Engineering Graduate Students Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF HOW CAPSTONE TEAMS DEFINE ENGINEERING DESIGN FAILURE

There is a growing trend in engineering education to increase the societal awareness among theengineering graduates, so that the engineering solutions proposed by the engineers are more sustainable. To achieve this, one of the efforts in Concordia University is to ask capstone students to discuss and implement (wherever possible) ethical, legal, social, environmental, and entrepreneurial aspects of their capstone design. Students are given two lectures during the capstone year which provides them with prompts to identify and think beyond their personal biases and perceptions of the society. At the end of the term, each capstone team is asked to define engineering failure. The aim for this is for graduating students to have a well thought of idea of the engineering design failure before they enter the workplace. This article explains the two phases (lectures) of the capstone lectures related to the ethical, legal, societal, environmental, and entrepreneurial aspects of an engineering design. Additionally, the article aims to analyze the definitions of engineering failure submitted by the engineering students at the end of the capstone year to identify keywords and terms that the graduating engineering students attribute to success and failure of an engineering design. The objective of the paper is to open the discussion among engineering educators for incorporating ideas in their courses that can improve engineering students’ understanding of a sustainable design and assess the success of these strategies.

Information literacy instruction for international graduate engineering students: A case study at University of Windsor

In recent years, the University of Windsor has seen a significant increase in international student enrolments, especially in the graduate engineering programs. Previous studies indicate that international students often have difficulties in developing information literacy skills. Furthermore, many engineering students lack library research skills essential for succeeding in academic study. However, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on information literacy instruction for international engineering students and existing research in this area seldom utilizes statistical analysis methods to determine the effectiveness of the instruction. This paper aims to fill in the literature gap by examining the impact of an information literacy session geared towards international graduate engineering students at the University of Windsor. Statistical analysis of the paired pre-post survey tests reveals that the session has significantly improved the students' understanding of certain aspects of information literacy, including searching and locating information, but not the areas of identifying and evaluating information. Further instructions and additional support integrated into graduate seminars or other classes as well as offered outside of classrooms will be beneficial to these students, particularly in the areas of identifying information, evaluating information, finding scholarly sources, and other more advanced information literacy topics.

Exploring the impact of an NSERC CREATE program on job readiness among science and engineering graduate students and postdoctoral fellows

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of an NSERC CREATE program on job readiness among highly qualified personnel (HQP) in chemistry and chemical engineering, which in this paper refers to three groups: MSc students, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows (PDFs)22HQP could be a MSc student, PhD student, or PDF. HQP in science and engineering are faced with numerous opportunities for employment, but they are not well-trained to pursue these opportunities. The CREATE program aims to prepare HQP for a wider range of career options within the Canadian workforce by providing technical and professional training to enable HQP to develop the skills needed for the job market. This training is delivered in various formats such as workshops, courses, panel discussions, lab demonstrations, and innovation fairs which are suited to the needs of the HQP. The authors of this paper used a qualitative case study approach to explore the impact the CREATE program has on HQP’s job readiness. Thirty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from the program HQP. Three themes emerged from the analyzed data. One of the study findings indicated that the technical and professional training provided by the CREATE program helped HQP develop the basic skills required to enter the job market. However, some participants felt that the program only facilitated their skill development, not their job readiness. The participants stated that universities should facilitate job fairs to provide opportunities for them to meet with professionals from the government, academia, and industry. Additional research is required to examine the impact of the CREATE program by using a larger sample and different program components.

Preparing Engineers to Do Good in the World: Barabino Creating Supportive Environments

In 1981, only 15 years after Rice University admitted its first undergraduate and graduate African American students, Gilda Barabino entered Rice as a graduate student in chemical engineering, making her the first African American in the department. Barabino's goal was to apply engineering to medicine, and she quickly focused her research on sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder that disproportionately affects African Americans.

