Undergraduate Engineering Research Articles

Science and Engineering Undergraduates’ Attitudes and Perceptions of English-Mediated Instruction – A Case Study in A Chongqing International Cooperative Program

This research sought to investigate the perspective of science and engineering students at Chongqing universities towards English-medium instruction (EMI) delivered by foreign instructors. The participants were 156 undergraduate students who studied at a Sino-Foreign Cooperative Education Programme in Chongqing University of Technology (CQUT). In this study, data was collected through interviews and questionnaires. The research indicates that most students have a high regard for English-medium instruction and have found that taking Science and Engineering classes instructed by foreign teachers in English has been beneficial in terms of enhancing their English language skills and developing their understanding of the subject. Nevertheless, some students with limited English proficiency encountered difficulties understanding specialized knowledge. They found that full English instruction from foreign teachers did not improve their English language skills. Therefore, this study suggested that China’s Sino-foreign Cooperation Programmes should consider the divergences in students’ English proficiency and vocational objectives and offer differentiated instruction, mentoring, and professional English language training.

Longitudinal Analysis of Co-Curricular Involvement Among Engineering Undergraduates: Exploring Timing, Type, and Self-Reported Skills Development

The purpose of this study is to explore the self-reported professional competencies gained by engineering students involved at different rates and types of co/extra-curricular activities (CECAs) between their grade 12 and junior years of undergraduate engineering education. The contribution of this work is in using longitudinal data to understand how student engagement and learning outcomes might evolve to inform potential co-curricular programming changes. We analyzed data from an annual professional development survey from 970 students from 2016-2019. Findings show that higher engagement may not necessarily lead to higher skill acquisition for all students per unit of time, particularly in engineering-focused facets of professional skills. Co-curricular spaces are prone to be dominated by certain demographic profiles, and students are likely to engage in nontechnical work and clubs, as compared to co-curricular projects and research experiences. We conclude that future work should attempt to specify the “goldilocks” level of involvement, understand barriers to participation, and robustly characterize the nature of learning and students’ recognition of their learning through CECAs.

Manufacturing Process and System Sustainability Analysis Tool: A Proof-of-Concept for Teaching Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Abstract Decision support methods and tools have been developed to aid in improving product sustainability performance during design. However, these approaches are often developed for domain experts and not well-suited for non-expert decision makers (e.g., engineering students and engineering practitioners), who do not possess specialized knowledge in sustainability analysis of product designs and manufacturing processes. The objective of this research is to facilitate the sustainability performance analysis of manufacturing processes and systems through unit manufacturing process (UMP) modeling within an easy-to-use, publicly-available product design, and manufacturing analysis tool. To achieve this objective, a sustainability assessment framework is developed that considers a cradle-to-gate life cycle scope and has four phases: (1) product development, (2) supply chain configuration, (3) manufacturing process design, and (4) manufacturing process and system (MaPS) sustainability analysis. To implement this framework and to address the identified limitations of existing tools, a proof-of-concept MaPS sustainability analysis tool is developed as a spreadsheet software tool. The tool supports the evaluation of environmental (energy and associated carbon footprint), economic (the cost of goods sold), and social (worker safety) impacts. While this study focuses on the technical aspects of the research, the authors investigate associated educational aspects in a separate study and report tool operational performance evaluation by undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Study participants found the tool easy to use and useful in completing sustainability assessment tasks in product design and manufacturing. To build upon this research, the developed framework and tool can be expanded to consider other phases of the product life cycle. Moreover, key software tool operational characteristics and graphical user interfaces should be investigated to improve efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction, and learnability of the MaPS sustainability analysis tool.

