Engineering Technology Program Research Articles

Assessing Competencies Using Scenario-Based Learning in Cybersecurity

Recent years have seen a disconnect between much-needed real-world skills and knowledge imparted to cybersecurity graduates by higher education institutions. As employers are shifting their focus to skills and competencies when hiring fresh graduates, higher education institutions are facing a call to action to design curricula that impart relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies to their graduates, and to devise effective means to assess them. Some institutions have successfully engaged with industry partners in creating apprenticeship programs and work-based learning for their students. However, not all educational institutions have similar capabilities and resources. A trend in engineering, computer science, and information technology programs across the United States is to design project-based or scenario-based curricula that impart relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies. At our institution, we have taken an innovative approach in designing our cybersecurity courses using scenario-based learning and assessing knowledge, skills, and competencies using scenario-guiding questions. We have used the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Hiring Cybersecurity Workforce report for skills, knowledge, and competency mapping. This paper highlights our approach, presenting its overall design and two example mappings.

Assessment of Augmented Reality Technology’s Impact on Speed of Learning and Task Performance in Aeronautical Engineering Technology Education

ABSTRACT Objective: This study compared learning and skill transfer among university aviation students using interactive Augmented Reality (AR) technology versus traditional paper-based instruction. While similar AR use and research in university education exists, this study piloted a comparative method assessing knowledge retention and transfer. Background: AR technology is a popular tool used in technical education. But learner behaviors observed like game play and exploration during this study could impact future learning strategy design as AR use increases. Method: 36 university undergraduate students enrolled in a university aeronautical engineering technology program were divided into AR and paper-based groups and compared on first-time task execution times for starting an aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU). A two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test comparing times for task completion was used. Results: Learner task times using AR were consistently faster, replicating similar AR studies, compared to learners using paper-based. However, AR test subjects also took longer interacting with the technology, including gaming-style “play” and exploration of the digital twin AR flight deck environment. This is believed to enhance learner innovation, knowledge retention and transfer, warranting further study. Conclusion: AR users had significantly reduced task execution times. Pre-task “gamification and play” were also observed among the AR users, which could impact how educators and the industry assess and leverage learning strategies when using AR for job task training.

Equipment Condition’s Effect on Student Perceived Workload and Efficiency of Problem Based Projects in an Aeronautical Engineering Technology Program

Aeronautical Engineering Technology (AET) of Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology offers its students a comprehensive and holistic approach to engineering in an applied fashion. Students’ learning outcome includes an application of technical knowledge and hands-on skills in areas of aerospace design, operations, and manufacturing. The curriculum of the program includes a course in which students must learn advanced maintenance concepts and practices including the overhaul of reciprocating engines. This study examined the relationship between engine operational vs. non-operational statuses, time spent to finish a task, and student perceived workloads regarding the maintenance procedures. The tests followed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for the practical test questions from the Airframe and Powerplant Certificate (A&P) Exam. Students were also required to fill out a task perceived load index developed and used by NASA.

Engineering/Technology Talent Development on the College Campus.

Engineering technology is evolving rapidly in the Information Age, much faster than institutions of learning can upgrade their programs and syllabi. India has developed more engineering programs that dwell on mathematical analysis, theory and an understanding of the science rather than engineering technology programs which focus on application of science to solve real-world problems. Industries rely on innovation which is all about making incremental modifications to existing solutions with the intention of adding value or improving the efficiency. Thus there is a fundamental disconnect in the expectation of industry from graduating students and the focus of engineering programs. In this paper, we will consider the aspect of industry-readiness of graduating engineers, focusing on three areas of engineering, namely, electronics and communication engineering, Electrical Engineering, and computer science. The objective of the paper is to identify the gaps and suggest ways to fill this gap.

Employability Skills, Competencies and Relevant Programs in Engineering Technology Graduates: A Case of Mindanao State University System, Philippines