Exploring graduate students’ collaborative problem-solving in engineering design tasks

This study explored seven engineering graduate students’ collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills while working in interdisciplinary teams. Students worked in two different teams, in face-to-face and online environments, to solve complex manufacturing design challenges posed by their instructor. The students were assessed using an observational rubric with four dimensions: peer interactions, positive communication, tools and methods and iteration and adaption, and scored via each dimension’s associated attributes, and subsequently interviewed. Six students scored emergent or proficient in CPS and had slightly higher CPS scores during the second observation. One student demonstrated a limited ability for CPS and the observable CPS skills decreased during the project. Interviews revealed the importance of (1) relying on instructor and student chosen technologies for collaborative tasks, (2) recognising and drawing on peer expertise early in the project, (3) building trust during and outside of team meetings and (4) valuing off-site and online collaborative work. Findings advance the understanding of how graduate students working in interdisciplinary teams rely on particular features of collaboration to solve engineering design challenges, which may assist in developing future skills and fostering productive teamwork.

Temptation Bundling

When I was an engineering graduate student, I regularly disappointed myself. Rather than get my schoolwork done, I'd crawl under a blanket with a juicy novel or thriller. Later, after I finally turned to studying and finished my problem sets, I couldn't get myself to exercise. Then one day it hit me: What if I only let myself enjoy page-turners while working out? I tried it, and practically overnight, I stopped wasting time when I should have been studying. Instead, I started craving trips to the gym to discover what would happen next in whatever novel had me engrossed. Not only that, I enjoyed the novels and workouts more combined—I didn't feel guilty reading, and time flew at the gym.

Channelling employability perceptions through lifelong learning: an empirical investigation

PurposeGraduates' attitudes towards learning, although subject to change, is a crucial indicator of their understanding and involvement in lifelong learning activities. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether lifelong learning enhances human capital worth to predict perceived employability. An enquiry into the attitudinal differences on lifelong learning among male and female students was also looked into.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical examination using Warp-PLS was conducted on the propositions among 286 engineering graduate students in Kerala, India, from January 2020 to March 2020.FindingsThe Warp-PLS examination reveals a positive association between lifelong learning and perceived employability and warrants the mediating role of lifelong learning in the association between human capital and perceived employability. A gendered variation on attitudinal differences towards lifelong learning is also looked into, and no difference between males and females is found.Originality/valueThe impact of lifelong learning on employability has been conceptually discussed before. This paper is the first attempt to empirically prove the same with a proper theoretical explanation.

Challenges in academic writing: Perspectives of Engineering faculty and L2 postgraduate research students

This paper investigates the academic writing challenges encountered by L2 postgraduate students in Engineering and the strategies they developed (or, from the perspective of faculty, should develop) to address these issues. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data gathered from 82 graduate students and 24 faculty in Engineering in three universities in Hong Kong, the study revealed similarities and differences related to topics previously identified in the literature. The study identified major differences between students and faculty regarding academic writing challenges. The primary concern of most L2 graduate students was challenges at the sentence level (i.e. local language features), whereas that of most faculty was challenges at the discourse level (i.e. global language features). The study also revealed that some student strategies for managing academic writing challenges (e.g. employing Google Translate) do not fully meet faculty expectations. These findings have significant pedagogical implications, for example, the need for providing appropriate writing models and writing interventions for L2 graduate students in Engineering.

Teaching in a Swimming Pool

In the 1950s, American public universities began training a vast new cadre of nuclear engineers, technicians, and scientists in specially designed and built “teaching reactors.” As this article describes, a generation of nuclear engineering undergraduates and graduate students were exposed to an open, accessible, and above all, visible demonstration of nuclear energy through educational “swimming pool”–style reactors. Distinct from reactors for either weapons or power production, the swimming pool reactor was specifically configured to be a pedagogical tool. Educational programs were created around federally and industrially sponsored reactors for training, part of the massive Cold War era transformations of Midwestern, Western, and Southern public colleges and universities. This article offers the Ford Nuclear Reactor at the University of Michigan as an example of how the peaceful pedagogical atom developed after the 1950s. As I argue, teaching reactors were one product of the conservative compact made between government, public universities, and private industry in the early 1950s that underpinned the famed Atoms for Peace movement, with its technology and information sharing and international training priorities. Indeed, teaching reactors resolved for Eisenhower’s administration the tension between a desire for centralized control of the atom and the powerful vision of a future of prosperity brought about by open education and use of nuclear materials. This paper is part of a special issue entitled “Revealing the Michigan Memorial–Phoenix Project.”

