Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

Integrating Professional Preparedness ePortfolios Within an Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum

Integrating Professional Preparedness ePortfolios Within an Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum

Improving Representation of Women in the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum

Improving Representation of Women in the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Curriculum

Integration of Energy Conservation Principles Across Mechanical Engineering Curriculum: A Work-in-Progress Project

The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum stands as fundamental laws in physics, resonating deeply within engineering education. This ongoing project, now in its third year of implementation, aims to seamlessly integrate energy conservation principles across the mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum. Across various courses, including dynamics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics, students delve into the diverse forms of mechanical energy. From kinetic and potential energy in dynamics to fluid flow energies and thermodynamic principles in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics courses respectively, the overarching principle remains: energy is neither created nor destroyed but instead transfers between different forms, maintaining a constant total within a fixed domain. The project emphasizes the energy balance equation introduced in the first Thermodynamics course, laying the groundwork for subsequent exploration. Students are guided through the transition from the first law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli's equation in Fluid Mechanics, bridging theoretical concepts with practical applications. This integration continues into Heat Transfer and elective courses such as Industrial Hydraulics and Aerodynamics. To assess student comprehension, direct and indirect assessments are conducted, measuring understanding through principle and practical examples. Feedback and questionnaire responses indicate enhanced understanding of energy conservation principles through the synchronization of energy balance concepts across multiple courses. This presentation showcases the evolution of our work-in-progress project, initially presented at the 2022 and 2023 WVAS meetings. By fostering a holistic understanding of energy conservation principles, our aim is to empower students with a comprehensive foundation to tackle real-world engineering challenges.

Transmedia storytelling in materials selection design: an interdisciplinary experience with undergraduate engineering students

ABSTRACT This article aims to present our experience with transmedia storytelling in the design of materials selection, integrating two disciplines within an undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum in Brazil. The students’ project involved developing a narrative within the fictional universe of superheroes while exploring material properties using Ashby’s methodology. The study aimed at answering two key questions: (1) Can transmedia storytelling contribute to student learning and skills development? and (2) What are the difficulties when using this methodology? Three evaluation approaches were used: test scores, students’ perceptions, and our observations of students’ skills development during this project. It was observed that participating students demonstrated significant test score improvements, indicating enhanced learning, with reported challenges in effort and skill development, particularly in story creation and teamwork. Ultimately, this project allowed students to achieve several cognitive learning objectives, fostering the development of crucial skills like communication and problem-solving. The use of transmedia storytelling in undergraduate engineering courses has the potential to facilitate the cultivation of essential competencies for future engineers across a varied range of cognitive levels, albeit requiring considerable time for planning strategies and creating content.

Experiential learning in engineering education: A systematic literature review

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

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

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

Combining experiments, theory, and computer simulation: Application of dynamics analysis of unbalanced wheels rolling without sliding on horizontal paths

AbstractRigid solid body dynamics is a key element of the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. In a context of reverse engineering and/or sustainable development, being able to analyze the mechanical and material properties of a system without damaging it is a required skill. In this work, two systems based on wheels rolling over horizontal paths without sliding are studied: an unbalanced hollow cylinder and a wheel with displaced mass assembly. Four generations of last year's bachelor's students in mechanical engineering, representing a hundred people a year, followed a total of 12 h of practical sessions working on such systems. Without focusing on the programming part, this paper aims at showing how computer tools can help and improve a rigid solid body dynamics course. The objectives were to develop, apply, and analyze this teaching sequence, allowing students to (i) perform and characterize experimental measurements, (ii) establish systems motion equations, and (iii) think about dynamics results through cross‐talks between different techniques such as geometrical and analytical methods as well as computer‐assisted design tools. Different analysis methods of these systems could be discussed in the context of the classes, successfully bringing pertinent reflections to the students. The possibility of transferring such discussions to other contexts proved to be wide, thanks to computer science, dynamics software, other analysis methods and applications.

