Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

Technology-Enabled Learning for Green and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education

(1) Background and objectives: Global crises such as climate change, pandemics, and resource depletion present unprecedented challenges that require coordinated and innovative responses. This study advocates for a bottom-up strategy by proposing and developing tools that empower individuals and organizations to embrace green and sustainable entrepreneurship, fostering localized solutions with global impact. In this context, the research explored the integration of technology-enabled entrepreneurship education (EE) into engineering curricula, with a focus on sustainable and green entrepreneurship. Leveraging insights from European projects, the research developed a cloud-based entrepreneurship educational system featuring three e-learning platforms. Particularly, one e-learning platform was specifically designed to support green and sustainable entrepreneurship education. (2) Methods: the study involved literature reviews, stakeholder surveys, interviews with green entrepreneurs, and iterative platform design. (3) Results: Key outcomes of the research include a methodology for designing pedagogical strategies and learning content for green and sustainable EE. Additionally, digital tools such as the green business innovation canvas, TRIZ-inspired matrices, and AI-driven recommendation systems were created to equip learners with the skills to develop sustainable business models. (4) Originality: The study’s novelty lies in its integration of advanced digital tools with original pedagogical strategies, providing a scalable framework for incorporating sustainability into entrepreneurship education. These findings have practical implications for educators and policymakers working to promote eco-friendly business practices. Future research should investigate the scalability of these tools across diverse educational contexts and evaluate their long-term impact on fostering sustainable entrepreneurial mindsets.

Stimulating Engineering Students’ Potential for Sustainable Development

Engineers can play a critical role in achieving sustainable development (SD). Despite this, there is a lack of specialized courses delivered in the undergraduate engineering curricula in Lebanon. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcomes of a newly developed core course on sustainability for engineering students integrated into the undergraduate engineering curriculum at one university in Lebanon. The study makes an original contribution as no similar course, in its current structure, has been found in the existing literature. A quantitative methodology was employed through a survey administered to the students both before and after course delivery. The survey aimed to assess the effectiveness of the course in changing students’ awareness, perceptions, practices, and views on the engineering profession and how it relates to sustainability. The findings indicate that the course has significantly enhanced the understanding and awareness of the engineering students regarding sustainable development. This enhancement impacted positively on their perceptions, practices, and views regarding the importance of sustainable development in engineering education. This study presents an interdisciplinary course integrated into the engineering curriculum and augmented the students’ awareness and knowledge on how to incorporate sustainable development into their design processes.

The Future Transformations: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Shaping Advanced Online Education"

This research provides an in-depth study of the role that artificial intelligence plays in shaping the future of online education, exploring how this technology can enhance the quality and efficiency of education, especially in areas of personalized learning, automatic assessment, and intelligent interaction between students and educational content. The challenges and opportunities brought about by integrating artificial intelligence into educational systems, and its impact on students, teachers, and educational institutions, are also addressed. The research utilized a descriptive-analytical methodology on a sample of teachers from the first and fourth districts of Amman, totaling 240 teachers. The study tool was a questionnaire distributed across five axes: the first axis focusing on the methods and techniques of artificial intelligence in online education, the second on the integration of artificial intelligence technologies in curricula, the third on personalized learning using artificial intelligence, the fourth on data analysis and progress monitoring, and the fifth on the challenges and opportunities in applying artificial intelligence in online education. The study found that the responses of the sample individuals did not differ with varying levels of experience across all study axes. Additionally, there was a moderate positive correlation between the dependent variable (development of online education) and all the independent variables (the five axes).