Creating a Course on Scientific Writing and Oral Presentation in English for Engineering and Science Graduate Students at an Elite Chinese University

Creating a Course on Scientific Writing and Oral Presentation in English for Engineering and Science Graduate Students at an Elite Chinese University

Making marks while reading, with some remarks on the challenges posed by the digital world

This communication sought to redress the loss of the skill of making marks while reading by reporting a consolidated and reflective summation that drew on over four decades' worth of experience with approximately 500 undergraduate and 200 graduate students of Production Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. It identified the fundamentals and rationale of making marginalia ('marks') while reading, with particular attention to their role in the preservation of insights (‘sparks’) and in furthering discovery, pointing to the need to develop emotional as well as intellectual signifiers to allow readers to capture and recall their understanding of the texts they read and the significance of their marks. This supported the framing of relevant issues in the passage from reading and marking on paper to digital books, pointing towards approaches that would allow better understanding of the shortcomings of this medium for making marks while reading.

The basis of the semiclassical description of electron transport in solids

The theoretical account of electron transport in crystalline solids is often taught to graduate students through a semiclassical equation, which is a classical kinetic equation amended with elements of quantum physics in a non-systematic way. This blending of classical and quantal elements accounts for many experimental features of electron transport, save for a few ones observed over short distances. For students acquainted with solid-state quantum mechanics, it is preferable to derive the semiclassical equation from quantum dynamics so as to pinpoint the shortcomings and approximations underlying the semiclassical picture of transport. This paper explores the pathway leading from quantum dynamics to semiclassical kinetics within a simplified model not exceeding the proficiencies of a graduate student in physics or electronic engineering. In this model an electron moves in a crystal under the joint influences of the periodic crystal potential, an external electrostatic field and a set of lattice imperfections haphazardly distributed in the crystal volume. The first influence is treated exactly by means of standard energy-band theory and the other two are handled perturbatively. Following a procedure already tested in free-space issues, we replace Schrödinger’s wave function in position space with a Wigner function defined in the phase (position–pseudomomentum) space of semiclassical kinetics. The dynamical equation on the Wigner function is worked out and approximated so as to retrieve the semiclassical equation. The errors incurred in making use of the latter are assessed quantitatively. It is explained how a time-irreversible evolution equation—governing a phase-space occupancy—arises from reversible Schrödinger dynamics—governing a complex-valued probability amplitude. Besides clarifying the foundation of the semiclassical picture of electron transport and providing an explicit quantum-coherence correction to that picture, this paper may help students in general physics to better grasp, in a concrete issue, the interplay between classical and quantum concepts.

Mathematical Dispositions of Graduating Students of the College of Engineering, University of Eastern Philippines (UEP)

This study was conducted to determine the mathematical disposition of graduating engineering students of the UEP College of Engineering in the School Year 2016-2017. Specifically, the study assessed the profile of the graduating students in terms of their age, sex, average grade in calculus and academic performance in professional subjects; the mathematical disposition in terms of self-efficacy component; math as sensible component; and perseverance component; the relationship between the profile and mathematical disposition of students, and between the mathematical disposition and academic performance in professional subjects of the respondents.
 The 132 graduating students taking up Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering (BSAE), Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE), Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) who are officially enrolled in the second semester of the school year 2016-2017 were the respondents of this study.
 The study found out that there were more graduating engineering students whose age is beyond 22 to 24 years old; more males; and have passing performance in calculus subjects.
 Generally, the graduating engineering students for the school year 2016-2017 have good mathematical disposition, specifically described as more efficacious, sensible, and more persevering.
 The students’ performance in calculus subjects was significantly related to mathematical disposition, while the age and sex of respondents have nothing to do with mathematical disposition.
 Specifically, respondents’ age and sex did not affect the three components of mathematical disposition, while average grade in calculus subjects was found to have something to do with their sensibility and perseverance level in mathematics.
 On the relationship between mathematical disposition components and the academic performance in professional subjects of graduating engineering students, it was found out that only the math as sensible component affected their performance in professional subjects.
 The result of this study also revealed that these students who were more efficacious, more sensible and more persevering performed good in their professional subjects.

