Undergraduate Computer Engineering Research Articles

Effects of a Multimedia-Enhanced GE Course on Undergraduate Computer Engineering Students’ Development of Reading Skills and Growth Mindset

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> Research shows that nontechnical subjects like the English language have been neglected in computer science/engineering (CS/CE) education research. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a technology-enhanced general english (GE) course that exposed CE students to multimodal input during the prereading phase to develop their reading skills and growth mindset. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> A wide range of technological affordances have been utilized and researched in teaching CE technical courses, however, English as an invaluable asset in CE students’ academic and professional success is given lower priority. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Research Questions:</i> Do multimedia-enhanced prereading activities have a significant impact on CE students’ development of reading skills and growth mindset? What are CE students’ perceptions of multimedia-enhanced reading instruction? <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Methodology:</i> The study compares the effects of incorporating multimedia in the prereading phase of a GE course with a conventional methodology. 137 undergraduate CE students participated in the study. Reading skills and growth mindset were assessed before and after the intervention. Qualitative data were obtained through structured interviews with 18 students of the experimental groups. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> Significant improvements in two reading skills, i.e., skimming and scanning were observed after the experiment. The effect size of the intervention was large for skimming, indicating that multimedia videos made understanding the gist of meaning easier for CE students. This finding was verified by the qualitative data as well. Also, the experiment had a significant impact on developing CE students’ growth mindset, letting them vision their intelligence and talent as being fluid and malleable and, thus, changeable by effort and hard work.

DIDACTIC POTENTIAL OF HUMANITIES IN DEVELOPING TRANSFORMATIVE COMPETENCIES AMONG COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES

In the recent decades harnessing the advanced information technologies and their tremendous potential to improve the quality of life for people all over the world is becoming an urgent need than a luxury. Knowing full well that as an innovative student-centred learning paradigm Education 4.0 creates favourable prerequisites for developing valuable professional skills, abilities and knowledge among Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates, the researchers assumed that it also might be effective in preparing them for challenges of the contemporary world through developing their transformative competencies while studying the humanities. The paper aims to reveal the didactic potential of humanities for developing Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates’ transformative competencies. The researchers carried out an exploratory study in five Ukrainian universities using an online survey conceived and developed by a team of researchers. A total of 275 respondents selected by means of a purposeful sampling method took part in the survey. The study found that humanities (1) are more likely to apply various learning activities which can be done both individually and in groups than technical disciplines and (2) have much broader potential for developing all key constructs of transformative competencies among Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates than technical disciplines. The results enabled the researchers to formulate recommendations for university teachers of humanities on how to develop transformative competences among Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates. The combination of challenge-based learning (CBL) and activity-based learning (ABL) is being considered as a major methodological approach of Education 4.0 for developing transformative competences among Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates. Scientific novelty of research consists in revealing and describing the didactic potential of humanities for developing Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates’ transformative competencies.

DEVELOPING COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES’ LEARNER AUTONOMY: INDIVIDUALISED INSTRUCTION IN ENGLISH CLASSROOM

The rapid development of information science and technology encourages lifelong learning and requires university graduates to be able to learn throughout their lives and have special abilities which help them search for continuous education and training opportunities. For students who associate their professional lives with computer sciences, learner autonomy is of immense importance since it helps them take full responsibility for success in professional life and career and contributes to the sustainable development of the current fast-moving digital society. As autonomous learners Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates are able to define their goals clearly, to identify the most optimal learning strategies for achieving these goals and for acquiring new knowledge and skills necessary for their further professional development. The present study is aimed at finding out Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates’ viewpoints on effectiveness of individualised instruction for developing their learner autonomy in English classroom. With this in mind, the team of researchers applied a questionnaire to a sample of Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates who study at three higher education institutions of Ukraine. Data collection lasted for three months and took place in September-December 2022. The obtained results clearly demonstrate that individualised instruction delivered through online teaching tools and apps in English classroom enables university teachers to develop Computer Engineering and Information Technology Undergraduates’ learner autonomy effectively.

GLOBAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY UNDERGRADUATES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Nowadays higher education institutions are directly involved in the training of new personnel, so they should seriously puzzle one of the most obvious questions today, how to prepare students to meet the challenges of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in an increasingly globalised society. And although the unequivocal answer to this question doesn’t exist, one thing is certain: while providing Education 4.0 through incorporating advanced technology into the curriculum for implementing best practices and innovative methodological approaches, methods and techniques, higher education institutions should do their best to shape the next generation of highly employable global citizens who can think and act from a global perspective. In the future students who specialise in the field of Computer Engineering and Information Technology will be at the forefront of advancing the technology available to all people in the world and, therefore, they should be globally competent. It means that they should possess a global competence to successfully compete on a global scale. Significant practical experience gained by the authors of the article made it possible to assume that being one of the humanities which is taught to Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates in Ukrainian higher education institutions, English has a great potential for developing their global competence. Considering the fact that Ukrainian 15-year-old students were not a part of the PISA 2018 Global Competence assessment, the present research was aimed at finding out how the participants understood the concept of “global competence”, their awareness of the importance of global competence development in accordance with the requirements and principles of Education 4.0 associated with the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and participants’ views on the role of the English language in its development. For exactly this purpose the authors made a questionnaire in Google Forms. The research participants were 249 Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates who were selected by means of a purposeful sampling method. The conducted research shows that the didactic uniqueness of the English language as an academic discipline aimed at developing global competence is manifested in the fact that it can be seen as both a learning goal and a learning tool. The results obtained became the basis for devising a paradigm defining strategy (the core strategy) and four sub-strategies effective for developing Computer Engineering and Information Technology undergraduates’ global competence in the English language classroom.

Remote Hands-on Experience for Students in Undergraduate Computer and Electrical Engineering

The focus of this research was to analyze current methods for online education for electrical and computer engineering undergraduate programs. From this research, an online model for virtual labs in undergraduate engineering is introduced. Experiential learning was exhibited by students through the hands-on experience with lab equipment combined with user feedback. Software used in this research to simulate traditional lab equipment affords institutions the opportunity to provide instructive methods to remote students who are unable to complete on-campus curricula. The devices used to remotely complete the virtual labs facilitated high-value lab practices and skills comparable to those presented in an on-campus lab. As examined during this research, the opportunity to operate virtual devices with the simulation software delivered an extensive laboratory experience with the capability to create a teaching method for engineering concepts. Data from the students' feedback on the simulated, interactive learning is presented in this paper.

Effects of a Spiral Curriculum With Application-Based Project and Lab Components on Motivation and Achievement of Engineering Students in an Urban University

Background: Engineering curricula often consist of separate courses that do not form a cohesive learning experience. Researchers revised an undergraduate computer engineering curriculum at an urban university, seeking to improve motivation and achievement in an important population that is traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Contribution: The university serves a diverse student body with a high percentage of first-generation college students. Curriculum reform is important for improving student learning experiences and retaining students in STEM fields. This study provides evidence for benefits of such curriculum reform with this population. Research Questions: The purpose of the study was to determine if the revised curriculum improved student motivation and achievement, and to what extent students felt it prepared them for their future careers. Methodology: This was a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study, using both within- and between-subjects designs. Quantitative data collected were pre- and post-motivational inventories and grades. Qualitative data included interview data and open-ended survey responses. Findings: Analyses revealed that post-course motivation, when controlling for precourse motivation, was significantly higher for the experimental group in three motivation subscales and students in the experimental group had significantly higher grades in the course than those in the control group. Qualitative data showed participants felt the revised courses built off of each other and helped them learn skills they would need in their careers.

Importance of Mathematics in Computer Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) Education

Students with weak mathematics background are often overwhelmed by the many mathematics courses that they have to take during their undergraduate Computer Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) programmes; and tend to question the relevance of mathematics to their CSET studies. This paper examined the syllabuses of undergraduate CSET courses being offered in 10 Ghanaian universities and discussed the importance of relevant mathematics courses to them. Furthermore, it proffered recommendations to promote students’ academic success in CSET programmes.

E-College : an aid for E-Learning systems

The use of Android apps has significantly increased over the past few years, making android the most accepted and trusted operating system for smart devices. According to a survey, in 2020, over 30.5 billion Android mobile apps were downloaded compared to merely 6 billion in 2016, which is quite noteworthy. People worldwide are also becoming habitual to the use of android apps such that they want everything to be available on their mobile devices. The authors have developed ‘E-College’ - an android-based mobile learning application that helps users grasp various programming languages like C++, Java, and Python and help them with their undergraduate computer engineering course curriculum-related resources. The proposed application allows the learner to access a particular programming language's tutorials and explains it with an example and the required code snippet. Using this application, users can also assess themselves by utilizing the provided quiz section, which has various questions. The proposed mobile application also has a recommendation system section that uses machine learning techniques to intelligently serve the most relevant and suitable content for each user. It considers the user's previous learnings on the application and suggests new and relevant learning content for that particular user. During the ongoing global pandemic situation, E-college application is the most effective way to learn and acquire technical skills without stepping out of their home and fraee of cost.

