Engineering Program Research Articles

LESSONS LEARNED FROM TEACHING SYSTEM THINKING TO ENGINEERING STUDENTS

The primary focus of Engineering Education programs has been to train engineers in various aspects of problem-solving techniques. However, there have been concerns about the types of problems engineering students are exposed to. Most engineering programs train students on solving routine problems, with extension to originative problems in design courses. However, highly complex or “wicked problems” are more rarely explored at the undergraduate level in spite of the fact that they are some of the most important problems faced in society. Systems Thinking has been suggested as a promising approach to addressing wicked problems. We have designed a course in Systems Thinking at the University of Toronto targeted toward students from all disciplines of engineering. The objective of this course is to encourage students to explore the inherent ambiguity of complex problems while introducing them to tools and approaches to visualize their problem space. This paper evaluates the learning experience of students in the first iteration of this course, through a series of analyses performed on their coursework, personal reflections, and interviews. It was hypothesized that teaching Systems Thinking to engineering students would increase their awareness of the problem space, push them to learn about other disciplines outside of engineering, and increase their ability to visualize the elements in the problem. Our results suggest ways in which Systems Thinking has helped engineering students in their problem solving abilities and looks at the specific skills in which engineering students have significantly improved.

INTEGRATING PREVENTION THROUGH DESIGN (PTD) INTO ENGINEERING CURRICULA

For many years, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and construction safety experts have advocated for implementing the Prevention through Design (PtD) concept in the United States. PtD aims to eliminate construction hazards during the design phase to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities during the construction phase. PtD is achieved by incorporating prevention considerations into all designs that may impact workers' safety. Civil and architectural engineers are considered the primary initiators of PtD in the construction industry, with the ability to educate project owners and construction practitioners about its benefits and importance. However, this group has a few, if any, educational interventions or training opportunities to develop PtD knowledge and skills in the United States. As a result, faculty members who may be willing to teach the PtD concept in their design courses (e.g., concrete, steel, foundation and traffic design courses) have limited exposure to the PtD concept and no clear guidelines to integrate PtD into their courses. This study surveys engineering department chairs in the United States to assess their perceptions about integrating PtD into the engineering curriculum. The findings showed that most participants do not favor incorporating PtD as a standalone course in the engineering curriculum. However, they expressed their support for integrating the concept as small modules within existing engineering design courses. Faculty members, teaching engineering design, should be provided the necessary resources to achieve this. This study contributes to our understanding of PtD integration strategies within engineering programs.

TEACHING LINEAR SCHEDULING THROUGH GAMIFIED ACTIVE EXPLORATION

Previous research convincingly demonstrates that incorporating active and collaborative instructional methods, along with effective strategies to foster student engagement, consistently yields improved learning outcomes. However, conventional educational programs in construction engineering and management are often inflexible, providing limited opportunities for students to actively participate in experiential learning that could contribute to firsthand experience and guide them in finding solutions. This study addresses this gap by developing and empirically evaluating an innovative gamified pedagogical approach aimed at teaching linear scheduling through guided active exploration within a digital gaming environment. The proposed approach and its associated game are grounded in constructivist learning theory. A scenario-based interactive game named Zebel was created using the Unity game engine. Employing a set of pre-and post-assessment tools, the proposed method was implemented and assessed in a graduate-level course on construction planning and scheduling to gather empirical data. The results indicate that the proposed pedagogy effectively guided students, even those without prior knowledge of linear scheduling, in discovering fundamental concepts and systematic solutions for the presented problems.