Applying a Social Constructivist Approach to an Online Course on Ethics of Research.

The growing trend of shifting from classroom to distance learning in ethics education programs raises the need to examine ways for adapting best instructional practices to online modes. To address this need, the current study was set to apply a social constructivist approach to an online course in research ethics and to examine its effect on the learning outcomes of science and engineering graduate students. The study applied a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental research design within a framework of a mixed-methods approach. The study compared the learning outcomes of students who participated in a social constructivist online course (N = 175) with those who studied in a conventional online course (N = 170). The data were collected via questionnaires and interviews. The findings indicated that both the conventional and the social constructivist online learners gained knowledge of facts and regulations. Yet, the social constructivist learners were more successful in demonstrating knowledge of practices that are used to establish research ethics, and in understanding the importance of conducting research in a responsible manner. The social constructivist online learners were also more successful in demonstrating awareness of ethical dilemmas, by identifying ethical dilemmas and providing solutions to ethical problems.

A Study on the Dimensions of Evaluation of Engineering Prac-tical Ability of Engineering Teachers Based on Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives

The proapsal of the reform idea of " 'Emerging Engineering’ Research and Construction" has provided a direction for the new round of engineering education reform. As the core force of engineering educa-tion, engineering teachers should not only master extensive and profound theoretical knowledge, but also have strong engineering practice ability. What on account of many historical and practical factors have engineering teachers’ practical engineering ability formed an important and difficult barrier in the reform of engineering edu-cation in China. What is the current situation of engineering teachers’ practical ability, and what are the understand and expect from teachers and students? In-depth interviews were applyed to 40 engineering teachers and engi-neering graduate students from three universities that be classified into first-class universities & disciplines.Through the three-level coding of the interview content, the basic impression of the interviewees on the current practical capacity of engineering teachers is obtained, and then the evaluation dimension model of engineering teachers’ engineering practical capacity based on the perspectives of teachers and students is constructed. The re-search shows that teachers and students have a comprehensive understanding and expectation of current engineer-ing teachers’ engineering practice capacity, and have many helplessness. The article’s result is based on the dem-onstration research, clarifying some obscure acknowledgement, having an reference value for farther research of engineering education reform.

Comparison of Returning and Direct Pathway Graduate Engineering Students

Some graduate engineering students, returners, have spent many years in industry before returning to school. Others, direct pathway students, complete a master’s degree along with the undergraduate degree or go back to school fairly quickly after their undergraduate degree has been obtained. The focus of this study was to investigate the differences and similarities in direct pathway and returners. Differences include the rationale for obtaining a degree, the assumption that teamwork is essential to success, and specific self-efficacy statements. Those who have spent time in industry change disciplines more often. Similarities include no difference in graduate grade point averages (GPAs), while undergraduate GPAs are different for the two groups, and there is no difference in the calculus concept inventory.

Control Theory in Biomedical Engineering: Applications in Physiology and Medical Robotics

Some quick data regarding this text, to set the stage for the review: This text consists of 12 chapters overviewing “Control theory in biomedical engineering”; these comprise six chapters highlighting “Applications in physiology” and six chapters sampling “Applications in medical robotics.” Forty contributors to the text are named, and these individuals hail from ten different countries. The purported audience for the text from the publishers’ website consists of “Researchers and graduate students in both control engineering and biomedical engineering fields. Medical students and practitioners who want to enhance their understanding of physiological processes and medical robotics. Professionals in medical industries including those of industry of medical robotics, of artificial devices, of artificial organs, and rehabilitation devices.”

