Engineering Education Commons^™

Professional Identity Of Female Engineering Graduates: An Exploration Of Identity Status Through Life History Research, Natascha Van Hattum-Janssen, Maaike D. Endedijk

Research Papers

The number of students entering engineering programmes is too low to meet the need for engineering graduates. Still, many leave for jobs outside the technical sector right after graduation. Professional identity is a concept that helps to explain why they stay in or leave the technical sector (Cech 2014). It is the result of the process of professional socialisation. This study uses life history research to understand the professional socialisation of engineering graduates from kindergarten age until a few years after graduation. An analysis of the life experiences of male and female engineering graduates shows differences in how they describe …

Do We Unwittingly Exclude Students? A Case Study To Evaluate An Engineering Test For Inclusivity., Sofie Craps, Mieke Cannaerts, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Engineering stereotypes can hinder different groups to identify with and choose for engineering. The stereotypical image, often characterised as male, white and harsh technical oriented, can negatively impact students’ perception of engineering as a field to which they can belong. Recently, PREFER tests were designed to increase students’ awareness of the different roles an engineer can take on and of the importance of professional competencies in engineering. Research indicated that the tests were gendersensitive, meaning that females had other role preferences than males. These results inspired a follow up project to investigate how the tests can be used as instruments …

Engineering Education Evolution, Janusz Szpytko

Research Papers

Over the years, human needs have been subject to evolution, which translated into economic development and was the result of research, development of knowledge and technology, lifelong learning and the development of skills combined with engineering competences. The paper attempts to analyze the evolution of education with a focus on engineering in the context of the development of technology over the years in conjunction with the significant achievements of technology and engineering craftsmanship. As a result, conclusions were formulated regarding the challenges in the areas of new techniques and engineering solutions that fit into the activities aimed at sustainable development …

A Possible Solution To Avoid The Consequences Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Reduce Dropout In Calculus Education, Brigitta Szilágyi, Csaba Szabó, Anna Koós, Bence Sipos

Research Papers

The effects of the COVID-19 are likely to stay in education for a long time to come. First year students of 2022 have completed the last two years of their high school education, which are the most important for further studies, during the worst period of the pandemic. Compared to previous years, far fewer students were able to meet the requirements of Calculus 1. Although there was a wide range of support material (interactive online interface, films, notes, elaborate calculation exercises) available to the students, they were not able to catch up and progress independently, regardless.

The calculus course consists …

Sustainability In Engineering And Engineering Education: A Comparative Study Of German And Saudi Arabian Industries", Talha Bin Asad, Diana Bairaktarova

Research Papers

Sustainability has become a major concern in the fields of engineering and engineering education. Organizations such as UNESCO have defined goals for sustainable development in engineering. As engineers design, develop, and implement products and processes that impact the environment and society, their role in promoting sustainable development is vital. Addressing sustainability in engineering curriculum is needed to equip engineers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to develop sustainable solutions in their respective areas, and it involves merging the teaching of technical skills with a systems-based approach that considers the broader environmental and economical context of engineering. This 1 Corresponding …

Comicir- Commercialization Of Innovative Challenges From Industry And Research (Practice), Charlotte Norrman, Ali Moshfegh, Jeanette Engzell

Research Papers

At Linköping university, a model to facilitate impact and bridge the gap between research, education, and business creation, has been developed. It is named “ComICIR”, which stands for Commercialization of Innovative Challenges from Industry and Research. The model allows researchers, firms, and students to work in a co-creation process that are built on the following five steps: (1) research validation, (2) idea generation, (3) idea validation, (4) idea evaluation and, (5) innovation strategy. In the paper, we describe the model and analyse how challenges and ideas could be developed and experientially based pedagogical approaches could be adjusted in order to …

A Community-Based Context Learning Approach To Promoting Social Justice In Teaching Engineering Communication, Hua Wang

Research Papers

The research suggests a community-based context learning approach which engages students with marginalized cultural communities to investigate how technological artifacts, models or systems marginalize these cultural communities and propose for change. The goal of this approach is to increase engineering students’ awareness of that engineering work can marginalize certain groups of people. The approach integrates social change to an engineering communication course and considers student learning and transformation are as important as community problems and solutions. It brings transformative learning outcomes to students, increasing their awareness of the fact that engineering is never neutral, and their engineering profession is associated …

