Engineering Curriculum Reform Research Articles

Research on the Application of Project Teaching Method in the New Model of Software Engineering Course

Software engineering course is one of the core courses of computer science. The students trained in the current teaching mode can no longer meet the market demand for high-technology talents. Based on this, the research attempts to optimize the traditional software engineering teaching mode by using the project teaching method (PTM). According to the basic concept of PTM and course characteristics, the reform path of PTM in software engineering course is explored in the experiment. Then in the experiment, the indicators that affect teaching reform effect is selected and a evaluation model is built. And GA-BP algorithm is used to evaluate the effect of the evaluation model. To verify the performance of the built model and the final evaluation effect, the research results are tested from the fitness of the algorithm, error performance, prediction in the data set and other aspects. GA-BP algorithm converged when it iterated to the 18th generation, and the final fitness value was 0.61. The average error square value of GA-BP was 0.35 and the minimum error square sum of GA-BP was 0.48. Its prediction accuracy in test set and training set was 93.4% and 94.1% respectively. The maximum prediction error in the training sample was only 0.015, and the performance of the above data was better than the other three algorithms. To sum up, applying PTM to software engineering curriculum reform can achieve better teaching results.

Engineering Curriculum Reform Based on Outcome-Based Education and Five-Color Psychology Theory

Innovation in curriculum design at the system level is crucial for nurturing students’ sustainability skills. This study focuses on the teaching reform of a hydraulic engineering construction and management course, taking a sustainable development perspective and achieving a harmonious integration of knowledge acquisition and skill development. A “One Center, Two Platforms, and Three Education” teaching model is devised, incorporating outcome-based education and five-color psychological theory. This model encompasses a student-centered approach, leveraging the Chaoxing platform and a virtual simulation experiment platform while addressing theoretical, practical, and ideological-political education. The study participants consisted of water and hydropower engineering students at the School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xihua University. This teaching model not only enhances students’ learning motivation but also elevates their academic performance. Moreover, the model has yielded notable improvements in students’ overall quality, independent learning abilities, and innovation aptitude. The effectiveness of this teaching model in engineering courses has garnered positive feedback from both graduates and employers, who acknowledge its contribution to enhancing teaching quality and promoting sustainable development in engineering education. Furthermore, this model can serve as a reference for enhancing college education and fostering students’ abilities and ethical standards.

Using Multiple Data Mining Technologies to Analyze Process Evaluation in the Blended-Teaching Environment

Under the background of new engineering, the integration of theory and practice in the blended-teaching environment has become the mainstream teaching mode amid science and engineering curriculum reform. Data analysis technology is used to study process evaluation based on the integration of theory and practice in the blended-teaching environment, and a reference for the innovation of process evaluation is provided. This paper makes four key contributions to the blended-teaching environment. The K-means algorithm is used to cluster students into five groups (“serious learners”, “active learners”, “self-directed learners”, “cooperative learners”, and “students with learning difficulties”), according to the results of the students’ process evaluation in the course, integrating theory and practice. The Apriori algorithm and C5.0 model are used to find the key indicators which affected students’ learning performance. They are: classroom performance, assignment submission, classroom testing, problem solving, and online learning. These indicators are used to predict the final learning outcome of students. The Bayesian network model is used to find that there is a strong correlation between learning participation and assignment submission, unit assessment and classroom testing, and classroom performance and work presentation. Data analysis technology is creatively used to strengthen process evaluation. Teaching and learning are promoted by evaluation, so that the true meaning of process evaluation can be revealed. This lays a theoretical and practical foundation for process evaluation, to impact the predominant situation of outcome evaluation and promote the sustainable development of education evaluation.

Scope for problem solving in industrial engineering and management subject curriculum reform for mechanical engineers to leverage the current and upcoming situations

The objective out from this paper is to extend the understanding of the role of Industrial engineering for Mechanical Engineers for the upcoming industrial revolution. Upcoming revolutions focus is to diverge the definition of the smart techniques which are capable of communicating and negotiation with others. And the fact is that the base of the revolution is syllabus of Indian universities. The development of this skill is still in progress and not many people are aware of its role in the industry and how it is going to bring a major change for Mechanical Engineers. This paper will be discussing on two major questions. One is how developing our syllabus of industrial engineering for mechanical engineering in Indian universities which can help in the new Industry reforms and the other will be focusing on to avoids the misunderstandings of people regarding these upcoming decisions which can improve the efficiency of System. Major outcome is to improve the relation and clarity between employee which are fresher and employer which will result into better production and working efficiency in upcoming future and advancement of industry.