The Practice of Large Language Models in Automated Question Generation: A Case Study of ChatGLM in High School Information Technology Curriculum

With the advancement of information technology, the field of education is undergoing transformation. In the teaching of high school information technology, scientific and efficient question formulation is crucial for enhancing the quality of education. Traditional methods of question formulation rely on the experience of teachers, leading to issues such as inconsistent difficulty levels and incomplete coverage of knowledge points. Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGLM, leverage natural language processing and deep learning technologies to automatically generate questions that align with the curriculum, thereby improving scientific accuracy and precision, enhancing diversity and innovation, and catering to students’ personalized needs. Additionally, LLMs can enhance the efficiency of question formulation and reduce the burden on teachers. This paper explores the application value of large language models in the formulation of questions for high school information technology, through empirical research comparing the performance of human-generated and ChatGLM-generated questions in terms of accuracy, relevance, clarity, and willingness. The study selected two chapters, “Data and Information” and “Fundamentals of Algorithms,” and employed both human and ChatGLM-generated questions, inviting teachers to evaluate them. Through data analysis and statistical testing, we reveal the advantages and limitations of large language models in educational question formulation, providing insights for the intelligent development of educational assessment systems.

Examining the Impact of Teachers’ Cognitive Load on Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Saudi Classrooms

Background Examining the influence of cognitive load on teacher strategies, engagement of students, and the learning experience as a whole is essential in an age of educational reform and rapid technological evolution in instruction to become more effective pedagogues and positively impact student learning outcomes. This study explicates the experience of cognitive load on teachers and their ability to teach and engage students in the Saudi Arabian 21st-century classroom. Methods The study employed a qualitative research design to investigate the experiences of the 35 Saudi teachers through an essential initiative stratum of how they were selected in a randomized stratified process to ensure as much diversity as possible in the teaching community throughout Saudi Arabia. Data was collected through open-ended questionnaires and analyzed using thematic analysis to ascertain primary patterns and themes emerging from the data. Results The analysis found that (1) cognitive load significantly impacted teachers’ choice of instructional strategies. (2) Classroom performance was also impeded due to cognitive load as teachers struggled to engage and manage the learning of the students inside the classroom; (3) systemic and environmental forces devolving curriculum and integration of technology into instruction increased cognitive demand for the teachers, and (4) teachers employed various adaptive practices to manage their cognitive demands. They demonstrated tremendous resilience and adaptability in their practice. Conclusion The study findings have practical implications for educational policy and practice, primarily that educational policy and practice should focus on providing specific assistance and professional learning for teachers managing cognitive load. Finally, based on the findings, the study’s limitations and recommendations for further research are discussed.

Pedagogical Approaches for Teaching Education for Sustainable Development in the Technology Education Curriculum

This study investigates pedagogical strategies to teach sustainable development within the Technology curriculum in South African secondary schools, with an emphasis on the Senior Phase. Despite the global acknowledgment of sustainable development as a critical topic, its practical application in the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) is limited. This study seeks to fill this gap by studying the pedagogical tactics used by Technology teachers to build sustainability skills. Eight technology teachers from the Ehlanzeni region in Mpumalanga Province were carefully chosen to participate. Data was collected through observations and interviews, and analysed using content analysis. The findings show that while teachers are aware of sustainable development concepts, converting this understanding into successful classroom implementation presents substantial hurdles. The study identifies teacher collaboration as the primary instrument for incorporating sustainable development principles into the technology curriculum; nevertheless, practical implementation was challenging. This study responds to the requirement of integrating sustainable development into all South African disciplines, notably the Technology curriculum It emphasises the importance of specific interventions to bridge the gap between policy intent and classroom practice.

Didactic models for active and inquiry-based learning of machines and mechanisms

Didactic models are invaluable resources for teaching Machines and Mechanisms, a crucial subject in the Engineering curriculum. This work investigates the impact of various types of models on learning outcomes across different instructional approaches, from traditional to active and inquiry-based learning methods. We analyzed a range of didactic models used in a second-year Theory of Machines and Mechanism (TMM) course at EUSS School of Engineering in Barcelona over the past decade, including: i) mechanical models built with “Meccano” parts, 3D-printed models, and kits simulating “fairground attractions”, introduced in traditional teaching settings; ii) real machines and student-developed models used in in TMM courses based on the “Study and Research Path” (SRP) approach, and iii) advanced didactic machines, created by fourth-year students. We discuss the educational benefits provided by these models, considering aspects like the theoretical concepts they mobilize, their construction (by teachers or students), design flexibility, materials used, complexity, and realism. Additionally, we examine how these models enrich the Media and Milieu dialectics, promote the development of both technical and transversal skills, and present a range of advantages and challenges in each TMM context. Our findings offer valuable insights into how models enhance the teaching and learning experience in Machines and Mechanisms, guiding instructors in selecting appropriate models and instructional strategies based on course objectives, student characteristics, and contextual constraints.