Teaching Control with Basic Maths: Introduction to Process Control Course as a Novel Educational Approach for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Teaching Control with Basic Maths: Introduction to Process Control Course as a Novel Educational Approach for Undergraduate Engineering Programs

Emotions and Course Learning Outcomes in Geology Fieldwork among Petroleum Engineering Undergraduates

Quantitative approaches have been conducted on petroleum engineering students’ emotions before and after fieldwork experiences affected course learning outcomes. The study found positive-feelings experiences increased from pre-field to post-field such as confidence about what is expected and gladness that they are going to the field which is learning outside of the classroom. However, there is a small number of students worried before the fieldwork is conducted that they need to adapt to a new environment. Positive feeling experiences emotions shows a significant relationship with learning outcomes as compared to negative feelings; it has no significant value. Overall, the importance of these findings depends on improving awareness of the components that influence students' learning experiences and highlighting the importance of considering the complete spectrum of emotional and learning-related aspects into consideration when creating a fieldwork learning program.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY 4.0 INTO INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING COURSES

Objective: This article presents a theoretical study of how the concepts of the Circular Economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 (i4.0) can be incorporated and introduced into industrial engineering courses and how they can help the implementation of circular economy business models. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical analysis was conducted on a set of articles identified through a search based on the combination of keywords 'circular economy,' 'CE,' 'industrial engineering,' 'industrial engineer,' 'i4.0,' and 'Industry 4.0.' Two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, were consulted initially. A total of 29 articles were selected and utilized for the subsequent analysis. Following a comprehensive review of these 29 articles, we sought to determine how the concepts of the circular economy and i4.0 can be integrated into industrial engineering courses and their potential contributions to the implementation of circular economy business models. Results: The paper provides an overview of how the concepts of the CE and i4.0 can be incorporated into the curriculum of undergraduate industrial engineering courses, utilizing an interdisciplinary and cross-cutting approach. Furthermore, it was possible to verify that there is a strong and feasible relationship between the concepts of the circular economy and Industry 4.0. For the effective implementation of these concepts, there is a necessity to train professionals and the use of digital technologies in favor of the circular economy. Originality/value: The paper brings as contribution, the discussion about the importance of incorporating the concept of circular economy and i4.0 into the courses of future engineers, who work mainly in the management of production processes and management of resources. This is a theoretical study, not an empirical one, and perhaps this is the main limitation of the research. However, despite being theoretical, it brings as a practical contribution an important discussion about the need to train professionals, even in their undergraduate training, and the use of digital technologies in favor of the circular economy.

Experiential learning in engineering education: A systematic literature review

AbstractBackgroundThe evolving transformations of our society at large, academic institutions, and engineering discipline in the 21st century have profound implications for the nature of experiential learning being offered in engineering education. However, what is experiential learning in the context of engineering education?PurposeThe introduction and evaluation of experiential learning in undergraduate engineering education between 1995 and 2020, as well as the essential elements for consideration in its future implementation, have been analyzed and synthesized.Design/MethodA population–intervention–comparison–outcome framework and PRISMA flow diagram were used to outline a systematic literature review on how experiential learning was introduced into undergraduate engineering curricula, how it was evaluated, and the essential elements for consideration in its future implementation.FindingsA total of 220 studies were synthesized. These studies offered a new lens of seeing experiential learning, which were interpreted as “paradigm shifts.” More than one‐half of the total studies were conducted between 1995 and 2005. These studies were strongly directed at measuring student performance and occurred in a decade when many North American engineering curricula were being restructured. The review indicated that experiential learning has been successfully carried out via diverse methodologies. However, there is a strong need to enrich it with a theoretical basis.ConclusionsExperiential learning introduced into engineering education appeared to be an interdependent self–school–community entity. In the changing work environment of the 21st century, heightened by the impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic, invoking the inseparability of self, school, and community would provide unique perspectives to our evolving understanding of experiential learning and its relevance in engineering discipline.

