Engineering Accreditation Council Research Articles

Mathematical Competence of Practicing Engineers in Engineering Tasks

Due to the complexity of the problems that engineers must solve; they must receive training in real-life problem-solving scenarios. The Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) and Board of Engineering of Malaysia (BEM) place a significant emphasis on engineering competencies in Program Learning Outcome (PLO), including the ability to apply mathematical knowledge to engineering problems. However, students at universities face challenges in understanding engineering mathematics, as they are not typically taught by specialized instructors. Therefore, a phenomenological approach was utilized in this study to identify the mathematical competencies (MC) among practicing engineers in manufacturing workplaces. Three engineers were selected as potential respondents, but only one participated in the study. Data was collected through intensive interviews conducted in the workplace. The phenomenological reduction technique was employed, utilizing Epoche, Identification of significant statements, Meaning Units, Textural Description of the Experience, Structural Descriptions of the Experience, and Textural-Structural Synthesis phenomenology for data analysis. This method offers a logical, systematic, and coherent design that produces an essential description of the experience. The study's findings indicate that mathematical competencies frequently used by engineers include mathematical thinking, problem-solving skills, and mathematical communication. This study could inform instructors about developing mathematical competencies relevant to real-life problem-solving in engineering activities and academic programs at their institutions.

Preface

The International Conference on Emerging Electrical Energy, Electronics and Computing Technologies 2021 (ICE4CT 2021) was a collaborative effort between Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia as the main organizer and Nandha Engineering College, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India as the co-organizer. The conference was successfully held via virtual platform on 16th to 17th December 2021.ICE4CT 2021 is the third edition of the conference series which will be jointly conducted by Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology, UniMAP, and NEC on a yearly event. Faculty of Electrical Engineering Technology offers undergraduates’ and postgraduates’ programmes in electrical and mechatronic engineering discipline to meet the growing needs of professionals in these areas. These programmes are evaluated by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) and have been accredited by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). Our programmes aim to produce graduates who possess not only theoretical and technical knowledge but also equipped with skills that are important to ensure their successful participation in the engineering community.List of Organizing Committee are available in this pdf.

Using Phenomenological Approach to Identify Mathematical Competency in Engineering Workplace

Engineers are responsible for solving highly complex problems and, hence, some training to solve such problems, particularly real-life issues, are necessary. The Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC), Board of Engineering of Malaysia (BEM), emphasizes the important of engineering competencies in engineering Program Learning Outcome (PLO), such as the ability to identify, formulate, analyze, and apply mathematical knowledge to engineering problems. However, it was reported that students in university face more challenges in understanding engineering mathematics as they are not taught by instructors who specialize in the respective field. Thus, this study was conducted using a phenomenological approach to identify the mathematical competencies (MC) among practicing engineers at manufacturing workplaces in PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) process workflow. Three respondent engineers were chosen as respondents for this study, but only one respondent reported in this study. Data was gathered through intensive interview sessions at the workplace. Data analysis technique of phenomenological reduction was primarily utilized in this study were Epoche, identify significant statement, Meaning Units, Textural Description of the Experience, Structural Descriptions of the Experience, and Textural-Structural Synthesis phenomenology. The method provides logical, systematic, and coherent design elements that lead to an essential description of the experience. The findings revealed that the MC elements frequently used at each stage of the PDCA process are thinking mathematically, problem handling, and mathematical communication. This study will inform instructors to develop mathematical competencies related to real-life problem-solving during teaching and learning in engineering activities and academic programs at their institutions.

Sustainable Assessment: The Inevitable Future of Engineering Curriculum

The programme outcomes, also known as graduate attributes in the International Engineering Alliance, serve as a benchmark of standards for engineering education to higher learning institutions in Malaysia and other signatory countries under the educational accords. Various studies conducted around the world have revealed that evaluating programme outcomes is perhaps the most important criterion for Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) which focuses on improving graduates' intellectual skills and capabilities. Several Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Malaysia have struggled with assessing programme outcomes since the Engineering Accreditation Council Malaysia (EAC) introduced OBE in 2005. Despite the fact that the programme has been in place for over a decade, issues with assessing programme outcomes persist. Unsustainable effort and meaningless outcome assessment among academic staff are exacerbated by a lack of a specific programme outcome model, improper use of assessment tools, and the collection of massive amounts of unnecessary data. The challenges of assessing programme outcomes experienced by HLIs and academic staff are elaborated on in this article. The concept of sustainable development is introduced, which is believed to be capable of alleviating the problems associated with programme outcome assessment. The background of the adoption of OBE in Malaysia, as well as the assessment requirements of the Washington Accord, are presented in order to emphasise sustainable assessment as the inevitable future of engineering curriculum. The sustainable assessment in engineering curriculum advocated in this article aims to produce sustainable engineering graduates while also reducing the burden of programme outcomes assessment on academic staff.