Integrating Cardiovascular Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: An Experiential Approach.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education workshops and programs play a key role in promoting early exposure to scientific applications and questions. Such early engagement leads to growing not only passion and interest in science, but it also leads to skill development through hands-on learning and critical thinking activities. Integrating physiology and engineering together is necessary especially to promote health technology awareness and introduce the young generation to areas where innovation is needed and where there is no separation between health-related matters and engineering methods and applications. To achieve this, we created a workshop aimed at K-12 (grades 9-11) students as part of the Summer Youth Programs at Michigan Technological University. The aim of this workshop was to expose students to how engineering concepts and methods translate into health- and medicine-related applications and cases. The program consisted of a total of 15 h and was divided into three sections over a period of 2 weeks. It involved a combination of theoretical and hands-on guided activities that we developed. At the end of the workshop, the students were provided a lesson or activity-specific assessment sheet and a whole workshop-specific assessment sheet to complete. They rated the programs along a 1-5 Likert scale and provided comments and feedback on what can be improved in the future. Students rated hands-on activities the highest in comparison with case studies and individual independent research. Conclusively, this STEM summer-youth program was a successful experience with many opportunities that will contribute to the continued improvement of the workshop in the future.

TEACHING AND APPLYING WATER CONSUMPTION SIMULTANEITY IN RESIDENTIAL: AN ACTIVE LEARNING PROJECT-BASED ENGINEERING APPROACH

In the present project, spanning from April 2020 to August 2022, the study focused on Hydraulic Engineering I within the Civil Engineering program and the Hydrosanitary Installation Project in the Architecture program. The objectives included calculating the simultaneity coefficient and determining the maximum probable flow for each student's residence. To achieve these objectives, active learning methodologies, specifically project-based learning (PBL), were adeptly employed to enrich students' practical knowledge and foster collaboration. The process began with architectural surveys of residential properties, followed by inventories of pipes, sanitary appliances, and wet rooms. Measurements of flow rates at various faucet openings (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) were conducted, along with the recording of operating pressures within home networks. This data served as the foundation for creating calibration curves, a process carried out over 120 days. Using the collected data, each student developed a hydraulic model of their network and compared the software results to practical measurements. The participants calculated the simultaneity coefficient (Ks) and maximum possible flow for their dwellings using hydraulic design concepts and regulatory standards. The results were documented in technical reports, a video tutorial, and infographics. The research highlights the importance of understanding residential water usage patterns and their potential for optimizing water delivery systems. It also underscores the value of experiential learning, which helps students bridge theory and practice, enhancing technical skills and their understanding of hydraulic engineering.

Effectiveness of Challenge-Based Learning in Undergraduate Engineering Programs from Competencies and Gender Perspectives

Active learning strategies are widely studied, but perspective on their effectiveness in complete undergraduate studies or about their contribution to closing the gender gap are still required. Challenge-based learning has been around for more than a decade. However, results have been collected in limited time and application environments, for example, one semester or one activity in a course. In this work, we present a quantitative study that was applied to results of the National Center for the Evaluation of Higher Education’s Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Standardized General Examination of 4226 students comparing those who received a traditional educational model and those who received a challenge-based learning educational model. A statistical analysis of communication and disciplinary competencies found that the traditional educational model induces a greater marginal significant result in the test. Additionally, we found that female students perform better in communication competencies while male students perform better in disciplinary competencies. Our results confirm that challenge-based learning is as effective as a traditional educational model when applied during complete undergraduate studies while developing competencies like critical thinking, long-term retention, leadership, multidisciplinary teamwork, and decision-making. Challenge based learning is a prolific learning strategy for evolving into a new way of teaching in undergraduate programs.