Surveying Post-Leaving Certificate Students To Investigate Their Level Of Mathematical Preparedness For Progression To Higher Education Stem Courses: A Pilot Process, John Mchugh, Michael Carr, Fiona Faulkner

Research Papers

A student’s level of mathematics as they begin degree courses in STEM disciplines has been recognised as a key indicator of their success. While much research has taken place into secondary school mathematics teaching, a comparatively underresearched area has been that of Further Education, which supplies a smaller proportion of degree courses’ student intake. The vast majority of Further Education students seeking progression opportunities to such courses study one of three mathematics modules: ‘Mathematics 5N1833’, ‘Maths for IT 5N18396’, or ‘Maths for STEM 5N0556’.

As part of the author’s PhD research project on the mathematical preparedness of students at FE …

Varieties Of Project-Task Design In Interdisciplinary Engineering Education, Miles Macleod, Coralie Johnson, Jan Van Der Veen

Research Papers

Experience in interdisciplinary problem-solving is considered crucial if engineers are to be equipped to handle modern complex environmental and sustainability challenges. Such challenges cross disciplinary boundaries. Project-based learning is currently a central paradigm for providing that experience. Teams from different disciplines are formed to work together on a specific scientific or engineering projecttask (often a real-world inspired problem). Furthermore according to the paradigm projects should be open-structured to allow students to experience interdisciplinary problem-solving as it might occur in the real world. In this study we explore preliminary results of data collected on 5 project-based modules at a Dutch technical …

Between Flexibility And Relativism: How Students Deal With Uncertainty In Sustainability Challenges, Nina Lotte Bohm, Renate Klaassen, Ellen Van Bueren, Perry Den Brok

Research Papers

Universities open their doors to society, inviting the complexity of the world to enter engineering education through challenge-based courses. While working on complex issues, engineering students learn to deal with different kinds of uncertainty: uncertainty about the dynamics of a real-world challenge, the knowledge gaps in the problem, or the conflicting perspectives amongst the people involved. Although we know from previous research that students are likely to encounter these uncertainties in sustainability challenges, which metacognitive strategies they use to deal with them is unclear. We interviewed nine MSc students at the end of a challenge-based course at a Dutch university …

Teaching Sustainability Through A Role-Play Case Study Of E-Scooter Use On College Campuses, Shruti Mehta, Ashish Hingle, Aditya Johri

Research Papers

Sustainability has developed into a pressing concern across disciplinary domains, and the need for teaching sustainability concepts to students has grown significantly. In this paper, we present a research study that assessed undergraduate students’ understanding of sustainability after participating in a case study discussion. We designed and implemented a role-play case study of e-scooters on a college campus. The case facilitated “near transfer,” as it focused on an issue most students have personally experienced. Furthermore, the role-play component simulated a real-world context and allowed students to take different perspectives related to the topic, resulting in a discussion of social, political, …

First-Generation Engineering Students' Identity Development: Early Forays Into The Workplace, Renee Smit

Research Papers

In the context of global shortages of engineering professionals, research into factors that impact on training and retention of qualified engineers is important – this includes first-generation engineering students, a largely under-researched group of students. Research has shown that an elaborated, well-developed engineering identity is important for the retention of both engineering students at university, and for engineers in practice. Professional identities are fluid, emerging and develop over the lifetime of the professional. However, we still know little about the nature of a professional engineering identity, and how it develops.