A Global Program-Educational-Objectives Comparative Study for Malaysian Electrical and Electronic Engineering Graduates

Outstanding academic achievement in the field of higher education is a source of pride for the university. The success of the university is measured not only by academic performance but also by the quality of graduates produced. In Malaysia, three major categories in higher learning are identified: public, private, and foreign-branch universities. All engineering programs follow the requirements set by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) on behalf of the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM). The programme educational objectives (PEOs) make up one of the elements that needs assessment for ensuring its continuity in line with the university’s mission and vision. A PEO comparative study on selected reputable electrical and electronic (EE)-engineering department universities was carried out based on the mapping of PEO attribute keywords. These attributes were then classified into either cluster, sharing, or uniqueness groups. The study compared the relevancy of each PEO statement suggested by stakeholders and other interested parties. The results from the PEO comparative study suggested that attributes on competency, ethics, professionalism, and leadership are given high priorities. However, the increase in demand for entrepreneurship-, multidisciplinary-, and soft skills should also be considered when reviewing the institution’s engineering curriculum. The uniqueness of such attributes will distinguish the EE-engineering graduates’ profession, marketability, and employability. PEO statements reflect the credibility and sustainability of a well-balanced graduate equipped with the right knowledge, skills, and values.

Programme Outcome Attributes related to Complex Engineering Problem Capability: Perceptions of Engineering Students in Malaysia

Abstract: Programme outcomes (POs) are the attributes that reflect the student skills expected to be acquired upon graduation. The Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) under Board of Engineers Malaysia requires 12 POs with complex engineering problems (CEP) and knowledge profiles to be incorporated in engineering programmes. Despite considerable research on outcome-based education (OBE), the OBE implementation with regards to the PO attributes and domains incorporating CEP characteristics are still questionable and vaguely implemented by the programmes. This paper presents two PO attributes related to problem solving and development/design for solution based on the perceptions of 301 engineering students in Malaysia. This paper aims to determine the student’s level of understanding on the PO learning domain and to analyze significant factors contributing to their PO attainment. A quantitative method using a questionnaire survey was adopted targeting a random probability sampling of respondents. Descriptive (percentage frequency, relative importance index) and statistical analyses (reliability, normality, correlation) were used to analyze the data. The findings show that the students perceived both POs as cognitive domains and they believed that lecturer’s roles in facilitating students on the subject matter has contributed significantly to their PO attainment. This study is limited to an engineering programme from one institution of higher learning (IHL) in Malaysia. However, the findings provide important insights on the students’ level of understanding of PO attributes and the OBE practices on CEP in the programme. This study can be extended to other IHLs to gauge the students’ understanding related to other PO attributes stipulated by the EAC.
 
 Keywords: Programme Outcomes, Cognitive Domain, Problem Analysis, Design of The Solution, Engineering

Effective Implementation of Complex Engineering Problems and Complex Engineering Activities in Malaysian Engineering Curricular

Abstract: The Engineering Accreditation Council Standard 2020 requires the stipulated 12 programme outcomes that address complex engineering problems (CEP) and complex engineering activities (CEA) to be incorporated in the engineering programmes. However, the implementation of outcome-based education with regards to CEP and CEA is still in the infancy stage. This study was carried out to give an overview of the implementation of complex engineering problems and activities in Malaysian engineering programmes in relation to the types of assessment used to address CEP and CEA, and the typical weightage and taxonomy level of CEP and CEA employed in these assessments. A survey questionnaire was administered to 256 engineering educators from 25 universities to enquire about the implementation of CEP and CEA in their engineering programmes, particularly in the online teaching and learning during the Covid19 pandemic. The findings showed that most of the programmes addressed complex engineering problems in assignments or projects as compared to final examinations or mid-term tests. Complex engineering activities were found to be addressed in Final Year Project, Industrial Training and Integrated Design Project and laboratory courses. The findings in this study could act as a guideline for educators to enhance the teaching and learning activities incorporating CEP and CEA elements, and hence facilitating the continual quality improvement for an engineering programme.
 