Prevalence and associated factors of computer vision syndrome among the computer engineering students of Pokhara University affiliated colleges of Kathmandu valley

Background: The increasing use of computers and electronic devices is rapidly increasing the related health issues of computer vision syndrome. Studies have identified longer use of computers, ergonomic practices as lighting condition of room, incorrect distance between eye and computer, refresh rate, use of spectacles were associated with computer vision syndrome (CVS) symptoms as back pain, tension, headache and others. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of CVS among computer engineering students of Pokhara University affiliated colleges of Kathmandu Valley and identify the associated factors and preventive measures being practiced by the students.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using self-administered questionnaire among 234 undergraduate computer engineering students of Kathmandu Valley. Chi-square test was used to identify the association with computer vision syndrome and its determinants.Results: The prevalence of computer vision syndrome among the computer engineering students was found to be 76.50%. Only 39.3% were found to be using computer in upright with straight back posture and 73.5% were using computer at distance less than or equal to 50 cm. The 81.2% of participants were not following the 20/20/20 rule. During age, use of vision aid lens and use of protective eye glasses and artificial eye drops were found associated with CVS.Conclusions:The study revealed that the prevalence of computer vision syndrome was significantly high. Individuals using vision aid lens were found to be at risk of developing CVS and use of protective eye glass and artificial tears were found protective.

CPU implementation using only logisim simulator to achieve computer architecture learning outcome

This paper proposes the design, implementation, and evaluation of an 8-bit CPU architecture in computer organization and architecture (COA) course for Undergraduate Computer Engineering using only Logisim simulator. The main advantage of using one simulator is the elimination of inefficiency so that students can concentrate more on the course’s content without spending their time just to learn how to use each different type of simulators. To achieve that, a simple CPU architecture is pre-designed and be implemented in Logisim simulator. According to previous researches, Mic-1 CPU architecture is chosen because it is the simplest one and can be easily built using many simple logic gates already existed in the Logisim. To evaluate the desired outcome, students are separated into two different groups. Each group used different type of learning media and material and then their examination scores and satisfaction are compared to each other. Every student belongs to the group that only used Logisim simulator obtained higher score and more than 50% are satisfied with the new learning process and material. Thus, it envisaged that this method will made the delivering learning process in COA course be more efficient than what has happened so far.

Factors of Attrition among Computer Science and Engineering Undergraduates in Russia

STEM education has been a priority in present-day Russia, nearly half of all the government-funded places in higher education being provided in science and engineering majors. At the same time, attrition rates have been the highest in this domain. The present study aims to estimate the attrition rates in computer science and engineering education at the beginning of and midway through instruction and to determine the factors associated with college dropouts. Our research uses the results of a survey of over 4,000 computer science and engineering students from 34 Russian colleges, composing a representative national sample, and administrative data on student withdrawal. Vince Tinto’s student departure theory is used to analyze the determinants of student attrition during the first three semesters. According to Tinto’s theory, social and academic integration are critically important to the retention and success of students in the chosen university. Our findings confirm the key role of academic integration (specifically class attendance and active engagement with teacher) in preventing dropouts but refute the hypothesis of social integration significance. Students with low USE scores in mathematics and those mismatched with their selected major are at higher risk of dropping out. No evidence has been found to prove the hypothesis of dropout rates being higher in more selective institutions. Recommendations for universities for reducing college attrition rates are discussed in the final part of the paper.

A Cooperative Interdisciplinary Task Intervention with Undergraduate Nursing and Computer Engineering Students

This study proposed a collaborative methodology among university students in different grades in order to find sustainable strategies that are an added value for students, teachers, and society. In daily professional practice, different professionals must develop skills to collaborate and understand each other. For that reality to be sustainable, we believe that experiences must begin in the context of higher education. Social network analysis offers a new perspective on optimizing relationships between university students. The main goal of this study was to analyze students’ behavior in their networks following an educational intervention and the association with academic performance, resilience and engagement. This was a descriptive quasi-experimental study with pre–post measures of a cooperative interdisciplinary intervention. Participants comprised 50 nursing and computer engineering students. We measured help, friendship, and negative network centrality, engagement, resilience, and academic performance. No significant differences were observed between pre–post-intervention centrality measures in the negative network. However, the help and friendship networks presented statistically significant differences between inDegreeN, OutDegreeN and EigenvectorN on the one hand, and resilience and engagement—but not academic performance—on the other. Academic performance was solely associated with the team to which participants belonged. Cooperative interdisciplinary learning increased the number of ties and levels of prestige and influence among classmates. Further research is required in order to determine the influence of engagement and resilience on academic performance and the role of negative networks in network formation in education. This study provides important information for proposals on sustainable assessments in the field of higher education.