Creating a Course on Scientific Writing and Oral Presentation in English for Engineering and Science Graduate Students at an Elite Chinese University

Creating a Course on Scientific Writing and Oral Presentation in English for Engineering and Science Graduate Students at an Elite Chinese University

Simulation and Experimental Analysis of an Impulse Voltage Generator

This paper presents the simulation and experimental analysis of an impulse voltage generator (IVG) used for atmospheric discharge voltage tests. The electrical equivalent circuit of the IVG was simulated using the electromagnetic transients program EMTP-VR. Besides the simulation of the generator operation, it was necessary to make a detailed revision of the IVG components and determine their working condition to carry the laboratory experiments. The lack of a high DC voltage source to feed the IVG led to developing a high-voltage dc supply. Although the IVG was designed and built in February 1982, this equipment was out of operation due to its DC power supply failure. Due to the interest in rehabilitating the equipment to perform high voltage experiments, and with the need to characterize insulation materials and electrical equipment subject to electrical stress, it was decided to put it back into operation. Capacitor tests were carried out for each IVG stage to determine if they fulfilled the electrical charging function. Other components were also repaired, such as damaged resistances and sphere gaps. The impulse generator was configured with a maximum of six stages which is half of the original design. Before doing an experiment with the IVG, a simulation analysis was made to study the IVG. The simulation results allow evaluating before the experimentation whether the impulse generator is working correctly; the model allows to analyze the charge and discharge of each capacitor and the electrical currents at each branch of the IVG equivalent circuit. Performance Simulation and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the IVG functionality. The IVG will be used for carrying out insulation tests made by power engineering graduate students.

One World, One Purdue: Implementing Successful Intercultural Collaboration at Purdue University

Collaboration is vital to promote international understanding, raise cultural awareness and competency, and cultivate an environment of vibrant inclusion. A successful example of this intercultural collaboration is One World, One Purdue (OWOP), a series of events organized every November to support International Education Week (IEW). OWOP was conceptualized by the International Student Peer Coaching (ISPC) Program and the Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships (GEPP) of the College of Engineering in 2017, and expanded in 2019 with the participation of Cultural Catalysts, Purdue Fulbright Association (PFA), and the Environmental and Ecological Engineering Graduate Student Organization. Planning for OWOP 2019 began with the realization that many organizations, especially cultural organizations, work independently in silos creating, at times, repetitive or conflicting events. We made this observation by documenting all the cultural events at Purdue every week for posting in the Cultural Catalysts (now OWOP) Facebook page and attending most of them. OWOP’s first role was to bring all these organizations into one common classroom and enable them to believe in a common goal of cultural celebration. While OWOP is a vision shared by organizations whose missions are to celebrate culture, OWOP 2019 was a year-long effort to achieve that vision. Many initiatives were made possible through the team’s personal networks, resources, and collaboration. As a testament to its success, OWOP 2019 was named Co-Sponsorship/Collaboration of the Year, awarded to a collective effort for the betterment of campus, students and Purdue University by Purdue Student Life and the Student Activities and Organizations Office. One of the key reasons for the success of OWOP 2019 is its collaborative efforts. The OWOP 2019 organizing committee quickly realized that to provide undergrads with maximum cultural exposure during a short time, OWOP would need the help of cultural organizations and programs on campus. The OWOP organizing committee worked with over 50 student groups and programs on campus to help organize their own event during the OWOP timeline. OWOP 2019’s calendar featured close to 100 events throughout the weeks of November. Organizations reported that through collaboration with OWOP’s marketing team, events saw a diversification of the demographics of their audience. With limited funding, OWOP was able to bring in a large attendance throughout the events. At the same time, OWOP 2019 relied heavily on the core organizers and partners to spread the word and organize events. While this meant an over-stress especially on the core group, the enthusiasm of the group to push forward its objectives of increasing cultural competency and inclusion among students made the pilot university-wide celebration perform beyond what was expected. If we are to institutionalize OWOP, we must ensure that it is properly funded every year. We also noticed that most of the attendees of these cultural events are international students and the goal for the next OWOP is to increase the attendance of domestic students through stronger promotions and more collaborations.