Training Of Future Engineers Research Articles

An Innovative and Interactive Approach to Teaching Industrial Drawing to Engineering Students

This paper presents an innovative and interactive approach to teaching industrial drawing methods, which is designed to improve the way students learn about the spatial visualization of objects by means of orthographic projection and the resolution of complex orthographic projection problems, and how they master the standards and conventions of graphical representation. This new approach is supported by two innovative tools that function in accordance with the standards and prescribed approaches of the Bachelor of Engineering degree program at Polytechnique Montréal, and was validated in a classroom setting. The products of this research are a 2D/3D multimedia tutorial and a guide to the standards and conventions related to graphical representation which supports the tutorial. The examples provided in the tutorial teach students to visualize, with all the advantages of a multimedia presentation, a strategy for resolving orthographic projection problems. They are supported by the geometric laws that form the foundation of the resolution strategy itself. The strategy is based on the principles and techniques that are taught to students to develop their spatial visualization capabilities, in the belief that better visualization of those basic laws will allow students to fully grasp the nature of 3D objects in space, and obviate the need to apply a step-by-step resolution strategy. The tutorial is a tool that is supported by a reference document which outlines the standards and conventions governing graphical representation for product definition. This document is mainly composed of illustrations of examples and counterexamples which are accompanied by comments or brief descriptive para- graphs. This document is exhaustive and up to date, and, most importantly, it follows the standards prescribed by ACNOR CAN3-78-1-M83 and ISO 128-20. Used together, the tutorial and the guide save teachers time in the classroom, as well as facilitating the integration of new concepts into the course material for training future engineers, which have been approved by Polytechnique Montréal and the industry. The tutorial and guide also enable students to learn the various concepts more quickly, help them become more autonomous, and provide them with a structured method for finding valid solutions to complex orthographic projection problems.

Evolution of design in building the quay breakwater of the dock in Cartagena harbour. Paradigm of 18th century building knowledge

The case study of the port of Cartagena set out in this paper is intended to demonstrate the scientific, technical and cultural value of these constructions and so to contribute to the study of the unknown Mediterranean underwater cultural heritage as a prerequisite and essential step towards the promotion of its value and conservation. The need to erect an arsenal in the city of Cartagena during the 18th century required the construction of an artificial basin in the hidden Mandarache Sea. This project involved a technical struggle against nature requiring the latest expertise for its construction at that time. The study of the designed building solutions, the techniques carried out and the organisational processes performed in these works prove that they are an example on applying the latest know-how at that time by some of the most prominent scientists and technicians in the country. These works were performed by military engineer Mr. Sebastian Feringán Cortés in cooperation with sailor and scientist Mr. Jorge Juan and Santacilia and further consulting with Mr. Antonio de Ulloa. Such significant underwater works in the Arsenal of Cartagena are stated in the records of the time. Mr. Sánchez Taramas (1769) accounts them as unique and considers their study as utterly useful for training future engineers. This article was performed upon the analysis of different historical dossiers found in the Simancas General Archive (Valladolid, Spain), containing manuscripts written by the architects responsible for the building work whose results achieved highlight their historical and technical value and can be applied to other works of similar features around the Mediterranean basin.

Smartphone-Based Industrial Informatics Projects and Laboratories

The use of IT technologies plays an important role in the training of future engineers. In this paper, smartphones and multimedia technologies are proposed as an innovative way to tackle the formation of students, at different levels, in the Industrial Informatics (II) subject of the Industrial Electronics Engineering (IEE) degree. II instructs future Engineers in the design of IT systems to control industrial processes. In the first level, smartphones are used to display a web-based multimedia tool that is implemented to register the lecture explanations regarding the design of II systems, so as it facilitates student to guide him/her self in the learning process. In the second level, the smartphone is proposed as the control system of a medium size industrial process (e.g., water tank). Since II uses a problem-based learning methodology (miniproject) to instruct the design of II systems, for each lecture, laboratory practices are tackled, and the solutions obtained are embedded in the smartphone to control the corresponding part of the miniproject. An application of the Smartphone multimedia tool is presented to show how students interact with the developed system. The successful evaluation of the proposed tools, by more than 900 IEE students during three years, is shown.