Determining how graduates of Engineering Technology Programs faces the challenges of being part of the workplace and serve as substantial input and basis of policymakers in Mindanao State University System, the Philippines for continuous enhancement and improvement of the services being offered by the Institution to the community and industry within and outside the region. This study evaluates and determines the employability skills of the graduates of Engineering Technology programs of Mindanao State University System as a basis of the curricular review, enhancement, improvement, and sustainability of the Engineering Technology programs. Findings of the study revealed that the majority of the graduates of Engineering Technology programs did not seek employment after their graduation, but enrolled in baccalaureate degrees which are non-allied to their diploma obtained from the University System. Among the competency skills acquired by the graduates of Engineering Technology programs; assessment, inclusion, and diversity student life skill, and outcome-based have found to be a significant influence on alumni or graduates. The employability skills and competencies of the engineering technology graduates in Mindanao State University System do not comply with the skills and competencies required by the local and national industries. Hence, the Engineering Technology curriculum at Mindanao State University System needs adequate funds for operation and maintenance to improve facilities for instruction, research, and extension services that will comply with the academe-industry based curriculum. The admission and retention policies, faculty development programs, testing and evaluation, and management system have to be enhanced and improved. Faculty members teaching Engineering Technology programs in the University System have to undergo short-term technical or vocational training, pre-service training carried out by professionally-trained teachers with industrially and or occupationally-related skills, competencies, and educational qualifications.

Think-aloud Technique in Assessing Practical Experience: A Pilot Study

The learning domains such as cognitive, affective and psychomotor for Engineering Technology programs should be identified and valued. The acquisition of hands-on experience in workplace settings and laboratory classes is just as important as explicit technical knowledge, and should be measured in psychomotor domain. However, the explicit knowledge is valued in engineering technology education. Furthermore, practically all assessments measure cognitive value. This implicit devaluation of hands-on experience could significantly impair engineering technology students’ ability to acquire and value practical skills. Therefore, developing a new model to include effective assessment in psychomotor domain could be one way to overcome this problem. Thus, the aim of this project is to find ways to measure changes in hands-on experience in engineering laboratory classes. The second aim is to test the relationship between hands-on experiences acquired in laboratory classes with the ability to diagnose simple experiment faults in laboratory arrangements. The method of think-aloud is used in the research where the finding of students’ attainment is compared to experts’ acquisition. The results show that the value of psychomotor domain in laboratory classes via hands-on experience can be assessed and valued between two groups of students which is experiment and control group. Methodologies and detail results for this research are described in this project.

Program-level strategic planning for electrical engineering technology programs

Strategic planning is a tool widely used in business, industries and non-profit organizations and has been recently adopted in academia. However, because their own characteristics, the strategic plans in colleges and universities are mostly developed at an institutional level. As these provide an overview of the organization, they cannot be very detailed and may contain a certain amount of ambiguities in order to satisfy its multiple constituencies. At the institutional level there are limited opportunities to include specific strategies that may affect individual academic programs. To solve these limitations, this paper proposes strategic plans being developed and incorporated at the program level, specifically for electrical engineering or electrical engineering technology programs. The appropriate strategic planning results in strengthen these programs and generate useful and significant dialog among their constituencies. The paper finishes by showing a generic strategic plan for an electrical engineering technology program that can nevertheless, be adopted and modified as needed by faculty and academic staff involved in this process of creating a similar plan for their own electrical engineering programs.

A Review of Influencing Factors for Selection of Engineering Pathway for Women – A Case Study of Females Studying Engineering at Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), New Zealand

Females are underrepresented in engineering cohorts in New Zealand. The lack of female participation in engineering fields at the tertiary education level has been a barrier for diversity and equality in both the industry and academic professions. A recent study by Docherty et al. [11] noted girls coming to engineering at Canterbury University, New Zealand are more likely to be from a single sex school and this phenomenon can be due to cultural reasons. They identified that future work is needed to look at the cultural changes in New Zealand which could potentially mitigate the gender bias.However, we first need to identify a range of contributing factors (including cultural issues) for the lack of diversity in engineering schools in New Zealand. By identifying these factors, we can then propose and implement necessary remediation actions to address the lack of female participation in engineering. Common influencing factors for female participation in STEM and selection of engineering pathways were found during a review of literature and included parental and teacher influences, self-efficacy, perception and attitude, gender stereotypes, and peer and media influences. We believe that New Zealand context in terms of how it influences female study and career pathway to engineering has not been well studied and documented to date. The objective of this research is to identify the main factors and cultural issues that contribute to low female participation in engineering studies in New Zealand. We carried out individual and focus group interviews on both domestic and international female students at Wintec enrolled in the Diploma, Bachelor of Engineering Technology and Graduate Diploma programmes in Civil Engineering. The interviews helped us to understand our students’ perspectives around the factors that influenced their study decisions. We used the collected data to identify patterns and generate themes. n the New Zealand context, we found, barriers to selection of engineering pathway for females include the school system; lack of career and subject choice guidance available to students at school, lack of promotion of the profession, and society’s perception of engineers as being masculine - “a tradie working in a workshop”. For our international students’ participants, it appears that the school system in their country directed them (regardless of gender) to maths and engineering study pathways if they showed talent in these areas and engineering is a highly regarded profession.