Effects of a Spiral Curriculum With Application-Based Project and Lab Components on Motivation and Achievement of Engineering Students in an Urban University

Background: Engineering curricula often consist of separate courses that do not form a cohesive learning experience. Researchers revised an undergraduate computer engineering curriculum at an urban university, seeking to improve motivation and achievement in an important population that is traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Contribution: The university serves a diverse student body with a high percentage of first-generation college students. Curriculum reform is important for improving student learning experiences and retaining students in STEM fields. This study provides evidence for benefits of such curriculum reform with this population. Research Questions: The purpose of the study was to determine if the revised curriculum improved student motivation and achievement, and to what extent students felt it prepared them for their future careers. Methodology: This was a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study, using both within- and between-subjects designs. Quantitative data collected were pre- and post-motivational inventories and grades. Qualitative data included interview data and open-ended survey responses. Findings: Analyses revealed that post-course motivation, when controlling for precourse motivation, was significantly higher for the experimental group in three motivation subscales and students in the experimental group had significantly higher grades in the course than those in the control group. Qualitative data showed participants felt the revised courses built off of each other and helped them learn skills they would need in their careers.

Competency Evaluation using Graduate Attributes – A comparative study

The reformation in the education system is inevitable with the growth and advancement in the society. Thus, towards the end of the 20th century, there is a pedagogical transformation from the output-based education system to the outcome-based education system. Outcome based education is a student centric learning approach in which learning is set around specified goals (outcomes). It gives importance to the knowledge and skills acquired by students than what or how something is taught. The role of the faculty is as facilitator to help students in achieving desired outcomes. In this method, the purpose of any program is clearly specified in terms of Course Outcomes, Program Outcomes, Program Specific Outcomes, and Program Educational Objectives. The attainment of these outcomes is a measure of effectiveness of the program and the assessment of the same is monitored by various accreditation agencies in different parts of the world. After a series of discussions among these agencies, a set of graduate attributes are set forth as parameters for the assessment of the quality of education. In India, the accreditation agency is known as the National Board of Accreditation and the graduate attributes are named as program outcomes. A student graduating from an accredited program is considered a competent graduate. In this study, the competency of Civil Engineering graduates of selected institutes in Kerala state is compared in terms of these graduate attributes. The opinion of academicians and industry professionals regarding the preparedness of the current undergraduate civil engineering curriculum to develop “industry-ready engineers” is also discussed in the study. Keywords—attainment; competency; civil engineering curriculum; graduate attributes

A novel way to designing the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum using active stakeholder participation

Curriculums that are adaptable to the demands of the communities they serve are the most effective. Whether you intend to modify an existing curriculum or develop one from scratch, you must first undertake an evaluation. This article outlines the creative method utilised to develop the new curriculum in accordance with AICTE requirements. The first stage in formulating a plan is to determine the industries where graduates will find work and the skill sets they will require to be successful in those professions. The strategy emphasizes the need of including important stakeholders in curriculum development at an early stage. According to the findings of a survey given to a diverse group of stakeholders, there are issues with the current curriculum as it is assessed. This paper presents a case study of the development of the mechanical engineering curriculum at Tier-I institution from western Maharashtra for undergraduate (UG) students. Keywords— Curriculum Design; stakeholders’ involvement; active participation; Mechanical Engineering.

Effective Assessment Strategies for Project-Based Learning

Rapid technological changes have radically changed the expectations of employers from the current generation of engineering graduates, necessitating educators to focus on the development of core subject comprehension and required skills among the students in their engineering programs. Research has shown that project-based learning (PBL) is an effective pedagogy to address this dual requirement of core technical knowledge and skills to effectively utilize this knowledge to solve problems. PBL is a pedagogical approach wherein students work to address real- world problems and challenges through the application of knowledge acquired in the class, unlike the traditional classroom approach involving lectures, studying, and taking tests. The core of every PBL course involves effective cooperation, collaboration, and communication among students and between students and faculty. It is believed that this hands-on learning through problem- solving, combined with the development of soft skills, helps enhance learning outcomes and elevates learning to higher cognitive levels. An innovative course titled “Engineering Exploration”, taught and co-designed by a multidisciplinary faculty is offered at the authors’ institution. The course is a core component of the first-year undergraduate engineering curriculum. During this course, students learn about and apply the full range of engineering design tasks, from the development of need statements and problem definition to virtual and physical prototyping, to solve real-world problems. A continuing outcome of this course is interdisciplinary problem-solving, engineering design process, and teamwork. Effective assessment of student learning is a challenge in PBL courses. To address this constant challenge, the authors have developed a comprehensive assessment strategy, incorporating summative, formative, and diagnostic assessments, to assess student learning throughout the course. This paper presents a discussion of these strategies, our experiences and observations, and strategies to incorporate the same into PBL courses. Keywords— project-based learning, assessment, diagnostic assessment, PROBE

