Engineering College Students Research Articles

Determinación de Línea Base para el Desarrollo de Actividades Comunitarias de la Escuela de Ingeniería Automotriz de la Universidad Internacional del Ecuador extensión Guayaquil

El objetivo de este estudio es poder determinar la línea base para el desarrollo de actividades de vinculación con la comunidad en el programa denominado Laboratorio Social Chongón 2019 - 2022. El proyecto tiene como objeto incrementar el conocimiento en educación vial y ambiental entorno al uso de motos y tricimotos como medio de transporte a través de la trasferencia de conocimiento de estudiantes de la escuela de ingeniería automotriz de la universidad a los habitantes de los alrededores del Centro de Atención Municipal Integral (CAMI) de Chongón. La metodología aplicada en el estudio fue cuantitativa y se realizó mediante la toma de 40 encuestas a personas del sector por parte de estudiantes y docentes de la universidad. El estudio tuvo un carácter descriptivo no inferencial. Las preguntas fueron dirigidas a indagar sobre condiciones del sector como el nivel de señalización, accidentes (fuentes y concentración geográfica), conocimientos de leyes de tránsito, alcantarillado y servicios básicos. Esta exploración de datos se realizó a una muestra no representativa para la población del sector. Los resultados muestran un alto nivel de accidentes en el centro de Chongón ocasionados por motos donde los encuestados expresan la necesidad de que se mejore la señalética en el sector y capacitaciones que permitan aclarar los requisitos y teoría necesaria para obtener la licencia tipo A, educación vial orientada a la prevención de accidentes y seguridad industrial enfocada en el manejo de residuos. Como conclusión, se determinó la línea base para el desarrollo de actividades de vinculación comunitaria de la Escuela de Ingeniería Automotriz extensión Guayaquil dentro del programa Laboratorio Social UIDE.

Exploring Career Decisions and Employability Skills among Engineering Students in Vocational Colleges

Malaysia is committed to achieving sustainable growth along with fair and equitable distribution across income groups, ethnicities, regions, and supply chains. The commitment aims to enhance the nation’s prosperity and be prepared with a sufficient skilled and semi-skilled workforce. However, there is a lack of proficiency and sensitivity of the technical and vocational graduates for the various career-enhancing programs organized by the government. The graduates do not have clear action plans and strategies to meet the needs of the industrial market. In addition, there is a concern from the industries about the graduates’ job skills to succeed in their careers. Therefore, this study aimed to explore career decisions and the level of employability skills based on gender, academic achievement, and career exposure among engineering students in vocational colleges in Selangor, Malaysia. The researcher used a survey design and quantitative approach for this research. Respondents for this study are the first and second year of engineering students in Selangor vocational colleges. The findings show that the level of career decision and employability skills are at a moderate high level for most demographic groups. This study also serves as a reference to stakeholders to identify students’ career decisions and employability skills in vocational colleges. Administrators and educators are recommended to play an active role in integrating career information and guidance in the learning process efficiently in order to improve students’ career decisions and employability skills.

Practice-oriented Approach in Teaching BIM technologies to Senior Students of Civil Engineering Universities

The article discusses the use of a project-based interdisciplinary practice-oriented approach in the implementation of BIM technologies in the educational process for senior students of architectural and civil engineering universities. At the initial stage of the educational process, BIM technologies are introducing by supplementing the relevant sections in the existing courses. When teaching senior students, it is proposing to organize interdisciplinary student teams to solve cases based on real problems on a competitive basis. The demand for the implementation of information design technologies in the construction industry is steadily growing, thanks to the competitive advantages gained by the player in the construction market when introducing BIM technologies, however, the complexity of training specialists across the entire spectrum of functional capabilities. The use of this technology prevents the active transition of players in the construction market to the full use of building information modeling technologies, which confirms the relevance of the chosen topic. The article also examines the shortcomings of the existing education system. The method proposed by the author is not traditional in the educational system and requires a review of the existing educational tradition in technical universities.