Validity and Reliability Diagnostic Test Computational Thinking Based on Local Wisdom

This study aims to analyze the validity and reliability of the diagnostic test instrument used to measure computational thinking skills based on local wisdom. This method of research is instrument development research. The subjects of this research were students of computer science and information technology undergraduate programs at Bumigora University, totaling 108 students using a random sampling technique. Data collection techniques using tests. The data analysis technique of instrument content validity was determined based on Aiken's V formula, instrument construct validity using EFA, and instrument reliability using Cronbach Alpha. Based on the results of this research, the content validity of the instrument has a high validity index, the construct validity of the instrument items is declared feasible, and the reliability of the instrument has a high-reliability coefficient. So, this instrument is declared valid, reliable, and suitable for use to measure local wisdom-based computational thinking diagnostic tests.

On Some Engineering Mathematics and its Applications to Engineering Students by Overpass the Understanding Gap of Subject

The study of mathematics and its applications is taught in a wide range of university programmes, including those in engineering, economics, administration, computing, and many other scientific fields. Due to its application in the creation of mathematical models mathematics is a crucial subject for undergraduate engineering students to learn. As a result, a substantial portion of the engineering courses taken by students in all programmes require mathematics. To finish their engineering degrees, many students, however, struggle to connect and apply their mathematics understanding to the engineering concepts and issues that they must comprehend. There seems to be a substantial knowledge gap or disconnection between mathematics and engineering that has to be addressed in order for students to become proficient in applying and integrating mathematics in their engineering courses. From the perspective of a teacher who teaches engineering courses, this paper addresses these knowledge gaps between mathematics and engineering students with numerous examples and their solutions may find these instances and solutions helpful.

The utility of mechanical objects: Aiding students' learning of abstract and difficult engineering concepts

AbstractBackgroundUndergraduate students consistently struggle with mastering concepts related to thermodynamics. Prior work has shown that haptic technology and intensive hands‐on workshops help improve learning outcomes relative to traditional lecture‐based thermodynamics instruction. The current study takes a more feasible approach to improving thermal understanding by incorporating simple mechanical objects into individual problem‐solving exercises.Purpose/HypothesesThis study tests the impact of simple mechanical objects on learning outcomes (specifically, problem‐solving performance and conceptual understanding) for third‐year undergraduate engineering students in a thermodynamics course across a semester.Design/MethodDuring the semester, 119 engineering students in two sections of an undergraduate thermodynamics course completed three 15‐min, self‐guided problem‐solving tasks, one section without and the other with a simple and relevant physical object. Performance on the tasks and improvements in thermodynamics comprehension (measured via Thermal and Transport Concept Inventory scores) were compared between the two sections.ResultsStudents who had a simple, relevant object available to solve three thermodynamics problems consistently outperformed their counterparts without objects, although only to statistical significance when examining the simple effects for the third problem. At the end of the semester, students who had completed the tasks with the objects displayed significantly greater improvements in thermodynamics comprehension than their peers without the relevant object. Higher mechanical aptitude facilitated the beneficial effect of object availability on comprehension improvements.ConclusionFindings suggest that the incorporation of simple mechanical objects into active learning exercises in thermodynamics curricula could facilitate student learning in thermodynamics and potentially other abstract domains.

Mental health and wellbeing of undergraduate students in engineering: A systematic literature review

AbstractBackgroundThe wellbeing of college students today is at risk because of rising occurrences of mental health issues in higher education. Concurrently, undergraduate students perceive engineering courses and programs to be among the most arduous, and least welcoming and accommodating, in higher education. Although research related to mental health and wellbeing (MHW) in engineering is growing, a systematic review of this research has yet to be conducted.PurposeThis systematic literature review identifies and synthesizes empirical scholarship related to the MHW of undergraduate engineering students.Scope/MethodSpecified search terms and inclusion criteria were used to identify 34 empirical studies related to engineering undergraduates' MHW. Content and qualitative thematic analyses were conducted to characterize and synthesize trends in research quality and outcomes across studies.ResultsUndergraduate engineering students experience a variety of mental health issues that negatively affect their experiences in engineering education. Stress is the most prevalent mental health issue identified; anxiety, depression, and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also reported. Heavy academic workloads, sleep issues, and the nature of engineering education culture are identified as impediments to MHW in engineering education.ConclusionsAlthough MHW in engineering is a growing area of research internationally, current MHW research in engineering is nascent and focused on the characterization of student mental health issues. Researchers underutilize qualitative and mixed‐methods approaches, longitudinal and experimental designs, guiding frameworks, and robust sampling techniques. Academic and mindfulness interventions, as well as the use of mental wellness constructs from positive psychology, show promise for supporting MHW in engineering.