Prediction method for formation pore pressure based on transfer learning

Pore pressure prediction of drilled wells is the recognition of formation information using logging and other actual drilling data after drilling is completed, which is of great significance in improving the mastery of regional formation information and reducing the potential risks of the engineering program of wells to be drilled. Traditional formation pressure prediction methods rely on manual experience and are difficult to cope with complex formations. Existing machine learning-based methods have high accuracy in the prediction of formation pressure for wells with similar data composition in the same block or logging, but have poor accuracy in the prediction of wells with large differences in data from different blocks or logging. In this paper, a transfer learning algorithm is introduced to modify the existing LSTM-based formation pore pressure prediction model and establish a transfer learning-based formation pore pressure prediction method. In addition, we evaluated the prediction performance of machine learning algorithms and transfer learning algorithms under the same/different blocks and the same/different logging data conditions. The results show that, compared with the existing machine learning algorithms, for the same block and the same logging data conditions, transfer learning can improve the prediction accuracy by 0.15%; for the same block and different logging data conditions, transfer learning can improve the prediction accuracy by 0.33%; for the different block and the same logging data conditions, transfer learning can improve the prediction accuracy by 0.19%; for the different block and different logging data conditions, transfer learning can improve the prediction accuracy by 0.11%. Overall, the addition of the transfer learning method can improve the accuracy and generalization ability of the formation pore pressure prediction model based on machine learning to a larger extent.

Evaluating the impact of precision engineering education on industry standards and practices

Precision engineering plays a critical role in various industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and healthcare. The evolution of precision engineering education is essential to meet the dynamic demands of these industries. This review outlines a comprehensive evaluation of how precision engineering education influences industry standards and practices. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with industry professionals, educators, and students. Through a structured questionnaire, data is collected on the perceived effectiveness of precision engineering education in preparing graduates for the industry. Additionally, in-depth interviews provide nuanced insights into specific skills, knowledge areas, and competencies deemed essential by practitioners. Initial findings indicate a positive correlation between precision engineering education and industry standards. Graduates equipped with a strong foundation in precision engineering principles demonstrate a higher level of proficiency in meeting industry requirements. Notably, the integration of hands-on training, simulation exercises, and real-world projects within the curriculum significantly enhances students' readiness for practical applications. Moreover, the study delves into the adaptability of precision engineering programs in addressing emerging technological trends and advancements. As industries evolve with the adoption of automation, artificial intelligence, and additive manufacturing, the curriculum's responsiveness to these changes becomes paramount. Evaluating the alignment between educational content and contemporary industry practices sheds light on areas necessitating refinement or enhancement. Furthermore, the research explores the role of industry-academic partnerships in shaping precision engineering education. Collaborative initiatives such as internships, co-op programs, and joint research projects facilitate knowledge exchange and bridge the gap between academia and industry. By fostering mutually beneficial relationships, these partnerships contribute to curriculum development that remains abreast of evolving industry needs. This study underscores the pivotal influence of precision engineering education on industry standards and practices. By continually evaluating and refining educational approaches, stakeholders can ensure that graduates possess the requisite skills and knowledge to thrive in an ever-changing industrial landscape.

Trends of Women’s Participation in Engineering Education in the Republic of Benin and Implications for the Future of Higher Education

Engineering, as well as men’s and women’s valuable labours or contributions, are important for the socioeconomic development of countries. This reality and the lack of data in this field in developing countries brought this paper’s authors to investigate the extent to which female and male students are enrolled and graduate in engineering education faculties in the Republic of Benin, a West African country. To this end, statistics of enrolment, graduation, failure, and exclusion of female and male students of the two oldest engineering education faculties, i.e., the Polytechnics School of Abomey-Calavi (EPAC) and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (FSA) of the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), have been estimated using Excel software and available enrolment, and academic results’ books and database. Pedagogical bylaws and other education policy documents were also reviewed for the sake of understanding the gender participation trends of the studied faculties. The analysis of almost four decades (1985–2022) of data revealed that very few (about 4,912, including 694 women) students got enrolled in the engineering programmes of the studied faculties. The total number of engineering students enrolled in the two faculties represents less than 1% of the total number of those who got their baccalaureate over the study period. Of the total number of women enrolled over the four decades, about 25% got excluded, while only about 22% of men got excluded at the polytechnic school EPAC. Meanwhile, at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences FSA, 2% of the women enrolled were excluded against 1% of men. These results show that students are more excluded in the industrial engineering programmes of the polytechnic school compared to the agricultural engineering programmes of FSA. The main reasons identified for the small number of students enrolled in the engineering education faculties were, among others, the limited number of scholarships and places given to the engineering programmes by the government, donors and the faculties due to limitations in infrastructure and other resources available. With regards to the very poor participation of women in engineering programmes, socio-cultural stereotypes, poor social support or care provided to ladies and women, poor gender-responsiveness of STEM education and pedagogies, poor and late information on the advantages of engineering education and careers, sexual harassment, and early pregnancy, are few of the reasons mentioned by interviewees. More advocacy and more gender-responsiveness of further interventions might help improve the overall number of engineering students and the participation of women and other valid but less-represented people in engineering education programmes in universities of the Republic of Benin.