Analytics of time management strategies in a flipped classroom

AbstractThis paper aims to explore time management strategies followed by students in a flipped classroom through the analysis of trace data. Specifically, an exploratory study was conducted on the dataset collected in three consecutive offerings of an undergraduate computer engineering course (N= 1,134). Trace data about activities were initially coded for the timeliness of activity completion. Such data were then analysed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering based on Ward's algorithm, first order Markov chains, and inferential statistics to (a) detect time management tactics and strategies from students' learning activities and (b) analyse the effects of personalized analytics‐based feedback on time management. The results indicate that meaningful and theoretically relevant time management patterns can be detected from trace data as manifestations of students' tactics and strategies. The study also showed that time management tactics had significant associations with academic performance and were associated with different interventions in personalized analytics‐based feedback.

An intuitive, application-based, simulation-driven approach to teaching probability and random processes

Probability and random processes is considered by students to be conceptually one of the most difficult subjects in the undergraduate electrical and computer engineering curriculum. There are numerous reasons for this difficulty encountered by the students. First off, humans are not innately good at probabilistic intuition. Traditionally, this subject has been introduced in a very abstract manner without emphasis on real-world applications from electrical and computer engineering discipline. In addition, extensive use of interactive simulation and visualization tools, offering an alternative way of developing probabilistic intuition, is usually missing from traditional course offerings. This paper presents a unique pedagogical approach to teaching an introductory probability course offered to electrical and computer engineering juniors. The salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach include more emphasis on real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that show the applications of abstract probabilistic concepts; extensive hands-on and interactive MATLAB® simulations of real-world electrical and computer engineering problems that are tightly integrated into the curriculum; highlighting the frequentist approach to build probabilistic intuition using simulations; concrete examples showing how naive probabilistic intuition can be erroneous and how to develop correct probabilistic intuition based on systematically modeling, simulating, and analyzing a problem; and application-based simulations driving the abstract theory rather than the other way around. This pedagogical approach was implemented in a course offered to electrical and computer engineering undergraduates at Purdue University Northwest. The paper presents a concrete example illustrating how the salient features of the proposed pedagogical approach were implemented as part of this course and student data from the courses to validate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

Research-based learning: a case study for engineering students

An implementation of the research-based learning (RBL) model and methodologies for undergraduate Computational Engineering students at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus was undertaken to highlight the importance of involving undergraduate students in professional research activities early in their career (curriculum). We present here the results of this study. Four phases of the project are described: (1) a diagnosis of initial RBL competencies of students; (2) the presentation of an introductory workshop on research methodology by the teacher; (3) the design of a monograph by the students; and (4) the preparation of a research project by the students, including a sketch of a research paper and a written and oral presentation to a jury of staff research professors. The objective of the project was the design and evaluation of algorithms of Data Science, Big Data and Deep Learning to perform a data processing analysis related to the problem of metabolic syndrome and its surrogates in Mexico. The results indicate that the initial research competencies of undergraduate students are insufficient, although about 50% of the students think the contrary. The students were able to work in teams during the semester, and most teams, guided by the instructor, were capable of developing appropriate monographs and high-quality sketches for their proposed research papers. In most cases, students showed great improvements in their RBL skills in doing extensive literature reviews and in performing appropriate statistical analyses of databases. This work supports the contention that it is particularly important to start developing RBL competencies early in undergraduate engineering careers in order to prepare undergraduate students for future graduate studies as well as for their professional lives.

Computer science and engineering: utilizing action research and lesson study

ABSTRACTThis article explores one group’s use of action research (AR) and lesson study in three US university-level computer science courses affecting 85 undergraduate computer science and engineering students. It offers an overview of three areas including AR, lesson study, and engineering soft skills. The research group identified a problem: undergraduate engineering student soft skill understanding. The group collaborated to enhance participant engagement with this problem by utilizing one lesson focused on soft skills over three research lesson iterations in three distinct university semesters (2017-2018). Field notes were the main data collection method. Observational field notes were recorded in the three research lesson iterations, and themes from the notes were identified. The group valued peer interactions, and the research lesson adaptations as well as pedagogical changes were based on evidence. Four themes were identified, and participant comments were considered as the lessons became more focused . The research group argues that AR and lesson study are separate and distinct ventures based on this yearlong experience, which is counter to some other literature presented. Implications are large for all stakeholders interested in AR, lesson study, soft skill utilization, conflict management, and participant learning impact. Possibilities for enhanced participant engagement exists with honed lesson pedagogy.