Perspectives and Empirical Study of Engineering College Students towards Entrepreneurship

India experiences large troubles with its high degrees of joblessness amongst the youth particularly college finishes as an outcome of the absence of work experience, lowered abilities base, along college. The major issue managed in our financial scenario is the price, the price is high in India contrasted to all different various other nations, most of the graduates are currently unemployed or else operating in a business which not connected to their core. The emphasis of the study gets on just exactly how the way of thinking differs from a bachelor to an added on the appeal of entrepreneurship as work as well as to research the collaboration in between the business viewpoint along with the business opportunities-entrepreneurial ambiance. The researcher applied a detailed study layout, as well as the populace of the study, is an engineering university student examining in design universities associated with Anna University. A checklist of colleges offering a Design Program in the Pudukottai district connected to Anna University was obtained from the Anna College site. The sample design taken on for the study is organized random sampling with a total sample size of 400. The findings of the research study discloses that aspects towards entrepreneurship considerably affect the overall parental aspects of attitudes towards entrepreneurship.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) a possible biomarker for cognitive style: A study on Iranian engineering and mathematics university students

Digit ratio (2D:4D) is a biomarker for prenatal hormonal exposure. Some studies suggest that prenatal hormonal exposure might influence our cognitive styles characterized by systemizing and empathizing tendencies while other studies do not support these findings. By assessing 156 university students of engineering or mathematics (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (female: 63 and male 93) we concluded that digit ratio may support the hypothesis on sexual differences in cognitive styles.

PNS198 Arogya Setu Mobile Application for COVID-19 Self-Assessment, Education and Participatory Disease Surveillance: Perception Among Medical and Technology University Students.

Technology plays a tremendous role in the active surveillance and communication in COVID-19 containment. We estimate the perceptions of medical and technology university students from India towards the use of Arogya Setu mobile application developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Nivel de la capacidad para el emprendimiento en estudiantes de ingeniería y arquitectura de una universidad pública del sureste de México

Debido a que promueve la creación de empresas y del empleo, el emprendimiento es una actividad relacionada con el crecimiento económico. De ahí que en los últimos años las instituciones de educación superior hayan introducido esta temática dentro de sus programas educativos. El objetivo de esta investigación fue establecer la capacidad para el emprendimiento en estudiantes de ingeniería y arquitectura de una universidad pública del sureste de México. El método utilizado fue cuantitativo, de tipo descriptivo, con diseño no experimental transversal y alcance correlacional. La población participante fue de 3227 alumnos matriculados en los programas de ingeniería Mecánica Eléctrica, ingeniería Civil, ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica, ingeniería Química y Arquitectura. A partir de un muestreo aleatorio simple, la muestra fue de 343 estudiantes. Se aplicó al instrumento un análisis factorial confirmatorio a través del programa SPSS Amos, que comprobó un modelo sustentable de medición del constructo con tres factores: personal, recursos y social. El alfa de Cronbach reportó una confiabilidad de α = 0.868. Los resultados mostraron que 26 % de los estudiantes considera no tener capacidad emprendedora y 23 % poca facultad para ello. La estadística descriptiva reveló que las capacidades de emprendimiento de la muestra no son contundentes en ninguno de los factores analizados. La prueba post hoc de Bonferroni reveló diferencias significativas al comparar las capacidades emprendedoras entre los estudiantes de los programas educativos. Los participantes de ingeniería Mecánica Eléctrica mostraron mayor potencial para el emprendimiento. Asimismo, los alumnos de sexto y séptimo semestre y los que tienen 23 y 24 años poseen más capacidades de emprendimiento. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres ni correlaciones importantes con la edad, el semestre y las calificaciones de los estudiantes. En conclusión, existe la necesidad de diseñar estrategias que coadyuven a robustecer las capacidades de emprendimiento en los sujetos de estudio por no encontrarse bien definidas.