A Motivating Experience for Learning Alternaing Current

This paper describes a proposal for teaching the concept of alternating current. While carrying out the task, the active participation of students will be encouraged. The teaching strategies will be directed to promote active learning, motivating curiosity and experimentation. In this way, students will establish more solid relationships between theory and practice. With this objective in mind, common elements and instruments currently used in a laboratory of electronics will be used to teach the relationship between perceptible effects and the mathematic model which describes alternating current. From the wave's observable characteristics, students will be able to find the relationship with the image display by the oscilloscope. Other new technical concepts will also be introduced, such as noise, signal, distortion and link. Once the student has interpreted these concepts, he will be able to understand the most relevant parameters of an electric signal. This paper will argue not only the importance of this learning methodology, in which students are in charge of their own discoveries but also the relevance of this kind of practical activities in the training of future engineers. During the years in which this methodology was incorporated, students showed higher motivation in learning and were also able to make interesting hypothesis and elaborate more accurate conclusions.

Laboratory Activities in Industrial Sequential Automation through a Virtual and Physical Environment

 Abstract—The present project is intending as a new training approach based on the communication technology and the interaction between future engineers and technicians students. The first phase of the global project was consisted of developing of an automated mini-plant for containers recycling process and was realized by engineering students attending the project-based design courses. The second phase is consisting in development of the virtual environment allowing interactions between the students and between the students and the mini-plant. A laboratory activity has been conducted on the modules of the mini-plant. Future engineers and technicians have the mission to design, program and troubleshoot while they are working simultaneously. The obtained results demonstrate that the engineers and technicians students communicate effectively but they have different skills and competences. The training objectives have been achieved and the learned lessons will be exploited to enhance the training level and the competences in the future. engineers and technician to rapid technological changes in automation systems. A relevant solution can be based on training by providing required skills to future engineers and technicians training. In fact, their academic contents also have to be constantly modernized to track current technologies and future trends. Aware to the training quality, the Universite du Que bec a Rimouski (UQAR), the Ce gep de Rivie re du-Loup (CEGEP) and the Premier Tech Company (PTS), a world leader in the bagging equipment field, have decided to join forces in order to improve the training of future engineers and technicians in Industrial Automation field.

Case study research: training interdisciplinary engineers with context-dependent knowledge

It is now widely acknowledged that water management discipline is transforming, from being a public health and flood prevention challenge of the nineteenth century to a multi-dimensional challenge of water security for the twenty-first century. In order to train water engineers to be capable of working with this holistic multi-dimensional approach, a new paradigm in engineering education is required. Adjustments already made to undergraduate coursework are not enough; this new paradigm requires modifications to the PhD in engineering, with greater emphasis on interdisciplinary case study research. Such a change can deliver PhD graduates with both sufficient social and technical knowledge, who can then go on to become the hybrid lecturers crucially needed for training future water engineers.

Human Factors and Ergonomics in Engineering Curricula

Towards the training of future engineers as intellectual leaders, skilled and well prepared professionals who are creative, know how to work in team and to communicate with other areas, is necessary a framework where the ergonomic design is the core and is surrounded by technology, human factors and market opportunities. In the domain of scientific research, the IEEE Society has been developing the Human System Interaction International Conference aiming at enhancing the research activities in many areas such as electronics, robotics, computer science, education and human factors

An Experimental Study Education of Freshmen for Training Future Electrical Installation Engineers

An Experimental Study Education of Freshmen for Training Future Electrical Installation Engineers

Working Together for Better Student Learning: A Multi-University, Multi-Federal Partner Program for Asynchronous Learning Module Development for Radar-Based Remote Sensing Systems

Students are not exposed to enough real-life data. This paper describes how a community of scholars seeks to remedy this deficiency and gives the pedagogical details of an ongoing project that commenced in the Fall 2004 semester. Fostering deep learning, this multiyear project offers a new active-learning, hands-on interdisciplinary laboratory program in which engineering, geoscience, and meteorology students are encouraged to participate actively. Storms, tornadoes, and hazardous weather cause damage and loss that could be minimized through enhanced radar technologies and longer warning lead times. To study these topics, the program has generated a unique, interdisciplinary research-oriented learning environment that will train future engineers and meteorologists in the full set of competencies needed to take raw radar data and transform them into meaningful interpretations of weather phenomena.

DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AS FUNDAMENTAL DISCIPLINE IS IN SYSTEM OF MATHEMATICAL PREPARATION OF FUTURE SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Fundamental mathematical background is an important part of training future engineers and programmers. The paper considers existing approaches to teaching the fundamentals of discrete mathematics specialist IT profile, a comparative analysis of modern textbooks on discrete mathematics for IT professionals was conducted.