An active learning approach to teach distributed forces using augmented reality with guided inquiry

AbstractMastering the concept of distributed forces is vital for students who are pursuing a major involving engineering mechanics. Misconceptions related to distributed forces that are typically acquired in introductory Physics courses should be corrected to increase student success in subsequent mechanics coursework. The goal of this study was to develop and assess a guided instructional activity using augmented reality (AR) technology to improve undergraduate engineering students' understanding of distributed forces. The AR app was accompanied by a complementary activity to guide and challenge students to model objects as beams with progressively increasing difficulty. The AR tool allowed students to (a) model a tabletop as a beam with multiple distributed forces, (b) visualize the free body diagram, and (c) compute the external support reactions. To assess the effectiveness of the activity, 43 students were allocated to control and treatment groups using an experimental nonequivalent groups preactivity/postactivity test design. Of the 43 students, 35 participated in their respective activity. Students in the control group collaborated on traditional problem‐solving, while those in the treatment group engaged in a guided activity using AR. Students' knowledge of distributed forces was measured using their scores on a 10‐item test instrument. Analysis of covariance was utilized to analyze postactivity test scores by controlling for the preactivity test scores. The treatment group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in postactivity test scores than that of the control group. The measured effect size was 0.13, indicating that 13% of the total variance in the postactivity test scores can be attributed to the activity. Though the effect size was small, the results suggest that a guided AR activity can be more effective in improving student learning outcomes than traditional problem‐solving.

Improvement of Information Technology Undergraduate Thesis Project

Many students face challenges in the thesis preparation process, including time constraints, lack of integration with industry requirements, and lack of understanding of research methodology. This research aims to formulate another form of student thesis project with equal reasoning and difficulty level that can be measured and converted as a thesis. Apart from that, it also improves the quality and relevance of undergraduate thesis projects in Information Technology. The research method used is a descriptive approach, involving surveys and interviews. Research participants include Information Technology undergraduate students, supervisors, industry practitioners, and advisory boards. Data collection instruments include a structural questionnaire and interview guide designed to explore experiences, perceptions, and suggestions regarding changes in the preparation of the thesis project. The proposed solution involves implementing effective time management, closer integration with industry challenges through partnerships with companies, increased understanding of research methodologies, and adaptation of curricula to reflect dynamic changes in the Information Technology industry. It is hoped that the results of this research can provide concrete guidance for improving thesis projects and creating graduates who are better prepared and relevant to industry needs. Through this approach, it is hoped that this research can contribute to improving the academic process in producing higher quality and relevant thesis projects in the context of information technology.

Applying effective feedback principles to promote the ethics of care and justice during emergency remote teaching and learning in three chemical engineering modules

The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown disrupted higher education practices and forced students and lecturers to rapidly migrate to emergency remote teaching and learning (ERT&L). Initially, ERT&L robustly focused on teaching and assessment to complete syllabi, without fully considering care and justice to students who were no longer consolidated in one location. During the lockdown, students were exposed to socio-economic plights, and mental health challenges, among others. Hence, this article aimed to consider how the pedagogical tool of effective feedback could promote the ethics of care and justice to support students during ERT&L. The feedback practices implemented during the lockdown were maintained after contact lectures resumed, and their effects were quantified to determine the overall impacts on optimizing T&L and ensuring a conducive learning environment- regardless of whether T&L occurs at university or remotely. Effective feedback practices, recommended by the literature, were applied by two lecturers within three undergraduate chemical engineering modules. Lecturer 1 adopted a blended learning approach in modules 1 and 2 before the lockdown, while lecturer 2 functioned as a full contact module. A quantitative research approach was adopted in which module and teaching evaluations were used to quantify the effects of the feedback interventions on T&L in the three modules. The results indicated an overall positive effect, with significant student satisfaction with the feedback interventions adopted from the literature to promote the ethics of care and justice during ERT&L. Based on the methodology and results, an empirical model is proposed to optimize any pedagogical intervention that education practitioners may strive to use to improve their assessment practices.