Research on the Innovation of College Mathematics Teaching Based on Computer Aided Technology under the Thought of Mathematical Modeling

Mathematical application plays an irreplaceable role in various scientific fields, especially in engineering technology and economic management. Mathematics is the basic subject of nine-year compulsory education, which occupies a large proportion on quality education in China. Mathematics learning is undoubtedly very important for engineering college students. If the university mathematics teaching integrates the mathematical modeling thought, the student will be more convenient to study the abstruse mathematics question. This method can effectively improve the teaching efficiency and students’ interest. At the same time, with the development of science and technology, computer technology has provided a lot of convenience for our study work, and the active use of computer-assisted technology in teaching can greatly improve the efficiency of education. Based on this, this article discusses the function of mathematical modeling and uses computer-aided technology to analyze the existing problems in mathematical teaching. Finally, the paper puts forward the innovative reform method of mathematics teaching.

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Perceived Digital Competency of Engineering College Students

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Perceived Digital Competency of Engineering College Students

МОДЕЛЬ ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЯКОСТІ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ ІНЖЕНЕРІВ-ПЕДАГОГІВ

Актуальність: вдосконалення системи професійної підготовки майбутніх фахівців неможливо без упровадження інформаційних технологій, нових підходів до вимірювання якості освітнього процесу, інноваційних методів діагностування, а також використання моделей підготовки фахівців як необхідній передумови компетентності випускника. Мета: розроблено і обґрунтовано теоретичну модель підвищення якості підготовки фахівців, яка відповідає авторському баченню розв’язання цього питання, а також показано її використання в освітньому процесі для підвищення якості підготовки майбутніх інженерів-педагогів. Методи: теоретичні; емпіричні (праксиметричні (вивчення та аналіз робочих планів, програм підготовки майбутніх інженерів-педагогів, засобів і методів педагогічної діагностики, тестових завдань і методик їх використання); використано ідею кібернетичного метода (модель «чорна скринька»). Результати: з'ясовано можливості педагогічної діагностики як технології, що сприяє підвищенню якості підготовки студентів інженерно-педагогічного вишу; запропоновано та обґрунтовано теоретичну (структурну) модель підвищення якості підготовки майбутнього інженера-педагога, визначено і описано компоненти моделі та вимоги до її розробки, вдосконалено систему оцінювання і контролю якості результатів навчання у ЗВО. Реалізація оцінювання якості професійної підготовки майбутніх фахівців здійснювалася відповідно до розроблених «теоретичної» та «математичної» моделей, без яких неможливо розв’язати питання управління якістю освітнього процесу. У статті основну увагу і приділено розгляду «теоретичної» моделі підготовки фахівців. У дослідженні запропоновано підхід до моделювання, заснований на концепції пізнання «чорний ящик» та конкретизовано принципи моделі, на яких базується процес професійної підготовки майбутніх фахівців. Висновки: теоретично доведено, що запропонована «теоретична» модель підвищення якості підготовки фахівців є складовою частиною фундаментальної підготовки інженерів-педагогів, має практично-прикладний характер, а також дає чіткий алгоритм для ефективного вдосконалення якості освітнього процесу.

Guidance from the Senior Engineers during the Undergraduate Training-A Case Study

Senior Engineers have an ethical responsibility to enhance the engineering knowledge and professional experience of trainee engineers who work under their authority through proper supervision and guidance. This research paper investigates the incidents where senior engineers have neglected such kinds of responsibilities as perceived by final year engineering students of a state university in Sri Lanka during their industrial training period as a case study followed with a qualitative survey. An open-ended question was given to 200 final year engineering undergraduates of a state university in Sri Lanka as per the convenient sampling strategy to describe any ethical violation observed or experienced by them during their industrial training. Only 30% had reported such incidents while the rest of the incidents belong to the violation of health and safety practices and integrity issues in engineering practice. Incidents which only belong to less supportive behaviour of senior engineers were selected and analyzed following inductive thematic analysis. This study reveals the emergence of 4 major themes. They are the senior engineers’ unwillingness to guide, assigning inappropriate tasks, unnecessarily blaming and negligence of training schedules. One-sided data collection is the major drawback of this research and further investigations can be done to identify the possible causes for the less supportive behaviour by having a few interviews with selected senior engineers in the industry. The outcomes of this case study will raise the awareness of senior engineers regarding their ethical responsibilities in guiding and supervision of trainee engineers to ensure proper professional development.