The identity-related experiences of LGBTQ + students in engineering spaces

The present study explored LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other non heterosexual/cisgender identities) engineering students’ navigation of engineering educational contexts and reported the impacts of the engineering educational culture on LGBTQ + students’ well-being. Drawing from a sample of ten LGBTQ + university students in the United States, we found that students described cultural norms sustained through minimal tolerance for and the avoidance of identity talk or expression. Systemic homogeneous cultural norms redefine safety expectations for LGBTQ + engineering students while normalizing expectations that LGBTQ + students be silent and tolerate mistreatment. Participants also described the consequences of invisibility and identity conflict that they face for being different within an inequitable field. These findings bring attention to a culture within engineering programs that silences LGBTQ + expression and leaves students feeling isolated. Further research is needed to explore the effect of affirming communities on LGBTQ + engineering students’ well-being. We conclude with research and clinical implications for working with LGBTQ + engineering students.

Development of Reciprocal Teaching-Based Interactive Multimedia to Enhance Students' Learning Outcomes of Database Fundamentals

Database subjects are one of the basic compulsory subjects for the Computer Engineering and Informatics program. For Software Engineering students, topics such as Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML) are crucial for understanding advanced lessons. However, learning outcomes have been low due to factors such as suboptimal media, methods, models, and teaching processes. This research aims to design reciprocal teaching-based interactive multimedia to enhance student learning outcomes in DDL and DML materials. The research method used is adapted from the Comprehensive Life Cycle model, with a sample of students from class X-RPL-1 at Bina Wisata Lembang Vocational High School.The results of this study are as follows: 1) An average percentage of 80% was obtained from media experts and 80% from subject matter experts, both categorized as “Very Good”. 2) The use of multimedia improved student learning outcomes, demonstrated by an average score increase from 34 to 73. Furthermore, based on the pretest and posttest results, an average normalized gain (n-gain) of 0.59 was obtained with a criteria of 'Moderate' effectiveness. 3) Students responses to the created multimedia resulted in an average percentage score of 86.41%, categorized as “Very Good”.

Declining Enrollment in Long-Term Engineering Programs: Stakeholders’ Perspectives

This study investigates the declining enrollment in long-term engineering programs under the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) in Nepal, a critical issue affecting the development of skilled human resources and socio-economic transformation. The study analyzes enrollment data over the past 4 to 5 years and assesses enrollment trends. It also incorporates insights from focus group discussions and interviews with various stakeholders, identifies underlying causes of low enrollment, and proposes actionable recommendations. The findings reveal a multifaceted decline influenced by contextual factors, such as socio-economic conditions, the allure of foreign education, and the diminishing value of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). At an institutional level, issues include haphazard extension of TVET institutions, weakened instructional quality and inadequate industry linkages. Personal perceptions also contribute that vocational education is often seen as a less prestigious alternative to general education. The study's comprehensive analysis culminates in recommendations as suggested by the research participants focused on curriculum revision, strengthening industry linkages and enhancing the overall perception and quality of TVET programs. These insights are crucial for policy formulation, educational reforms, and aligning TVET with industry needs and student aspirations in Nepal.