Perspectiva de género en el Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), México: Construyendo una cultura de paz

The National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) is a Mexican public institution of higher education, currently comprising 102 academic units, founded in 1936 by Lázaro Cárdenas. The teaching staff, predominantly composed of military personnel, established a rigid, authoritarian, and patriarchal culture with gender-based violence. In 2001, the Institutional Educational Model introduced a holistic approach, facilitating the inclusion of a human rights course in the engineering curriculum. Despite the implementation of the current Model 4.0, the institutional culture has largely remained unchanged. In response, a gender perspective was introduced in 2009, followed by the establishment of the Polytechnic Unit for Gender Management in 2012. This unit created the Gender Network to extend its reach across the entire Institute, with the goal of eradicating the prevailing machismo. Today, the IPN is committed to adhering to both national and international regulations, such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda, and the CEDAW. In 2019, the IPN became the first national institution to implement a protocol for the “Prevention, Detection, Response, and Sanction of Gender Violence.” The Gender Network at ESIME Culhuacán unit identifies stereotypes that undermine human dignity; to contribute to their eradication, the unit implements denunciation campaigns against violence, harassment, and bullying, while it provides training on Human Rights, Feminism, Masculinities, Gender, and Education for Peace. Research is also conducted, such as the study on Gender Culture in the degree programs at ESIME Culhuacán, IPN (project number 20231736), which employs a postmodern feminist, constructivist approach.

Practices for inserting sustainability in the engineering curriculum: evaluation of the literature and an international consortium of universities

Practices for inserting sustainability in the engineering curriculum: evaluation of the literature and an international consortium of universities

2022 개정 기술과 교육과정에 대한 비판적 담론 분석

This study critically analyzes the main discourses within the 2022 Revised Technology Curriculum, exploring how these discourses are constructed and identifying the underlying ideologies to offer insights into the curriculum. Employing Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis framework, the study analyzes the framework, guidebook, and Technology Curriculum documents of the 2022 Revised Curriculum. The analysis reveals two main discourses. First, the “Subject-Centered and Subjectification of Technology” discourse integrates elements of subject-centered, student-centered, and competency-centered ideologies, emphasizing the academic identity of technology in alignment with holistic education. Second, the “Future-Oriented Image” discourse portrays technology as a driver of positive change for the future, highlighting its role in problem-solving and social progress while revealing underlying ideologies of technocentrism and neoliberalism. The findings suggest the curriculum should further emphasize the active roles of both teachers and students, encouraging diverse approaches and greater agency from subjects engaging with the curriculum discourse. Furthermore, rather than focusing on efficiency, which is rooted in neoliberal ideology, the curriculum should emphasize cooperation and integration. By fostering close cooperation within educational communities based on a sense of community rather than competition, the curriculum’s practical effectiveness and sustainability can be enhanced.

The incorporation of indigenous knowledge into graphic design technology

With the single descriptive case study reported on here we aimed to explore incorporating indigenous knowledge (IK) into the teaching of graphic design (GD) as a part of Grade 9 Technology lessons. Incorporating IK into GD could make the topic more meaningful – especially for indigenous learners. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for technology incorporates indigenous technology. A Grade 9 Technology teacher and 7 learners were interviewed. Each participant was interviewed individually at different intervals using semi-structured interviews. The teaching and learning of GD were also observed during 1 lesson. The collected data were analysed thematically. The findings reveal the teacher’s limited understanding of CAPS and her lack of understanding that IK was incorporated into the curriculum. She incorporated IK only marginally in the teaching of GD. She understood indigenous technology but did not make GD relevant to learners’ cultural knowledge and backgrounds. On the contrary, learners valued IK within their GD activities. Furthermore, the findings indicate that learners demonstrated their comprehension of IK and its alignment with their background knowledge, particularly within the context of graphics. Consequently, incorporating indigenous perspectives into Technology could transform the subject in line with the intentions of CAPS.