Environment and Benchmarking: Industry 4.0 Sustainable Work Readiness Framework

This paper presents a sustainable work readiness framework for engineering students, incorporating core skills, personal skills, and self-efficacy as mediating variables. The study aims to investigate the impact of core skills and personal skills on engineering students’ work readiness, as well as the mediating influence of self-efficacy on this relationship. The researchers designed and tested a work readiness framework with three focal points: skills, personal skills, and self-efficacy, and their influence on engineering students’ work readiness. The findings indicate that core skills, personal skills, and self-efficacy positively and significantly influence engineering students’ work readiness. Self-efficacy can be explained by the core skills and personal skills variables at 87.8%, while the work readiness variable can be explained by core skills, personal skills, and self-efficacy at 85.4%. This study contributes to the existing literature by proposing a sustainable work readiness framework and measurement instrument that link core skills, personal skills, and self-efficacy as mediating variables influencing work readiness. The results are beneficial not only to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia, as they directly reflect the work readiness of UTP’s final-year undergraduate engineering students but also to individuals, universities, teaching staff, organizations, human resource specialists, and public administrators. They can use these findings to enhance the development of individual work readiness skills and increase the work readiness of students in their respective universities. The novelty of this study lies in proposing a sustainable work readiness framework tailored to equip engineering students with the skills required and acquired in Industry 4.0.
 Keywords: student, engineering, PLS-SEM, skills, self-efficacy, sustainable, work readiness

Chemical residues that originate from a higher education institution in Brazil

In 2018, a research study was conducted at a Public University in Brazil to investigate the quantity of chemical residues produced during laboratory activities in undergraduate engineering courses. Data was collected from control documents maintained by the institution responsible for recording waste quantities. The results showed that 383.2 liters of solutions were generated with varying compositions. Inorganic solutions without heavy metals produced the highest volume of waste, while halogenated organic solutions produced the smallest. The study highlights the need for better waste segregation and disposal methods to reduce laboratory waste. To minimize the environmental impact of laboratory activities, implementing measures such as proper waste storage, waste exchange, recycling, reverse logistics, and life cycle assessment is essential. Educational institutions need to develop better waste management practices to reduce the amount of waste in landfills.

Que(e)rying How Professional STEM Societies’ Serve Queer and Trans Engineering and Science Undergraduates

The STEM climate is overall less welcoming for queer students, and is especially harrowing for transgender, nonbinary, and students with additional gender non-conforming identities (TNBGNC+). Professional STEM societies provide students with a range of resources that help them persist in STEM, though qualitative research shows that such societies geared toward queer and trans students may offer less professional and academic resources and prioritize identity management. The objective of our research is to identify, among queer and trans students, whether there are differences between how TNBGNC+ students and gender majoritized students access resources important in STEM persistence across professional society types, including those societies organized to serve women, racial/ethnic minoritized groups, queer and trans groups, as well as those science societies and chapters without a stated group focus. The society resources we focus on include: sense of community, social networking, professional resources, leadership skills, academic resources, reduced isolation related to identities, and perceptions that societies in which they may participate are helpful to them in their degree progress. This study offers an analysis of survey data from 477 queer and trans STEM undergraduates relating to their participation in STEM professional societies. To conduct this research, we embraced and enacted recommendations by scholars on strategies and frameworks to queer our methodology, survey, and analysis. We found that at oSTEM, TNBGNC+ students may not be benefitting to the same extent as gender majoritized students when it comes to feeling in community with other members and having opportunities for social networking. However, TNBGNC+ students may benefit more from a reduction in isolation related to their identities. Differences in how SWE served TNBGNC+ students echoes previous work, and may speak to the society’s organization around the cisgender, patriarchal framework. SHPE’s relative success with TNBGNC+ students also reproduces existing work, suggesting the society may be more largely scaffolded for more affirming environments writ large. As well, that science in comparison to industry chapters were more beneficial to TNBGNC+ students brings forward possible differences between science and industry chapters, in which the former may be influenced more by the scholarship and science of gender, while the latter, with its more business and public focus, could be more influenced by dominant narratives in STEM. This work has implications for societies when it comes to enacting policies to cultivate more inclusive community environments and buttress potentially unequal access to social networking as well as professional and academic resources. At the same time, there is room for oSTEM to augment how it supports TNBGNC+ students with academic and professional resources and benefit students’ progress in their degree programs.