Education and identity: reflections on tutoring at the Metropolitan Polytechnic University of Hidalgo

The project aims to analyze whether the teacher's profile has any influence during the development of the tutorial action in the educational program of Information Technology Engineering of the Metropolitan Polytechnic University of Hidalgo (UPMH), which emerged in 2008 having as a framework for creation, the implementation of Polytechnic Universities to provide greater coverage to the need for higher education in the State of Hidalgo, offering innovative and high-quality educational programs that respond to the productive demands of today's society. Based on these guidelines, in the month of April 2010, the objective is to know the results of the Tutoring, in accordance with what is established in the institutional program of academic support for students, an evaluation of the program was carried out through the application of two surveys, in which students and tutors participated, obtaining indicators such as 100% of the registered enrollment had an assigned tutor, the students generally stated that they knew what it was and what the objective of tutoring was, however 60% in comments consider it irrelevant, due to the lack of planning and monitoring by the tutor teacher.

LGBTQ + engineering students’ recommendations for sustaining and supporting diversity in STEM

LGBTQ + engineering students in higher education face systemic challenges in their educational contexts because of interlocking systems of oppression that privilege majority identities. The current study uses thematic analysis to explore LGBTQ + graduate and undergraduate engineering students’ recommendations for supporting diverse students in engineering higher education programs. A sample of ten LGBTQ + engineering college students in the United States shared effective classroom norms and recommendations for integrating LGBTQ-informed content. Suggestions for higher education institutions revolved around increasing students’ feelings of safety or addressing feelings of unsafety in their educational contexts. Students cited community ignorance as well as invisibility/isolation as root causes of their dis-ease as LGBTQ + people in the engineering field. To that end, students suggested improved, expanded, and mandated LGBTQ Allies trainings at the campus level. Our findings incorporate both students’ accounts of the problem and their proposed solutions, using community wisdom as the basis for increased support for diversity. Further action is needed from engineering programs to protect and promote the wellness of their LGBTQ + students. We conclude with clinical and research implications to further support and sustain a diverse student body in engineering programs.

An FPGA‐based tool for supporting the design, modeling, and evaluation of hybrid object recognition systems on computer engineering courses

AbstractThe field of computer vision is characterized by computationally intensive algorithms and techniques with strict real‐time requirements. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are based on a concurrent paradigm which allows the design of efficient hardware architectures and has positioned FPGAs as an ideal device for implementing compute‐intensive applications. For this reason, FPGA technology has had a great impact in areas such as computer vision, where one of the main objectives for researchers working in this field is to create efficient automatic object recognition systems. Therefore, the need to provide undergraduates with the necessary skills to design FPGA‐based object recognition systems is evident. With this aim in mind, it is essential that specialization courses related to the design of these systems include the required resources for the student to apply the theoretical knowledge in solving practical problems. In this article, we present a development tool designed to help students, teachers, and researchers during the design‐modeling‐implementation process of object recognition systems based on FPGAs. The proposed tool operates under a modular approach as this facilitates the working on any of the phases of a recognition system and it is considered as a hybrid because the other phases can be developed using a software language. An empirical evaluation involving undergraduates enrolled in a Computer Engineering program was conducted to create a hardware architecture for the DAISY descriptor that uses the homogeneous features of objects immersed in images to produce an efficient representation. By considering similar descriptors such as Scale‐Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG), DAISY is computed by convolving orientation maps instead of using weighted sums of gradient norms, which offers the same kind of invariance at a lower computational cost for the dense case. The results obtained during such an evaluation indicated that students consider this FPGA‐based tool to be an alternative to receiving practical training on designing systems for solving problems related to the area of object recognition.

Accreditation of undergraduate engineering programs in Canada and what it means for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals

ABSTRACT Achievement of the targets set for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) requires commitment and leadership from governments, and input and feedback from numerous collaborators. Professional engineers are one group of such collaborators who must ensure that their designs, projects, and practices enable sustainable development. This article discusses how the accreditation process for undergraduate engineering programmes in Canada confirms that accredited programmes are preparing graduates for careers in which they will be prepared to meet the challenges of striving towards the targets set by the UN SDGs.