Impact Assessment as a Means to Train Future Engineers for Sustainable Development

Today's engineers are not only expected to develop new products and technical solutions to everyday problems. Against the background of sustainable development (SD) they should also be involved in developing comprehensive long-term solutions for global interrelated socio-economic and environmental problems. These comprise poverty, climate change, energy supply, drinking water scarcity, and other features. Besides, even useful technologies that were developed for the improvement of the standard of living can have short- or long-term irreversible negative impacts on human life or the environment (e.g., cooling systems with non-explosive CFC gases were developed to improve safety at home and ended up being banned for their ozone-depletion potential). Therefore, engineers need to consider social and environ mental side effects as well as potential unintended impacts that could be caused by technological developments. Consequently, methods for inter- and transdisciplinary impact assessment (IA) should play a key role in engineering education (EE) right from the start. This paper points out some key questions for further research related to IA-relevant courses in EE.

Problems with Civil and Environmental Engineering Education in the U.S.

Problems with Civil and Environmental Engineering Education in the U.S.

Training future power engineers

This article presented some of the views of representatives from industry, academia, and government, who all share a common vision: to be able to put together a structure that allows the proper training of the best power engineers, capable of meeting the challenges posed by the continued expansion of the future electric power grid. For industry, these challenges include managing the in-house knowledge in such a way that it is preserved and transferred to new graduates, while at the same time collaborating with universities to maximize the industrial relevance of engineering programs. For universities, the challenges are even more difficult to meet: satisfying industry demands, while preserving their independence and continuing to provide a basic education that can carry graduates through a career that span many decades. In power engineering, these challenges are more difficult to meet, given the multidisciplinary nature of the field and the still limited employment opportunities. Finally for government, there is a unique opportunity to serve the needs of both universities and industry, and to allow universities to train adequately highly qualified personnel.

Efficacy of Interactive Internet‐Based Education in Structural Timber Design

AbstractWhile traditional teaching methods (e.g., real‐time, synchronous lectures) have proven effective for training future engineers, the Internet provides an avenue to reinforce the material and augment student learning, comprehension, and retention of material. This paper presents the integration and assessment of a library of interactive instructional modules specifically for a senior‐level undergraduate elective course in civil engineering. An ongoing, comprehensive assessment process was implemented in the fall 1999 semester. The results of this quantitative assessment indicate that the use of well designed and pedagogically sound Internet‐based supplemental modules provide students with a better understanding of course material. However, when Internet‐based content does not promote critical thinking, little increase in the student performance and understanding of the material is realized. Interactive Web‐based instruction should not be viewed as a “replacement” to traditional instruction, but rather a tool that provides a broader and more dynamic environment for students with a variety of learning styles.

Ethics, engineering, and sustainable development

The author attempts to provide the rationale for a philosophy of engineering ethics grounded in the notion of sustainable development. It is central to his thesis that this new philosophy can be best inculcated into the culture of engineering through engineering education-experience and intuition are not enough. Engineering ethicists must work more closely with engineering scientists to ensure that all facets of sustainable technology become a practical reality. While professors of engineering science can increase awareness by stimulating engineering students to build sustainable ideas into their designs, professors of engineering ethics might work to complement this by helping to transform the attitudes, values, and philosophies of the new engineer. If the engineering profession can accomplish this grand challenge through engineering ethics education, and train future engineers to become leaders in business and social policy, as well as counselors to corporate executives and citizens alike, they can finally fulfill their professional ideal as benefactor of humankind, and no longer be cast as obedient servants to corporatism.

Kombi-Verdampferanlage zur Ausbildung von Chemiker/-innen und Ingenieur/-innen an der Ingenieurschule beider Basel

A pilot evaporation plant designed and built to train future chemists and process engineers at the Basle State Institute of Technology, Switzerland, is presented and first experiences from running it are discussed.

The Strategic Management of Information: an Essential Element in the Training of Engineers∗

SUMMARY Why should engineering students be trained in the effective use of information sources? How can this education and training be integrated into the curriculum within technical universities? What role can information specialists and librarians play for training future engineers in this field of information mastery? This paper introduces a debate which is largely developed in some countries, specially in France, within the French Grandes Ecoles