Graph-Based Problem Explorer: A Software Tool to Support Algorithm Design Learning While Solving the Salesperson Problem

In this article, we present a sequence of activities in the form of a project in order to promote learning on design and analysis of algorithms. The project is based on the resolution of a real problem, the salesperson problem, and it is theoretically grounded on the fundamentals of mathematical modelling. In order to support the students’ work, a multimedia tool, called Graph-based Problem Explorer (GbPExplorer), has been designed and refined to promote the development of computer literacy in engineering and science university students. This tool incorporates several modules to allow coding different algorithmic techniques solving the salesman problem. Based on an educational design research along five years, we observe that working with GbPExplorer during the project provides students with the possibility of representing the situation to be studied in the form of graphs and analyze them from a computational point of view.

What drives university engineering students to become entrepreneurs? Finding different recipes using a configuration approach

ABSTRACT This research aims to investigate how combinations of factors lead to the entrepreneurial intention and propensity of engineering university students. The study proposes the application of a configuration approach (Qualitative Comparative Analysis) with a sample of 10,008 engineering students from 43 universities in 10 European countries. The findings show that entrepreneurial intention and propensity do not depend only on a single driver but on the interplay of multiple factors. The intensity of entrepreneurship education is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Different recipes brought to light in the analysis belong to similar socioeconomic contexts.

Studying the functional state of muscular and respiratory systems of technological university students

The article examines and evaluates the functional state of the muscular and respiratory systems of Cherkasy State Technological University students during the first three years of study. Theoretical methods (analysis and thorough review of scientific literature), instrumental methods (wrist dynamometry, spirometry), methods of mathematical data processing are used during the research. Assessment of the indicators of the functional state of the muscular system is based on the indicators of muscle strength and strength index; the respiratory system is investigated by comparing the actual indicators of vital capacity of the lungs with the supposed standards, as well as by evaluating the indicators of the respiratory index with the average rate. The results of research reveal that the muscular strength of the male students within the period from the first to the third year of study is slightly increasing, whereas the female students` relevant indicators are not changing. Another indicator of the functional state of the muscular system is that the strength index of most male students correlates with the norm during the first three years of study, and with each passing year the share of males lagging behind this norm is also decreasing. The strength index within the female group during the same period occurs to be lower than the standard indicators and is not increasing. The vital capacity of the lungs in both male and female groups generally meets the age standards, though being slightly lower than the proper ones. The average values of the males` respiratory index correlate only with the lower limits of the norm, while the values of the females` index turn to be below the average norm. The share of students with reduced values of this indicator is 41,9% for males and 52,3% for females. The results obtained should be evaluated as a sign of reduced functionality of respiratory system of the students examined. These data are considered to be the evidence of insufficient students` motor activity, that makes it possible to use these results for elaborating programs for physical training to improve the functional state of university students within the period of study.

Needs Analysis for Workplace English Speaking Courses for University Engineering Students in the Kwara State of Nigeria

The globalization of world markets which has led to the hegemony of English language over other languages requires graduates from different fields of specialization to equip themselves with English communication skills to communicate effectively in local and international workplace contexts. This study was conducted to investigate the English speaking skills needed by engineering students in the Kwara states of Nigeria. A survey was carried out to compare how the respondents’ (undergraduate engineering students and industry workers in the Kwara State of Nigeria) self-rated their speaking interaction and production skills and to observe their perception of the importance of speaking interaction and production sub skills for workplace communication. The study concluded with suggestions for creating a better perception of the importance of English speaking skills among engineering students and creating a better workplace English curriculum so that students’ workplace speaking skills can be improved.

University STEM students' perceptions of creativity in non-routine problem-solving

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate students' perceptions about the characteristics of creativity and engagement in solving non-routine problems. It involved 64 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) university students, who participated in a two-year research project in New Zealand during which participants were given opportunities to utilise puzzle-based learning in their courses. Comparing open-ended responses of two surveys, this article focuses on student perceptions about attributes of creativity in non-routine problem-solving. These results have pedagogical implications for tertiary stem education.

