide a practical framework for online accreditation of engineering programmes in South Africa. Far from being inaccessible, CHAT can provide engineering accreditation bodies with a conceptual framework and theory of change for online accreditation of engineering programs. Within the context of program accreditation in South Africa, the paper leverages CHAT to comprehend the dynamic interplay of digital technologies as deployed during online accreditation including, amongst others, video conferencing, social media and cloud storage, and how these affect online accreditation of engineering programmes. It is concluded that theory-based research and practice …

Learning Through Screens During Covid-19 Crisis: Foresee Tomorrow's Education By Analyzing Yesterday's Setbacks And Barriers, Hanen Kooli-Chaabane, Antoine Lanthony, Nicolas Peyret

Research Papers

This paper aims to enrich the state of the art on engineering and management learning and education by shedding light on the barriers encountered during the COVID-19 crisis due to the imposed digital transformation. Our research question is: what were the barriers encountered in remote and hybrid learning during pandemic experiences and what lessons can be drawn for higher education in the context of Problem-Based Learning (PBL)? This paper aims to enrich the debate on how digitalization impacted the learning and teaching experience in teaching modules traditionally achieved face-to-face.

How To Characterise Performance In Engineering Freshmen’S Modelling Tasks?, Sophie Charles, Nicolas Peyret

Research Papers

This paper presents a study aiming at characterising engineering freshmen’s performance in modelling tasks, as well as the strategies they adopt to execute them, before and after taking a 3-D modelling course. 97 freshmen in a French engineering school were asked to produce 3-D models of a part, using three views and the product development platform Onshape. The accuracy of their models was assessed using geometrical, dimensional and functional criteria. The students’ performance was also investigated with regards to their modelling strategies. We characterised more specifically the strategies they adopted to constrain the overall length of the part, and pierce …

A Framework For Investigating The Application Of Educational Theories In Engineering Education Research, Vivian Van Der Werf, Gitte Van Helden, Johannes Schleiss, Gillian N. Saunders-Smits

Research Papers

Grounding the design of educational interventions and their analysis in theory allows us to understand and interpret results of interventions and advance educational theories. Moreover, building an understanding of which educational theories are used and how they are used can build a consensus among researchers and mature the research in a field. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which educational theories are used to ground the design, analysis, and evaluation of learning activities in engineering education. For this purpose, we developed a coding instrument to determine: (1) which educational theories are expressed in studies investigating learning activities and …

Engineering Students Emotional Intelligence And Neuro-Linguistics Programming (Nlp) As Developmental Tool, Ahlem Khefacha, Beatrix Séllei

Research Papers

This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of engineering students' emotional intelligence (EI) and the possibility of using neurolinguistics programming (NLP) as a developmental tool. Students' emotional intelligence was assessed using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I) with 5 points Likert scale. Firstsemester engineering students were approached by part of a broader study at the Budapest University of Technology during 2018-2022. In the article, we describe the emotional intelligence profile of more than 3600 students in various fields of engineering. NLP professionals around the world filled out the second questionnaire. We got answers from 35 professionals based in Tunisia, Hungary, …

(Re)Defining Engineers’ Resilience: Part I An Exploratory Study Into How Engineering Educators Understand And Teach Resilience, Natalie Wint, Inês Direito

Research Papers

In recent years ‘resilience’ has increasingly been framed as a positive attribute that can play a role in the success of university students. The need for students to develop and demonstrate resilience seems particularly pertinent within engineering education. Firstly, engineering degrees are often associated with heavy workloads. This, alongside high rates of attrition and increases in mental health issues, suggests a need for students to demonstrate resilience. Secondly, engineering degrees prepare students for a profession, and it is likely that courses place emphasis on graduate attributes such as resilience. Finally, the rate of technological advancement and societal change places additional …

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 Experience Of Women In Engineering Apprenticeships | A Scoping Review, Joy Herron, Brian Bowe, Richard Gallery, Una Beagon

Research Papers

This scoping review aims to synthesise the existing literature on the experience of women in engineering and trade apprenticeships, discuss the common themes and highlight areas for future research. Apprenticeships are not only required to address the current skills shortage in the engineering profession which threatens to impede our ability to deliver on our sustainability goals and restrict economic growth they are also a proven pathway for women to enter engineering programmes. Despite growing social and political interest in increasing gender diversity in the workforce, data shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in engineering apprenticeship programs.

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, …

Towards Sustainability - Fostering Gender Dimensions For Inclusiveness In Science Technology Engineering And Production (Step) Fields, Ann Sharon Lourens, Nicole Truter

Research Papers

Statistics from the Engineering Council of South Africa indicate that a large number of women who enter the engineering sector leave their careers in the early stages because they felt isolated and experienced discrimination in this traditionally maledominated industry. Furthermore, research on global trends have highlighted the importance of an inclusive atmosphere as a result of the increase in the proportion of female decision-makers, racial and ethnic background differences, persons with disabilities and generation gaps with resulting different learning styles and needs. Literature also suggests that workforce diversity that maximises inclusion and minimises resistance, allows organisations to create change that …

Curriculum Workshops As A Method Of Interdisciplinary Curriculum Development: A Case Study For Artificial Intelligence In Engineering, Johannes Schleiss, Anke Manukjan, Michelle Ines Bieber, Philipp Pohlenz, Sebastian Stober

Research Papers

The integration of tools and methods of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the engineering domain has become increasingly important, and with it comes a shift in required competencies. As a result, engineering education should now incorporate AI competencies into its courses and curricula. While interdisciplinary education at a subject level has already been explored, the development of interdisciplinary curricula often presents a challenge. This paper investigates the use of the curriculum workshop method for developing interdisciplinary, competence-oriented curricula. Using a case study of a newly developed interdisciplinary Bachelor program for AI in Engineering, the study evaluates the instrument of the curriculum …

Mapping The Engineering Education Research Landscape Across Europe, Natalie Wint, Andrew Valentine, Bill Williams, Mike Murphy

Research Papers

The growth of Engineering Education Research (EER) has led to claims about it becoming a globally connected field of inquiry. This paper presents data on the development of EER within seven European countries, with the aim of contributing towards understanding of the field. Data was collected from participants of a workshop held at the SEFI 2022 Annual Conference which was entitled “Mapping Engineering Education Research in Europe”. Participants were asked to comment on the presence of formal research groups and PhD Programmes, as well as incentives and funding opportunities within the context. In most countries, there was a reported absence …