INVESTIGATING STUDENT EXPERIENCES OF ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY TO ENGINEERING TRANSFER IN ONTARIO

The Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) Engineering Pathways Project aims to develop a large-scale network for transfer between engineering technology and engineering programs, enabling a streamlined transfer experience across multiple Ontario institutions. When developing a program of this nature, the lived experiences of students who have completed such a transition must be investigated. Eight interviews were completed with students and graduates of Ontario engineering technology to engineering transfer programs, with the intent to understand a) rationale for student transfer, b) experiences while studying, and c) experiences or plans post-graduation. A phenomenological methodology was used for analysis by inductive coding. Major results include the necessity of program accreditation for student enrollment, the benefits of short and rigorous bridging programs, and the marked lack of social and academic support students experienced during their transfer pathways. This research has been used to inform the development of the pilot phase of an Ontario-wide engineering transfer program.

REVELATIONS OF A COLLABORATIVE MIDTERM IN AN ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT COURSE

Collaborative testing or two-stage testing as it commonly referred, is where students work together to discuss examination questions and arrive at a consensus to test answers. Two-stage testing is an extension of collaborative learning that has been purported to decrease test anxiety and increase critical thinking, communication, and cooperation skills. Concurrently, there has been considerable research and attention focused on the development of these same transferable skills since employers highly value them. This paper explores the outcomes over two academic terms from administrating a two-stage midterm in a mandatory management course for undergraduate students in an engineering technology program. The pedagogical consideration, application to transferable skills, and administration of this type of assessment method are discussed, along with the student perspective regarding the experience and impact on student test performance.

Conceptualising the knower for a new engineering technology curriculum

Purpose The most recent alteration in engineering technology education in South Africa is the establishment of a new degree qualification – Bachelor of Engineering Technology. The new qualification standards alone do not give a clear distinction between knowers in the engineering technician and engineering technologist categories. This lack of clarity about what knower the new programme is intended to produce is a stumbling block to educators who need to plan, develop and implement the new curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise the intended knower dispositions for the new programme by carrying out a comparative analysis with the existing programme, thereby assisting curriculum designers particularly with development of effective scaffolding for engineering technology students. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors conceptualise the intended knower dispositions for the new programme by carrying out a comparative analysis of the current and new exit-level outcomes. Each of the qualifications for the engineering technology programmes are comprehensively interpreted and analysed in this paper. This paper uses Bloom’s taxonomy and Luckett’s knowledge plane as lenses to perform the analysis and draw a distinction between knowers in the engineering technician and engineering technologist categories. Findings The analysis used in this paper suggests that the engineering technologist category exhibits a relative shift towards subjective and theoretical “ways of knowing”. It is found that the shift from practical ways of knowing to theoretical will evoke a shift from contextual to conceptual knowledge. The authors also flesh out how this shift could influence the new curriculum particularly with regard to developing effective scaffolding for engineering technology students. A useful tool for mapping these shifts in knowing is also established in this paper. Originality/value The most recent alteration in engineering technology education in South Africa is the establishment of the new Bachelor of Engineering Technology qualification. This qualification marks a paradigm shift in the nature of engineering technology education itself. In this paper, this paradigm shift is conceptualised. It is expected that the interpretation of the new qualification standards, and the influence of the shift in intended knower and exit-level outcomes on curriculum will be grappled with by engineering technology educators in South Africa in the coming years, as the new programmes are established around the country. This conceptual paper is significant because it marks the first work towards grappling these crucial and forthcoming issues in the country.

The K-12 Transition in Mindanao: The Case of Iligan Institute of Technology of the Mindanao State University

The history, development, and mandate of the Iligan Instiutute of Technology (IIT) gave it a special role in the struggle to realize the promise of a prosperous, progressive, and peaceful Mindanao. In the early 70s, the World Bank’s Education Development Implementing Task Force (EDPITAF) chose IIT as the Mindanao institution that it would assist with financial and technical support to deliver the Engineering Technology Program (ETP). The K-12 reform launched in 2016, which made the two-year Senior High School (SHS) cycle possible, gave IIT another opportunity to help address the need for skilled workers by offering a Technical-Vocational-Livehlihood (TVL) track for students more concerned about employment than higher education. After one year, however, IIT decided to discontinue the TVL track. Moreover, it also decided to drop the three-year ETP program and to offer in its place a four-year ETP degree course. These decisions came as a surprise to many observers. The IIT Case seeks to explain the logic of the IIT decisions. IIT leaders made choices based on their assessment of the Institute’s strengths and weaknesses and their appreciation of emerging opportunities and threats. The case presents only one example of an institution responding to the changing landscape of education in which it is operating. IIT is unique, in the way that every institution, each with its own individual history, character and problems, would be unique.