Elevating Learner Achievement Using Formative Electronic Lab Assessments in the Engineering Laboratory: A Viable Alternative to Weekly Lab Reports

A laboratory pedagogy interweaving weekly student portfolios with onsite formative electronic laboratory assessments (ELAs) is developed and assessed within the laboratory component of a required core course of the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) undergraduate curriculum. The approach acts to promote student outcomes, and neutralize academic integrity violations, while refocusing instructor and teaching assistant roles toward high-gain instructional activities, such as personalized student tutoring. A mixed-method study evaluated the learning effectiveness and student satisfaction using biweekly ELAs versus traditional laboratory reports in a large-enrollment ( ${N}=68$ ) undergraduate computer engineering laboratory course. The results of the evaluation indicate statistically significant effects on both learning outcomes and student satisfaction from the use of formative assessments in laboratory delivery, which were corroborated by the instructor’s reflections. Students in the ELA with tutoring enabled delivery cohort performed better on the post-test and were more satisfied with the laboratory assessment design and assistance received in laboratory than those in the control cohort. The findings offer a promising alternative for ECE and engineering laboratory instruction that fosters gains in practical skills and content mastery.

Engineering Courses on Computational Thinking Through Solving Problems in Artificial Intelligence

Computational thinking sits at the core of every engineering and computing related discipline. It has increasingly emerged as its own subject in all levels of education. It is a powerful cornerstone for cognitive development, creative problem solving, algorithmic thinking and designs, and programming. How to effectively teach computational thinking skills poses real challenges and creates opportunities. Targeting entering computer science and engineering undergraduates, we resourcefully integrate elements from artificial intelligence (AI) into introductory computing courses. In addition to comprehension of the essence of computational thinking, practical exercises in AI enable inspirations of collaborative problem solving beyond abstraction, logical reasoning, critical and analytical thinking. Problems in machine intelligence systems intrinsically connect students to algorithmic oriented computing and essential mathematical foundations. Beyond knowledge representation, AI fosters a gentle introduction to data structures and algorithms. Focused on engaging mental tool, a computer is never a necessity. Neither coding nor programming is ever required. Instead, students enjoy constructivist classrooms designed to always be active, flexible, and highly dynamic. Learning to learn and reflecting on cognitive experiences, they rigorously construct knowledge from collectively solving exciting puzzles, competing in strategic games, and participating in intellectual discussions.

Integration of CompTIA Cloud+ into Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Computer Engineering Special Topics Syllabus

Cloud computing is one of the frontier technologies in computer engineering. Therefore, it is important to prepare the students with the knowledge and skills required in this field. This paper describes the integration of the renowned CompTIA Cloud+ professional training course into the ECE648: Special Topics in Computer Networking subject. The subject is a final year elective for the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia undergraduate computer engineering students. We first begin by assessing the current teaching syllabus of a variety of international universities to establish fundamental topics that should be covered in a cloud computing course. We then proceed to describe our implementation, which is done in accordance with the CompTIA Cloud+ certification syllabus. Among the items described are how the Cloud+ course contents are adjusted to be more suitable for the course, as well as additional practical elements (not originally available in the Cloud+ course) added to the course syllabus. Implementation results are described.

High Performance Computing education in an Indian engineering institute

Quality of education can be enriched with better outcome in undergraduate (UG) computer science and engineering program with the introduction of High Performance Computing (HPC) courses into the UG curriculum. The paper gives the background of the author’s institution, processes of curricula enhancement, infrastructure development to enable students to carry out the work and records the students’ achievements academic year wise. The paper also discusses the evolution and continuous upgrading of the HPC courses along with the issues and challenges experienced. The paper gives the details about the courses along with the process of teaching and evaluation. It lists the students’ research achievements with a focus on HPC, for each academic year. Although the paper has focused on UG HPC education for the past seven academic years, the author also provides additional information about HPC subjects introduced to postgraduate (PG) students of computer science and engineering at various levels in the academic year 2015–16. The paper aims to serve as reference for those faculty and students who wish to introduce similar HPC courses at their schools by making use of the best practices that helped us in providing better inputs to our students to attain laudable results.