Impact of the implementation of unconventional digital graphic organizers on the generation of meaningful learning

Introduction: in higher education, the integration of graphic organizers in teaching can enhance the understanding and retention of content, thereby contributing to the academic development of students. Objective: analyze the impact of the implementation of unconventional digital graphic organizers on the generation of meaningful learning in first-semester students at the Central University of Ecuador. Methods: 156 first-semester students participated in the "Leadership" course in the Civil Engineering program at Central University of Ecuador. The research was longitudinal and observational with a pre-experimental design. Pre and post-tests were conducted addressing the impact of digital graphic organizers on meaningful learning. Results: an increase in the usage of less common digital graphic organizers is revealed, showing a strong correlation with meaningful learning analyzed through the correlation coefficient. The Chi-square test supports that graphic organizers positively influence meaningful learning. Conclusions: the importance of adapting methodological strategies to university students is emphasized, acknowledging that success depends not only on these strategies but also on the creativity and flexibility of teaching. The inclusion of unconventional digital graphic organizers in teaching significantly benefits the generation of meaningful learning, suggesting that these structured visual tools are valuable for enhancing understanding. This knowledge will drive educators to design interventions that maximize learning

Developing a “Revolution”: Design Challenges in a Chemical Engineering Department

Engineering is fundamentally about design, yet many undergraduate programs offer limited opportunities for students to learn to design. This design case reports on a grant-funded effort to revolutionize how chemical engineering is taught. Prior to this effort, our chemical engineering program was like many, offering core courses primarily taught through lectures and problem sets. While some faculty referenced examples, students had few opportunities to construct and apply what they were learning. Spearheaded by a team that included the department chair, a learning scientist, a teaching-intensive faculty member, and faculty heavily engaged with the undergraduate program, we developed and implemented design challenges in core chemical engineering courses. We began by co-designing with students and faculty, initially focusing on the first two chemical engineering courses students take. We then developed templates and strategies that supported other faculty-student teams to expand the approach into more courses. Across seven years of data collection and iterative refinements, we developed a framework that offers guidance as we continue to support new faculty in threading design challenges through core content-focused courses. We share insights from our process that supported us in navigating through challenging questions and concerns.

Linguistic and non-linguistic factors impacting EMI academic success: a longitudinal study

AbstractThis study explored changes in English language proficiency and several non-linguistic factors during four years of English medium instruction (EMI) in two academic disciplines in a Turkish university setting. Moreover, it also investigated whether changes (if any) had a predictive impact on the academic success of EMI students. In addition, potential differences between disciplines were also investigated. The participants were 241 EMI students from Business Administration (n = 117) and Mechanical Engineering (n = 124) programmes. Our findings revealed that in addition to the language proficiency scores, various non-linguistic factors, including self-efficacy, ideal L2 self, motivation, self-regulation skills, and anxiety levels, changed throughout EMI education. However, only English proficiency and instrumental motivation emerged as positively significant predictors of EMI success.Our findings also revealed that the increase in participants' intrinsic motivation scores was a significant negative predictor of EMI success. These results are discussed and implications are given regarding the impact of linguistic and non-linguistic factors in EMI contexts.

External aspects that stand out in the self-perceived employability of engineering students and recent graduates

The purpose of this study is to analyse the relationship between the self-perceived employability of engineering students and graduates and their employment situation. Methodology: A total of 505 individuals participated in this study, including recent graduates and senior students from five engineering programs at a public higher education institution in Colombia. This research adopted a quantitative methodology with a non-experimental cross-sectional design and a correlational scope. The data were analysed using inferential statistics. Findings: Based on the results, perceived employability considerably depends on four factors: the level of job performance, the number of promotions, work experience, and the education–job relationship. Originality: In the current labour context, employability is an important tool for graduates who are entering the labour market and must face a variety of challenges, such as the decline in work opportunities, the rapid development of technology, and the need for lifelong learning. According to the literature in the field, employability is significantly influenced by these kinds of external factors.