Analyzing Implicit Science and Math Outcomes in Engineering and Technology Programs

One of the key steps when developing pathways between baccalaureate and diploma programs is comparing learning goals between the programs. This paper presents application of a seven-dimensional framework (cognitive process, transferability, depth of analysis, interdependence, question novelty, scaffolding and communication) to analyze the implicit learning outcomes in 11 of Ontario’s post-secondary programs in engineering and engineering technology. We collected 319 calculus questions (179 from six technology programs and 140 from five engineering programs) and 205 physics questions (122 from two technology programs and 83 from four engineering programs). Content specialists assessed each question in the first four of these dimensions, and instructors from the participating institutions scored random questions from their own disclosed questions on the remaining dimensions. Analysis of scaffolding in physics questions showed that engineering questions mostly required the students to choose from or synthetize a range of approaches while technology questions often required the students to use a specific approach. The study found that technology programs focused more on discipline-specific physics concepts and their applications than physics courses in engineering. Calculus questions from both sectors mostly required application of mathematical concepts in non-contextualized scenarios or a general engineering context, with no significant difference in question novelty, scaffolding and level of communication. From a credits perspective, these results suggest that direct credit for bidirectional transfers may be warranted, and that small bridging learning modules targeting missing outcomes may be able to support efficient transfer pathways.

CURRENT PRACTICES OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN CONSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

Construction education is dynamic and practice oriented. As such, effective construction programs require significant collaboration with the construction industry. This collaboration, in the form of internship or cooperative programs, increase the student readiness for the job market by providing valuable field experience. Construction programs in the United States (US) established several internship requirements that range from being optional to multiple required internships. This study focuses on scanning the current internship requirements set by construction and engineering technology programs in the US by gathering information including; 1) Number and length of required internships, 2) Internship prerequisites, 3) Internship deliverables, 4) assessment method. The outcome of this study is expected to help construction programs improve their internship or cooperative requirements by considering the prevailing practices developed by other schools. Additionally, the study provides recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of internship for positive experiential learning.

Applied Dynamics In School And Practice

Mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, and related educational programs are not addressing in a sufficient way the principles associated with applying analytical investigations in solving actual engineering problems. Because of this, graduates do not have the adequate skills required to use the methods of applied dynamics in the process of analyzing mechanical systems. These methods allow one to obtain an understanding of the role of the parameters of a system and to carry out a purposeful control of the values of these parameters with the goal to achieve the desired performance. Engineering and engineering technology programs pay very little attention to addressing these steps. It should be stressed that these programs do not offer a universal straightforward methodology of solving linear differential equations of motion that allow revealing all important interrelationships between the aspects of the engineering problem.
 It is difficult to formulate the reasons why there is such a low interest in applying the analytical approach in order to reveal the interrelationships between decisive aspects of the operational process of an engineering system in order to achieve the desired goal. Actually, there is almost a complete silence with regard to this issue. Hence, we assume that the first reason could be that there is no recognition of the existence of such a problem. In other words, there is no need to apply these analytical methods since these methods are not beneficial. We do not believe that the engineering community supports this reason. It is not a matter of demonstrating factual data that show how many times the theory was helpful. Without the support of the theory we cannot justifiably evaluate the results of our solutions. If we agree that there is problem, then why are there no publications that would stimulate discussions leading toward a solution of the problem?
 Here is the second reason. Until now, engineering programs do not present the straightforward universal theoretically sound methodologies for solving the second order linear differential equations that are vital for mechanical and electrical engineering. Without any suggestions of how to solve this problem, it did not make much sense to begin a discussion. In our opinion, this is why we have silence with the regard to this problem.
 However, it is well known that Laplace Transforms allow solving any linear differential equation of motion. It is justifiable to assume that the main reason why the Laplace Transform methodology is not adopted by learning environments consists in the absence of the majority of tables of Laplace Transform Pairs that are needed for solving differential equations of motion as well as differential equations describing electrical circuits. However, the situation is changed. Current publications comprise the adequate tables that are needed for solving linear differential equations of motion associated with all common mechanical engineering problems.
 Practicing engineers and students need assistance in acquiring the knowledge of composing differential equations of motion. They need certain training in solving these equations using Laplace Transform methodology. Several recommendations are proposed on how to expedite the implementation in academia and in industry of the methods of applied dynamics in solving common mechanical engineering problems.

LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF UNDERGRADUATES IN A PRIVATE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY IN JOHOR

Language learning strategies play a prominent role in second language learning as the information on students’ preferred learning strategies may guide lecturers to select suitable teaching and learning activities. Hence, the objective of this study is to find out preferred language learning strategies employed by the students of engineering technology at UniKL MITEC, a private university in Johor Bahru offering engineering technology programs. A total of 146 students involved in this study and they were from semester 2 and semester 3 students enrolling in an English subject. Nevertheless, the respondents from semester 1 were not involved in this study since they were very new to the environment at the university. In order to determine students’ preferred language learning strategies, Strategy Inventory of Learning Strategies (SILL) was employed. The questionnaire which consists of 50 items was provided in bilingual to ensure the clarity of every statement and to ensure the respondents to answer the questionnaire sincerely without guessing the meaning of certain words or statements. For data analysis, the findings were analysed statistically according to mean and standard deviation. Based on the analysis, it was found that the most preferred learning strategy is metacognitive strategies, followed by cognitive and compensation strategies, while the least preferred strategy is affective strategy. Thus, it shows that the engineering technology students employed less memory strategy. They prefer to manage their learning by making proper planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning. Thus, based on the findings of this study, lecturers are able to determine suitable activities which are more towards metacognitive strategies and followed by other strategies as to ensure the student will be exposed to various strategies.

Power Protection and Management Course for an Electrical Engineering Technology Program

This paper reports a new course in power protection and management course for an Electrical Engineering Technology Program at Mohawk College. Motivations, fundamentals and practical recommendations based on inquiry-based model are also covered.

Diversity Research in an Engineering Technology Program: Promising Practices for Diversity Research Initiatives in Post-secondary Education

While efforts are underway to solve gender disparity in engineering, there tends to be a focus on gender at the expense of other diversity considerations. Few Canadian universities collect data about their racialized student population despite human rights advocates and the government of Ontario endorsing such an approach to uncover inequality and better understand the needs of Canada’s growing diverse student population. Of those universities that collect demographic information on their student body, few studies dig deep enough to understand how students’ identities affect their learning experience. The proposed study goes further to understand faculty, staff and student experiences around teaching and learning. This study views educational experiences holistically (within and outside the classroom) in order to understand how participants face discrimination or exclusion. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of demographic surveys at Canadian universities and describe McMaster University’s recent work in this area. The authors then provide a study overview and our intended next steps. It is the hope that this research, and affiliated workshops, will help faculty and staff better understand the lived experiences of discrimination that our students face, and may help illuminate bias and barriers within our educational offerings that go unnoticed

Institutionalizing Continuous Improvement Plan for Program Assessment

Continuous improvement is a corner stone of a quality engineering or engineering technology program. Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology requires that a well-planned and implemented continuous improvement plan should be in place.A successful continuous improvement plan that is institutionalized is self-driven and does not require external stimuli. For example, if an outcome assessment goal is not reached in an academic term, a sequence of events/actions are set in motion to address the deficiency. Evidence of existence of an institutionalized continuous improvement plan include but not limited to: A timeline of repeated activities related to the assessment and evaluation of student outcomes, agreed upon performance indicators to assess learning outcomes, systematic data collection focusing on direct evidence of student performance related to the student outcomes. Various data streams feeding into the assessment plan may include, course assessment data, senior exit survey, alumni and employer survey, internship reports and feedback from industrial advisory boards.

Addressing Color Blind Awareness in the Classroom

On average, one out of every twelve men and one out of every 200 women do not see colors the same as everyone else. And yet engineering technology programs, not to mention industry, to often fail to take these people into account. This article discusses the types of color vision deficiencies (which are often grouped together under the misnomer of color blindness) that exist and some of the tools that will allow those who can see the full color spectrum to view things as if they had a color vision deficiency. Targeted towards educators as a call-to-action, and not intended as an article on how to teach color vision deficiencies to students, the goal of this article is to educate professors so that they can better get their messages across to those students who suffer from color vision deficiencies. Finally, a number of suggestions are offered on how to choose colors such that they do not cause confusion for those that suffer from color vision deficiencies.