 Keywords: Complex Engineering Problems, Complex Engineering Activity, Engineering Accreditation Council, Outcome-Based Education

Development of Low-Cost Thermal-Fluid Undergraduate Laboratory Exercises Complying with the Washington Accord’s Graduate Attributes

Signatories of the Washington Accord has to comply with the accord’s definition of a competent engineering graduate. In Malaysia, the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) is empowered to oversee all the engineering degree courses offered by all universities to make sure they conform with the Washington Accord. Our university has decided to revamp some of the laboratory exercises in order to comply with EAC’s requirements. This article reports the thought process of designing new thermal-fluid laboratory exercises that can provide advanced engineering knowledge using investigative scientific process and complex problem analysis. The cost of the laboratory setup was kept at minimum using open-source software that can visualize and measure the density gradient of the flow-field captured by a simple DSLR camera. The students were able to observe complex flow phenomena that stimulated their interest to read further on related engineering research articles. The students achieved well above average on the course and program outcomes that were set for this course.

The Engineering Undergraduates Industrial Training Programme in Malaysia: Issues and Resolutions

Electrical and electronics is one of the sectors that have led in the process of moving to Industry 4.0 and an important contributor in Malaysia’s economy as it is one of the twelve National Key Economic Area (NKEA) in the country’s Economic Transformation Program (ETP). Globalization era needs human capital resources with competency, competitive and multi-skilled to lead a country to be a developed country. Malaysia is one of developing country in the world that is facing the unemployment issue among engineering graduates. The delayed of education transformation will affect the graduates’ skills developments which can lead to unemployment among them because the demands of today’s industries cannot be met. Many employers admit that our engineering graduates lack in non-technical skills, but they seem fine in technical skills. Industrial training is a platform for students to develop non-technical skills in the real workplace which difficult to be learned in the classroom. All bachelor's engineering students need to undergo industrial training for at least 8 weeks as stated in Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) manual. This paper presents the issues arise and resolutions done by faculty in minimizing the issues. A qualitative study has been done to twelve industrial training coordinators in 8 public and private universities to find the experts' opinions. Many issues have been highlighted with resolutions to minimize the issues. This is very important to assure students can gain valuable industrial training by effectively developing their non-technical skills to meet the industries demands.

FPGA BASED INDIVIDUAL COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE LABORATORY EXERCISES

Computer Architecture is the study of digital computers towards designing, building and operating digital computers. Digital computers are vital for the modern living because they are essential in providing the intelligences in devices such as self-driving cars and smartphones. Computer Architecture is a core subject for the Electronic (Computer) Engineering course at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah that is compliant to the requirement of the Washington Accord as accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Council of the Board of Engineers of Malaysia (EAC). An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based Computer Architecture Laboratory had been developed to support the curriculum of this course. FPGA allows a sustainable implementation of laboratory exercises without resorting to poisonous fabrication of microelectronic devices and installation of integrated circuits. An FPGA is just a configurable and therefore reusable digital design component. Two established organisations promoting computer engineering curriculum, ACM and IEEE, encourages the use of FPGA in digital design in their latest recommendation and together with the EAC, emphasises the grasp of the fundamentals for each student. The laboratory exercises are individual exercises where each student is given a unique assignment. A laboratory manual is provided as a guide and project specification for each student but overall the concept of the laboratory exercise is a student-centred one. Each student is allowed to pace their effort to achieve the sessions of the laboratory exercises starting from session one to session ten. A quantitative analysis of the effectiveness of these laboratory sessions is carried out based on the numbers of students completing the laboratory sessions. These sessions start from an 1:FPGA tutorial to implementations of features of a microprocessor of 2:Immediate Load, 3:Immediate Load to Multiple Registers, 4:Addition, 5:Operation Code, 6:Program Memory, 7:Jump, 8:Conditional Jump, 9:Register to Register and 10:Input-Output. The results of three batches of students show that within the time limits of a one credit hour course, students had managed to complete some aspects of the implementation of a simple microprocessor.

Development of technical skills in Electrical Power Engineering students: A case study of Power Electronics as a Key Course

Technical skills are one of the attributes, an engineering student must attain by the time of graduation, as per recommended by Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC). This paper describes the development of technical skills, Programme Outcome (PO) number 5, in students taking the Bachelor of Electrical Power Engineering (BEPE) programme in Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN). Seven courses are identified to address the technical skills development. The course outcomes (CO) of the courses are designed to instill the relevant technical skills with suitable laboratory activities. Formative and summative assessments are carried out to gauge students’ acquisition of the skills. Finally, to measure the attainment of the technical skills, key course concept is used. The concept has been implemented since 2013, focusing on improvement of the programme instead of the cohort. From the PO attainment analysis method, three different levels of PO attainment can be calculated: from the programme level, down to the course and student levels. In this paper, the attainment of the courses mapped to PO5 is measured. It is shown that Power Electronics course, which is the key course for PO5, has a strong attainment at above 90%. PO5 of other six courses are also achieved. As a conclusion, by embracing outcome-based education (OBE), the BEPE programme has a sound method to develop technical psychomotor skills in the degree students.

INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES ON SELF-EFFICACY AMONG MALAYSIAN MASS COMM UNDERGRADUATES

Although many employability competencies program are conducted by universities and supported by government employability related policies with the community involvement, all the initiatives have yet to fulfill expectation of employers. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of quadruple helix model to prospective graduates. The employability skills and quadruple helix model were used as research framework. The degree to which prerequisite of foundation knowledge and skill obtainable through higher education institution, industrial training, the government policies and community initiatives might influence prospective graduates’ employability competencies. This study utilized a quantitative approach through questionnaires adopted from Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) consist of 10 item scale of engineering employability skill and 23 item of CAAS measurement scale. Reliability and descriptive analysis were used to verify the factor structures that shaped the graduates employability competencies and career adaptability. The results indicated that respondents were in conformity on how higher education program, industry internship program, government policies and community enhancement program influenced their employability competency. Future study should focus on examining systematic changes in factors affecting employability competency for human capital sustainability.

Outcome-based PersonaliSed Learning Measurement Tool for Engineering Education at INTI International University - INTI OBE Tool (IOBET)

In recent years, the implementation of outcome-based education (OBE) has been much emphasised in developed and developing nations driving educators towards investment in educational reforms. In OBE, learners are at the centre of their own learning with ownership to perform based on outcomes. However, much criticism against the OBE has also been presented in various papers regarding the actual implementation of OBE. Some researchers have measured OBE based on student survey and correlation-based analysis at cohort or overall program level. None has looked at personalised learning measurement at individual level using OBE tools. In this paper, we deliberated the process in implementing an INTI OBE Tool (IOBET) MS Excel Program for measuring individual learner's achievement over the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC)-prescribed program outcomes (PO) for engineering education particularly in Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FOSTEM) in INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia. In the quantitative process, a comprehensive and exhaustive course learning outcome (CO) and PO attainment measurement computational system was created. The IOBET would be used to extract the CO and PO attainment score of each individual student enrolled in the program and the PO attainment of each cohort from point of entry to exit.

Assessment and Evaluation for Programme Learning Outcomes in Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) is the 15th of the 20 public universities established in Malaysia. UTHM consists of eight faculties. One of them is the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (FKMP). The programme offered - Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering with Honours (BDD), undergoes continuous auditing and accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC). To fulfill the requirement for accreditation, EAC requires the faculty to assess and evaluate the programme learning outcomes’ (PLOs) attainment of the graduates, such that all graduates are targeted to achieve the performance indicator (PI) upon graduation. This paper discusses the methods developed by the FKMP for PLOs’ measurement and evaluation. Two approaches are utilized in this regards, (i) the direct assessment based on students’ performance in courses, and (ii) the indirect assessment based the industrial and graduates’ perception. The PLOs’ attainment for graduates of cohort 2010-2012 are analysed in this study. Consolidation data shows that the PI for majority of the PLOs are achieved, indicating that the programme offered complies with the standard expected by different stakeholders.

Identifying Pertinent Elements of Critical Thinking and Mathematical Thinking Used in Civil Engineering Practice in Relation to Engineering Education

Engaging critical thinking and mathematical thinking in solving engineering problems is a way of approaching the engineering criteria of Engineering Accreditation Council, Board of Engineers Malaysia. Thus, it is timely and crucial to inculcate the critical thinking and mathematical thinking into the current engineering education. Unfortunately, information about these two modes of thinking in real-world engineering practice is found lacking in the literature. Therefore, this paper focuses on explaining an analytic process in identifying pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking used in real-world civil engineering practice. The analytic process, namely open coding is a part of coding process in modified grounded theory analysis. Data consist of semi-structured interviews with eight practicing civil engineers from two different consultancy firms. A total of fifty three pertinent elements emerged during the analytic process. The selection of these pertinent elements was based on the predominant pattern and frequency of the informants and open codes. The pertinent elements were eventually integrated to develop a substantive theory. The substantive theory provides useful information for the engineering education.