Integrating Software Coding and Making into Dance Education: Developing a Creative and Technological Curriculum for Chinese University Dance Majors

Integrating Software Coding and Making into Dance Education: Developing a Creative and Technological Curriculum for Chinese University Dance Majors

Research on the Construction of Virtual Reality Technology Major Course System

Along with virtual reality technology is widely used in all walks of life, China’s social and economic development urgently needs high-quality innovative, and compound virtual reality technical personnel. In this context, as the main front of training virtual technical talents, universities are urgently required to promote the innovative construction and deepening reform of the virtual reality technology curriculum system, and on this basis to promote the deep integration of the industrial chain, innovation chain, discipline chain and talent chain. Based on this, combined with the background of the optimization of the curriculum system of virtual reality technology major in colleges and universities under the new situation, this paper discusses the specific optimization path by elaborating the relevant optimization ideas to improve the quality of talent training for virtual reality technology majors.

A Serious Game Approach to Introduce the Code Review Practice

ABSTRACTCode review is a widely utilized practice that focuses on improving code via manual inspections. However, this practice is not addressed adequately in a typical software engineering curriculum. We aim to help address the code review practice knowledge gap between the software engineering curricula and the industry with a serious game approach. We determine our learning objectives around the introduction of the code review process. To realize these objectives, we design, build, and test the serious game. We then conduct three case studies with a total of 280 students. We evaluated the results by comparing the student's knowledge and confidence about code review before and after case studies, as well as evaluating how they performed in code review quizzes and game levels themselves. Our analysis indicates that students had a positive experience during gameplay, and an in‐depth examination suggests that playing the game also enhanced their knowledge. We conclude that the game had a positive impact on introducing the code review process. This study represents a step taken toward moving code review education from industry starting positions to higher education. The game and its auxiliary materials are available online.

The potential for spatial ability development through the Swedish technology and craft compulsory curricula

AbstractSpatial ability has been demonstrated to be a significant predictor of students’ achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. While several studies have focused on offering supplementary or isolated spatial training interventions, this study focuses on spatial ability development through embedded interventions within technology curricula. Specifically, document analysis is adopted in this study to identify the potential areas for spatial ability development within the Swedish compulsory Technology and Craft curricula. A framework consisting of two dimensions has been established by a qualitative coding approach. The first dimension, termed the “visual dimension”, encompasses graphical, property, and manufactured components, reflecting the spatial nature of the information that students engage with. The second dimension, termed the “epistemic dimension”, comprises conceptual and procedural knowledge, representing the types of knowledge students acquire. The framework allows educators to identify potential areas for developing spatial ability within technology curricula. Additionally, it is envisioned that this framework could increase awareness of how to spatialise curriculum and pedagogies among various stakeholders, including policymakers and teacher trainers.

Inclusion of Ethics Instruction in Technical Machine Learning Courses

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been developed and implemented across all domains of society, and this has accompanied various ethical concerns, including but not limited to predictive policing, autonomous military technologies, issues in medical systems and the prevalence of facial recognition technologies in government surveillance. Given the growth of AI and the proliferation of unethical AI systems, educational institutions are considering where and how to best teach the ethics of AI within the engineering curriculum. Noting the fledgling nature of AI ethics as a discipline, there is no consensus between academics on how to best integrate ethics curriculum within the curricula. This paper describes the development of a survey to better understand the instructor view and experience with integrating ethics curriculum. A questionnaire about ethics integration was designed and shared with all instructors teaching AI or related courses at a large, major research institution. The courses were primarily situated in engineering and computer science. Although the response rate was low, the design of the survey offers a useful example for other researchers considering survey design. This paper presents a work in progress.