ENGINEERING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES IN AFRICA: A CASE FOR RWANDA

Rwanda’s rates of urban growth and urbanization are unprecedented [1]. This change in the number of urban-dwellers will require increased engineering talent and resources to support resulting demands on the urban infrastructure. This study builds on the engineering education literature in Rwanda, explores how the country is prepared to manage current and future urban growth rates through engineering education, and examines the processes universities undergo when reforming their engineering curriculum in Rwanda. A research team travelled to Rwanda in July, 2016 to study engineering programs and interview two faculty members at two universities. Four significant subjects emerged from this study: the involvement of the political institutions in the curriculum design and approval processes, the need for allocating new resources to meet an increase in student enrolment, the importance of considering the historical and regional contexts in the curriculum, and the need for more hands-on training in engineering education. Further study is recommended on the political involvement in engineering curriculum reform, the government-led student and faculty funding initiatives, the impacts of the historical and regional contexts on the tertiary education system, and the increase

Nurturing Future Engineers

Engineering education in Hong Kong is experiencing significant changes in response to several major forces: (1) an increasing demand for future engineers who possess technical competencies, professional skills, and knowledge of ethical awareness and responsibilities; (2) accreditation requirements; and (3) the system-wide education reform in the region. Curriculum changes have taken place in several universities in Hong Kong with engineering majors but there are few conceptual articles providing in-depth discussions about the impact of the changes. This article aims to provide insights into the engineering curriculum reform in a broader context for university management, program leaders, and coordinators who are involved in curriculum design and implementation. Using a newly revamped engineering curriculum in one of the research-intensive universities in Hong Kong as an example, this article highlights the features of the new four-year engineering curriculum and discusses how it may contribute to the nurturing of future engineers. While clear progress has been made in providing students with a broad perspective and support, the influences of the prevailing culture of teaching and learning, the local perceptions of the engineering profession, and the decision making patterns of Hong Kong Chinese students cast a complicated picture. To fully achieve the goals of the new curriculum, universities should proactively address the challenges by the following actions: acting consistently to the commitment of holistic education, supporting students’ personal and value development, establishing reward mechanisms for faculty members’ contributions in student development, and investing in pedagogical development and innovations.

Sustainable development at the core of undergraduate engineering curriculum reform: a new introductory course in chemical engineering

Most efforts to reform engineering curricula to focus on sustainable development have to date been at the level of individual, senior, often elective, courses. Although sophisticated arguments have been mounted about the need for broad curriculum reform, there are few exemplars of such initiatives in undergraduate engineering education. This article reports on a curriculum reform process in chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town, and examines closely the new first core course that signals the introduction of this new curriculum. The new curriculum has borrowed from forerunners in this endeavour a slightly reduced theoretical core, intertwined with an accompanying project strand running throughout the four years of the program. Departing from traditional curricula, the new first year course incorporates a ‘natural foundations’ strand that introduces nature not just as source of raw materials, or as imposing limits on engineering prowess, but also as ‘mentor and model’. Sustainability problems are interpreted as systematic violations of nature's grand cycles and contrasted with development needs particularly in relation to provision of water and energy. By the end of the course, >95% of students rated their knowledge of environmental and sustainability issues as good or excellent, whilst 80% confirmed this in the final examination. This article thus demonstrates the feasibility of reforming core undergraduate engineering curricula to incorporate a focus on sustainable development, from the first year of study onwards.

University Network Engineering Professional Model

Network engineering is the field of emerging technologies, and how to better provide the community with the talents currently on network engineering teaching mode design became the primary task to meet the requirements of the close combination of computer technology and communication technology. In this article from the goal to cultivate and improve students' ability to network engineering practice, in terms of network engineering curriculum reform, network engineering lab environment construction explore new era network engineering professional teaching reform ideas to improve students by enhancing the practical teaching links engineering capability and innovative quality of network engineering professionals.

Discussion on Engineering Education and Curriculum Reform

 Abstract—For engineering university, its ultimate goal is to cultivate high-leveled, application-oriented graduate. So, engineering education, engineering ability cultivation, curriculum teaching and curriculum teaching reformation is vital. Firstly, the meaning of engineering educations is discussed in the paper. Then, the history, achievements, problems and weakness of China's engineering education are analyzed. Thirdly, opportunities and challenges of China's engineering education are put forward. Finally, some opinions are given that: Engineering education is very consanguineous relation with China's curriculum. A better curriculum system decides the excellent engineering education. These description or argumentations are in favor of the development of China's engineering education and curriculum reform, be beneficial to the construction of applied university, be useful for cultivating excellent applied graduates.

FACULTY BUY-IN AND THE BOTTOM-UP APPROACH: ACASE STUDY IN INTEGRATED ENGINEERING CURRICULUM REFORM ADVOCACY AND EWB'S GLOBAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM

A recent Perdue University study identified faculty buy-in as the primary obstacle for engineering curriculum reform in North America. Delegates at the recent 2012 Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Global Engineering Symposium agreed, indicating it is one of the major challenges facing Canadian engineering education institutions today. For over 8 years, EWB Canada has been advocating for Global Engineer-focused education, successfully collaborating with faculty at over 20 Canadian, post-secondary institutions to promote these concepts skills and attitudes to thousands of engineering students. This paper describes the evolution of EWB’s approach to curriculum reform advocacy, which now focuses on building faculty relationships, student driven innovation, and incentivizing cooperation. This bottom-up strategy appropriately addresses the challenges of faculty buyin by promoting integrated curricular and extra-curricular education, which conforms to, but is not limited by, the CEAB attributes.