Understanding the “this” reference in object oriented programming: Misconceptions, conceptions, and teaching recommendations

The paper presents research that aims to expose students’ understanding of the this reference in object-oriented programming. The study was conducted with high school students (N = 86) and college engineering students (N = 77). Conceptualization of this reflects an understanding of objects in general and involves aspects of programming variants and programmers’ preferences as well. To examine students’ conceptions, perceptions, and misconceptions we developed a diagnostic tool that uses this in various contexts, such as in constructors, as a visible parameter, for calling an overloaded constructor in class, or while transiting a non-static method using this to a static one. The detailed analysis revealed difficulties, in both groups of participants, in conceptualizing the meaning of this as the current object and in its various uses in the code. The discussion presents students’ conceptions of “what is this”, nine misconceptions that we characterized, and answers to our research questions. The conclusion offers recommendations for teaching and learning processes in light of the results obtained.

The impact of situated learning activities on technology university students' learning outcome

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate 3D virtual reality (VR) situated activity, preschool reality and how the lecture teaching method affects technology university students' learning outcome.Design/methodology/approachThe quasi-experimental design is used. Participants are 144 students in three classes who all take Child Development Assessment course. Research instruments include 3D VR animation, preschool live video and child development as the case. One class attended 3D VR situated activities, another observed preschool live video and the other takes a traditional lecture class. Learning outcomes were measured by two paper-and-pencil tests in different times and with one performance assessment. In the writing test, mechanical and meaningful questions were included.FindingsMajor findings of this study are, first, that the auxiliary learning of 3D VR is better than the real-life situation. Second, situational learning activities can enhance participant performance in context-based questions. In summary, this study found that well-organized 3D VR animation is more effective than live situation learning, especially for context-based course content.Research limitations/implicationsThe lack of random assignment into test groups leads to non-equivalent test groups which can limit the generalizability of the results to other student population.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that teachers can gradually arrange learning activities, from 3D VR to a real applied workplace; situated learning activities are more likely to support the transfer knowledge to real-life problem solving.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that teachers in arranging the classroom context activities can be the first to use 3D VR before actual reality to avoid novices getting lost in the complicated real situations. If learning activities can be arranged gradually, from 3D VR to real applied workplace, situated learning activities can help students to deploy their newly acquired knowledge and skills in real-life problem solving.

Exploration and Practice of the Training Mode of New Engineering Talents Creative Practice Ability

Under the background of new engineering, according to the characteristics of engineering college students, we should cultivate high-level engineering talents with innovative practice ability to meet the needs of enterprises. Aiming at the problem of great investment and little effect in innovation practice teaching reform, this paper adheres to the principle of effectiveness, combines the characteristics of college students, such as precocious thinking, active thinking, independent personality, impetuous self, eager for quick success and instant benefit, blind self-confidence, strong ability to take an examination, and the status quo of serious lack of cognition and experience of engineering practice and its importance and the characteristics of intelligent manufacturing specialty It is suitable for the cultivation of innovative practice ability of college students and the ways and measures to improve its effectiveness.

International ENTER Project: A New Pedagogical Training Approach for Engineering Educators

The formation of a modern generation of engineers capable to drive changes that meet the requirements of the future necessitates a new approach in pedagogical training of engineering teachers. The international ENTER (EngineeriNg educaTors pEdagogical tRaining) project is being developed as part of EU Erasmus program focused on addressing the actual education needs from the standpoint of human and social capitals development both in Europe and in other countries. The ENTER project is aimed at the creation and development of an international platform for multilevel vocational training/retraining of technical universities teachers on the basis of the Eurasian interaction network. Surveys among employers, teachers, and engineering university students, as well as scientific periodicals analysis allowed us to determine the complex of universal and specific engineering and pedagogical competencies that educators should master not only for today, but also for the future needs. Based on the competency analysis, a three-level modular teacher training/retraining program (iPET program) has been developed and its international accreditation is planned.