ANALYZING EMPLOYABILITY COMPETENCY: IMPACT OF QUADRUPLE HELIX MODEL TO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATES

Although many employability competencies program are conducted by universities and supported by government employability related policies with the community involvement, all the initiatives have yet to fulfill expectation of employers. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of quadruple helix model to prospective graduates. The employability skills and quadruple helix model were used as research framework. The degree to which prerequisite of foundation knowledge and skill obtainable through higher education institution, industrial training, the government policies and community initiatives might influence prospective graduates’ employability competencies. This study utilized a quantitative approach through questionnaires adopted from Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) consist of 10 item scale of engineering employability skill and 23 item of CAAS measurement scale. Reliability and descriptive analysis were used to verify the factor structures that shaped the graduates employability competencies and career adaptability. The results indicated that respondents were in conformity on how higher education program, industry internship program, government policies and community enhancement program influenced their employability competency. Future study should focus on examining systematic changes in factors affecting employability competency for human capital sustainability. Keywords Employability, Quadruple Helix Model, Career Adapt ability Scale (CAAS), Technical graduates

INTEGRATING PERTINENT ELEMENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING AND MATHEMATICAL THINKING USED BY PRACTICING CIVIL ENGINEERS IN GROUNDED THEORY ANALYSIS

This paper explains process of integrating the pertinent elements of critical thinking and mathematical thinking using Straussian grounded theory methodology. The process of integrating the pertinent elements occurs during selective coding process in the grounded theory analysis. Findings from open coding and axial coding process are the main source of information for development of the selective coding. The selective coding process employs the reflective coding matrix to develop and contextualize the core category. The refined core category depicts the process theory of justifying decision reasonably in dominating orientation. A conditional matrix is then developed as a coding device to visualize the process theory. The study contributes useful information to engineering education instructions, which is aligned with the expectations of engineering program outcomes set by the Engineering Accreditation Council.

Conceptual Design Framework and Taxonomy Assessment for Capstone Design

The Integrated Civil Engineering Capstone design were introduced to combined all the civil engineering discipline such as geotechnical, water and wastewater, environmental, project management, structure and road into one subject. The complex multiple constraints which were set by Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) are compulsory for the Civil Engineering Bachelor degree. The designing of a complex solving with multiple conflicting constraints are developed in this course so that the students were trained to have achieved the level 5 and level 6 of bloom taxonomy level. The multiple criteria were tested for the students when the students were deciding the platform level for their project constructions. The multiple criteria were consisting of the time, cost, technical feasibility, societal, cultural, legal, and environmental and sustainability. These criteria were then evaluated based on the ranking matrix. The high, medium or low impacts of the criteria were assigned to each of the multiple criteria. Finally, the platform level was decided based on the criteria that have the lowest impact to the environment between the two layouts. The conceptual toolbox was used as guidelines for the student to propose the two layouts. This capstone design course is the key element to prepare the students to real engineering problems which requires the student to solve the complex solving with multiple conflicting constraints.

Towards OBE: A Case Study of Course Outcome (CO) and Programme Outcome (PO) Attainment for Product Design and Development Course

The Outcome Based Education (OBE) has been one of the major concern of most academic institutions in Malaysia, especially among engineering departments since the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) has made it compulsory towards programme accreditation. However, various understanding towards the concept of OBE resulted to various attainment to Programme Outcome (PO) based on the Course Outcome (CO). Execution of the OBE may not be an easy matter as the mapping of the CO for each assessment may be mapped to multiple PO. This paper describe the analysis process of the CO and PO attainment for Product Design and Development subject, which is offered to all 2nd year students of Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka. Two methods are incorporated, (1) direct measurement, and(2) segregated measurement. The study identified that segregated measurement are more sensitive towards identifying the issues which affect attainment of CO and PO. Issues related to non-fulfilment of either CO or PO for Product Design and Development subject can be traced to lack of awareness towards product sustainability, synthesizing product design problems and student’s attitude towards citing proper literature information throughout the development of their product.

Assessment Tool of Course Learning Outcomes for Mechanical Design of Process Equipment

Elements of learning outcomes (CO) are one of the factors that affect in the context of results-based learning (OBE) or Outcome Based Education (OBE). Based on accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) at the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering for the year 2010, the need for learning outcomes assessment, CO for both programs, Chemical Engineering and Biochemical Engineering, should be implemented in order to make the relationship between Program Outcomes (PO) and CO. Learning outcomes assessment for the course of KKKR3654 Mechanical Design of Process Equipment Year III at Department of Chemical and Process Engineering (JKKP), UKM was conducted with lecturers giving questionnaires to students at the beginning of the lecture week (first week to the fifth) and in the last week learning (weeks 10 to 14) in order to compare student understanding of the course. Methods used involved a sample of 58 students for both programs, and also direct and indirect measurement. Direct measurement was done by linking the statement for each CO to questions on quizzes, mid-semester exams, final examination and Integrated Projects. Results from the questionnaires were analyzed by the Likert method and converted into percentage marks. In general the percentage of CO for both programs at the end of the semester increased between 76-83% compared with that of the beginning of semester.