The Research of Software Engineering Curriculum Reform

Abstract With the problem that software engineering training can’t meet the needs of the community, this paper analysis some outstanding reasons in software engineering curriculum teaching, such as old teaching contents, weak in practice and low quality of teachers etc. We propose the methods of teaching reform as guided by market demand, update the teaching content, optimize the teaching methods, reform the teaching practice, strengthen the teacher-student exchange and promote teachers and students together. We carried out the reform and explore positive and achieved the desired results.

Sooner city: Reflections on a curriculum reform project

AbstractThis chapter describes an engineering curriculum reform effort that threads a common four‐year design theme across multiple courses within the curriculum.

Colombia & the New Global Economy: Implications of Tratado de Libre Comercio for Colombian Industry, Engineers and Engineering Educators1

The landscape of the world economy has changed significantly over the last twenty five years. The inter-connectedness of national economies, the rapid ascent of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) in the global engineering environment and the pro-active role of organizations such as the World Trade Organization, regional alliances such as the EU, and Mercosur are factors that have synergized this movement towards a new order. The completion of the Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC) agreement is a major milestone for the Colombian economy. These developments have serious and opportunistic implications for organizations, engineers, and engineering educators. We focus here on the drivers and consequences for engineering practitioners and educators. Corporate strategies, along with the need for engineering curriculum reform to ensure that Colombian engineers will effectively compete in the global marketplace, are detailed.

An empirical study of industrial engineering and management curriculum reform in fostering students’ creativity

The objective of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of a creativity-fostering program in industrial engineering and management (IE&M) curriculum reform. Fostering creativity in students has become a crucial issue in industrial engineering education. In a survey of previous studies, we found few on IE&M curriculum reform. In particular, no study has dealt directly with fostering students’ creativity. In this study, we propose an IE&M curriculum reform program. The core of this program is intended to enhance students’ creative problem solving ability. Based on this concept, three required courses were developed: industrial communication, creative problem solving, and scientific research methodology. To investigate the effectiveness of this curriculum reform program, we conducted a two-year follow-up study. One hundred seventy-seven IE&M undergraduates from Yuan-Ze University participated this study, and Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were used to measure changes in their creativity. The results showed that the students, after completing this reformed curriculum program, had significantly improved their creativity.

Globalization Challenges, Legacies, and Civil Engineering Curriculum Reform

Across nations and industries, numerous changes are taking place due to globalization. Naturally, the effects are channelled back to the academic world and prominently felt at the level of higher learning in view of its constant contact with the industries. Universities and institutions have to reassess the adequacy of their existing curricula in fulfilling the needs arising from globalization. With reference to issues encountered in southeast Asia, this paper examines the necessity to rethink the curriculum of a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering and presents some recommendations for revamping the curricular structure. The context discussed is most relevant to small, developing countries, but generally concerns those countries with a legacy of educational systems similar to this region. One rising trend is the move toward a general engineering education at the undergraduate level; a professional degree is emphasized only at the master’s level. More management-related subjects may be included in th...

Hands‐On Experiences: An Integral Part of Engineering Curriculum Reform

AbstractThe concept of “hands‐on” experiences, through Mechanical Dissection classes, as a part of engineering curriculum reform is presented. Mechanical Dissection in this context refers to a process of studying the function of a mechanical system and dismantling it in order to see how its specific function is realized. The functions of various components within the artifact and interaction between the components are also studied. Awareness of the design process, multiple solutions to a design problem, and the evolution of the technology of various artifacts and their components are focused upon. This is followed by systematic re‐assembly of the artifact. The courseware and supporting laboratory modules were developed to address specific objectives. They provide the foundation for better understanding of sophomore, junior and senior courses, particularly the design oriented ones. Seven in‐depth dissection modules form the basis of this course. These are a weighing scale, a money sorting machine, an electric lawn mower, an electric hand drill, a gasoline engine, a centrifugal pump and an eighteen speed bike. This course is targeted at freshman or sophomore level engineering students. Some of these modules can be simplified and transported to K‐14 students. Assessment of this course has shown an overwhelming positive response from students in all aspects. This makes the course an integral part of engineering curriculum reform.

Engineering Curriculum Reform at Aalborg University

AbstractAalborg University in the north Jutland region of Denmark was chartered in 1974 and represents an innovative educational experiment with project‐based teaching concepts. The University opened with approximately 900 students and currently enrolls an estimated 10,000. This paper examines how project‐based teaching at Aalborg University has led to major engineering curriculum reforms. The Danish education initiatives are also compared to recent National Science Foundation efforts to integrate the teaching of design and economics in the United States.