Educational Technology Undergraduates’ Performance in a Distance Learning Course Using Three Courseware Formats

Most educators’ inability to provide learning contents that suit different learning styles has caused a lot of problems in terms of performance. Thus, to cater to students’ preferences in terms of access to learning contents, the distance learning regulatory body in Nigeria emphasized that course materials should be developed in mixed-media formats. This study was carried out to compare the effects of printed, video, and Moodle-based courseware on educational technology students’ achievement, retention, and satisfaction in a distance learning course. A quasi-experimental design was employed for the study involving 108 participants from three experimental groups. The learning content and instruments, subjected to validation and reliability tests, where values of 0.78 and 0.86 were obtained using the Pearson product moment correlation and Cronbach’s alpha for achievement and satisfaction inventory, respectively, were administered within a four-week period. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that the printed, video, and Moodle-based courseware formats improved students’ achievement with mean gain scores of 47.92, 40.89, and 43.03, respectively. A significant difference was observed in the achievement (F (2,104) = 8.67, p < 0.05), retention (F (2,104) = 29.406, p < 0.05), and satisfaction scores (F (2,104) = 5.662, p < 0.05) of the three groups. Open and distance learning administrators in Nigeria are recommended to produce and deploy printed, video, and Moodle-based formats of courseware to meet different students’ learning preferences.

Student Point of View

At a time when all course instruction had been moved online, it seemed wishful thinking for a group of undergraduate students to begin authentic, independent research. With curious, creative, and motivated mindsets; however, we learned not only that such research was possible during a global pandemic, but that it could provide vital learning opportunities in our careers as students and scientists. Guided by mentors of UW-Madison’s honors biology Biocore program, we worked as a team of three undergraduate scientists and were given significant autonomy over all aspects of our research project. We planned, conducted, and communicated our science and here we provide a commentary of our learning throughout the process, as well as recommendations for instructors of other undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math programs based on the factors that best facilitated our learning.

Active and Project-Based Learning Implementation in a Constructively Aligned Digital Systems Design Course

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article describes efforts to improve the teaching and learning process for the digital system design course using active learning (AL) approaches in the classroom and a parallel hands-on project designed based on constructive alignment (CA). <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> The digital systems design course is an important part of Undergraduate Electrical Engineering curriculum. Some students find the course difficult because the learning outcomes require them to create digital circuitry that executes algorithms. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Intended Outcome:</i> The course designed based on CA can support and enhance students’ learning of the subject matter. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Application Design:</i> Systematic AL aided by Padlet and E-learning were used to make students’ learning of concepts visible during class time, allowing timely feedback. The hands-on aspects of the course were implemented using project-based learning that was guided in parallel with the in-class content. The use of software and hardware in the project was emphasized and monitored through a continuous series of milestones. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> Analysis of students’ results and reflections on the learning experience in this course shows that the course has effectively developed the students’ understanding of digital system concepts. Comparing the performance of the AL class cohort to the traditional lectures approach on the course learning outcomes attainment based on written examination and assignments, the cohort that used AL outperformed the traditional teaching cohort.