Drawing on insights from the philosophy of science, I make …

Meaning Making Of The Mathematics In Engineering: The Case Of Linear Models In Statistical Signal Processing, Solomon Abedom Tesfamicael

Research Papers

Meaning making of the mathematics involved in engineering problems can boost students’ learning, in general. Zooming in to a particular engineering course in signal processing, called Estimation, Detection, and Classification, given to 3rd-year students at NTNU, the potential for meaning making has been investigated using a mix of directed and summative content analysis methods for the specific content Linear models. The findings show that an attempt is made to present the linear model-based estimators in reduced complexity, i.e., without detailed, rigorous proofs that demand solid prior knowledge and concept image from the learner. The 18-page chapter is dominated by advanced …

Conversations: Teaching Sustainability In Engineering, Alicia Gonzalez Buelga, Dorottya Cserzo, Irina Lazar

Research Papers

Our research focuses on embedding sustainability in the engineering curriculum in ways that are efficient, coherent and inclusive. An important strand of work within this wider remit is finding suitable approaches for promoting collaboration between institutions and academics and advance the understanding of what ‘sustainability’ means in engineering education in the first place, by producing reliable data that can inform our future practice, leading to institutional change. In this paper, we report and discuss the organisation and the findings of a series of inter-institutional conversations that took place during two in person workshops, with the central theme of embedding sustainability …

The Potential Of Metaverse Technology In E-Learning: Case Of Engineering Students, Rozali Badaoui, Klara Kovesi, Layla Tannoury

Research Papers

Metaverse technology integrates virtual and augmented reality, has significantly impacted many industries, and opened up new opportunities for educators and 1 Corresponding Author R Badaoui [email protected] learners alike. This article focuses on its potential to transform e-learning, especially in engineering education, and highlights the importance of understanding engineering students' attitudes toward adopting new technologies. This study sheds light on the potential of e-learning in general, and the metaverse in specific, to engage and motivate students. We conducted a quantitative online survey (n=120) to collect data from engineering students. The analysis of collected data explores and evaluates the students' awareness and …

Can Students’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs Explain Academic Motivation And Career Intentions?, Anna-Kathrin Wimmer

Research Papers

In our technologized and increasingly complex world, jobs in STEM make a crucial contribution to innovation and sustainability. However, there are still many vacancies in this field. To tackle the shortage of professionals, it is even more important to successfully prepare qualified young people for engineering careers and foster competences that promote innovative and creative solutions. In addition to cognitive abilities, research has shown how self-efficacy, which describes confidence in one's own abilities to successfully overcome obstacles, can influence students’ motivation, interest and therefore academic and vocational training success. Studies show that people with a strong belief in their own …

Development And Evaluation Of A Teaching Concept That Focuses On Increasing Modeling Competence In Technical Mechanics (Tm), Kristina Lampe, Martin Lang, Alexandra Dorschu

Research Papers

Engineering students often learn by retracing pre-calculated given solutions of tasks and try to understand this problem-solving way. This reconstruction is not always successful in solving new types of problem via modified tasks (Rossow 2008). Every mechanical exercise follows the same solution methodology (Müller-Slany 2018). Applying this basic problem-solving structure correctly is a Pre-condition for solution’s reflection and is therefore essential for teaching. To improve these competencies a strategy training is implemented in exercise-settings in Technical Mechanics (TM).

Embedding Competencies In Sustainability And Authentic Learning Experiences In Food Science Education Through A Study Program-Driven Approach, Anita Nordeng Jakobsen, Sunniva Hoel, Ida-Johanne Jensen

Research Papers

The food sector is experiencing a substantial shift towards Industry 4.0 regarding technological solutions to ensure efficient and sustainable food production. To face the required changes and be able to influence and change existing systems, future candidates must have solid capabilities in their respective subject areas as well as generic skills such as critical thinking, reflection, communication, and teamwork skills. At NTNU, a program-driven approach for embedding sustainability and authentic learning experiences in the bachelor program of Food Science, technology and sustainability was conducted. Thematic groups of staff members developed learning outcomes and learning- and assessment methods to ensure coherence …

Problematising And Framing Spatial Research In Engineering Education, Meryn Mcnea, Reena Cole, David Tanner, Diarmaid Lane

Research Papers

Spatial research has experienced a surge in popularity across the global community in recent years, with an undeniable rise in the favourability of spatial thinking approaches in academic and higher education settings. An engineer’s spatial ability is dependent on their capacity to engage a set of cognitive skills to visualise, reason and communicate spatial relations between objects and space. With the recent growth in popularity around spatial research, new spatial terms are frequently introduced resulting in a definitional overlap between terms and ideas. This may sometimes result in a lack of clarity regarding spatial terms and definitions, with the definitions …

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 …