Advancing Technology Education in Uzbekistan’s Secondary Schools

In the evolving global economy, integrating technology into education is essential for workforce readiness and innovation. Uzbekistan’s “Technology” curriculum in secondary education bridges theory and practice across nine subfields, including robotics, electronics, and traditional crafts. However, gaps remain in practical training, teacher development, accessibility, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. This study aims to evaluate the curriculum’s alignment with global best practices and propose targeted enhancements. Results highlight the need for improved industry partnerships, teacher training, equitable access, and sustainability-focused modules. The novelty lies in actionable strategies to modernize the curriculum, ensuring it fosters skills for the 21st-century labor market. Implications suggest the curriculum’s potential to drive workforce readiness, economic growth, and cultural preservation in Uzbekistan. Highlights: Integration of Skills: The "Technology" curriculum combines traditional crafts with modern disciplines like robotics and electronics to foster balanced education. Global Alignment: Benchmarking against global best practices highlights gaps in practical training, teacher development, and sustainability. Future Impact: Enhancing accessibility, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration will ensure workforce readiness and economic growth. Keywords: Technology Curriculum, Vocational Education, Workforce Readiness, Practical Training

Unlocking Engineering Threshold Concepts Through Stakeholder Engagement

A threshold concept is a core idea that is conceptually challenging for students, but once grasped, has the potential to radically transforms students’ perception of the subject. Given threshold concept’s central role to student learning, it is key that they are identified and constructively aligned within the engineering curricula. In this paper, we propose an approach to facilitate the identification of threshold concepts in undergraduate engineering courses. The approach is based on the framework of transactional curriculum inquiry where educators work with a group of stakeholders (students, curriculum designers, industry practitioners) to identify threshold concepts. The process is facilitated by a participatory simulation developed using agent-based modeling. We perform two experiments in a senior automation and controls course to identify threshold concepts. Our results show that this approach can be used to identify threshold concepts and that these concepts do have a significant link to student success in the course’s subject area.

The Persistence of Mathematics: integrating mathematical problem solving into the first-year engineering curriculum

Mathematics is more than a set of tools. It is a mode of thinking and a powerful and integral way to approach engineering. Over the course of this year, the authors of this paper, with help from our colleagues, were able to integrate multiple courses from the first-year curriculum. We were able to give novel exercises, assessments, and course material that showed the usefulness of mathematics as a way of thought. In this paper, we give the main examples of what we had done throughout the year, connecting calculus and linear algebra with programming, statics, design, and engineering orientation. These are interspersed with the lessons learned in creating these interventions.

IB MYP 디자인 교과를 접목한 중학교 기술 수업 단원 계획서 작성 과정 연구

Objectives This study aims to explore the process of writing a unit plan for a middle school technology class that grafts the MYP design subject by applying the 2022 revised middle school technology curriculum according to the IB MYP unit plan form and writing steps. Methods This study explored the principles and guidelines for writing MYP design unit plans, focusing on related documents such as the IB MYP secondary education program principles and practice and the IB MYP design curriculum guide provided on the IBO official website. In addition, by analyzing literature and prior research related to the revised 2022 middle school technology curriculum, the process of writing unit plans for middle school technology classes grafting IB MYP design subjects was examined, and a unit plan for middle school technology classes ingrafting IB MYP design subjects was written based on this. Results The unit plan for a middle school technology class that grafts IB MYP design subjects was written with the following results. Firstly, the unit plan format and writing steps of the IB MYP design curriculum were explored. Secondly, the IB MYP unit plan was applied to the invention unit of the 2022 revised middle school technology curriculum. Thirdly, a specific lesson plan for the invention unit was created. Conclusions Firstly, the IB MYP design curriculum guide was organized around four goals: exploring and analyzing, developing ideas, creating solutions, and evaluating. Secondly, the 2022 revised middle school technology curriculum was organized around technical problem solving and innovation, sustainable technology, and convergence. Thirdly, the possibility of grafting the IB MYP design curriculum with the 2022 revised middle school technology curriculum was confirmed. Fourthly, the process of writing a middle school technology class unit plan that grafted the IB MYP design curriculum was confirmed.