Approaching Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Education as Imperative to Engineering Curricula

It is increasingly recognized that integrating concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into engineering education is critical to the students’ personal and professional development. When engineering students learn about EDI, it can improve their working relationships with teammates and illuminate the social impact of their work on the communities they serve. It is integral to incorporate EDI into the undergraduate engineering curriculum; however, there are several challenges and questions regarding the ideal method of implementation. Since 2019, the E-IDEA (Engineering Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Advancement) Teamwork Initiative has been developing a series of workshops focused on EDI and teamwork that are conducted directly in engineering classrooms. Using both problem-based and experiential learning approaches, these workshops teach interpersonal skills through an EDI lens, preparing students for success in diverse teams, in the workplace, and in their communities.

Analyzing the Employability Skills of Engineering Graduates using AHP Techniques - A Case Study of Kerala State in India.

In the present era, only competent graduates can survive in the global economy. The Washington accord suggested twelve graduate attributes essential for competent engineering graduates. Various accreditation agencies measure the competency of engineering graduates in terms of these graduate attributes. This paper presented the perception of academicians’ and industry professionals’ regarding the most important skill needed for a competent engineering graduates. Also, the paper discussed how far the present undergraduate engineering curriculum prepares the engineering graduates to be industry ready. Identification of the most important skill needed for engineering graduate is done by employing one of the multi criteria decision method called Analytical hierarchy process (AHP). AHP incorporates several criteria and order of preference in evaluating and selecting the best option among many alternatives based on the desired outcome. The responses from academicians as well as industry professionals from Civil Engineering stream in Kerala, India were collected. The criteria weights were determined based on the procedure given by Saaty. The consistency index values reinforced the reliability of judgment. The study showcased that problem solving skill and teamwork are the most important skill needed for an engineering graduate from academicians’ viewpoint. According to industry professionals, engineering knowledge is more important than problem solving skills. Also, in the present study academicians and industry professionals unanimously suggested the revision of curriculum, internships for students, the collaboration between academicians and industry professionals both in academia and industry, exposure of students to real world problems are some of the means to develop competency in Civil Engineering graduates.

Offsite Construction education adoption in Civil Engineering undergraduate curriculum: analysis and proposal

Offsite construction (OSC) is not new globally yet is still not widespread in Civil Engineering (CE) programs. This study proposes strategies for implementing OSC education in a CE undergraduate program curriculum. The research method used was the exploratory field study. Data were collected from three online questionnaires sent to interested parties: OSC industry professionals, faculty members, and final-year students. Each questionnaire sought to answer a specific objective of this study: to identify the design and onsite assembly competencies demanded by the industry, identify the interfaces between OSC and the CE program curriculum and determine the level of confidence of final-year students in applying OSC competencies. The collected data analysis was qualitative and generated from a crossing of the data from the three questionnaires, which supported the proposition of hypotheses for the insertion of OSC teaching by identifying the needs, deficiencies, and difficulties the three interested parties presented. Findings suggest that the OSC competencies most demanded by the industry are about knowing how to detail the interfaces between the components and the parts of the construction site, guarantee the assembly of elements within the deadlines, or learning how to take safety measures against accidents during the construction site. Data also suggest that students are interested in the subject but graduate with little confidence in applying most of the design and onsite assembly competencies demanded by the industry. One of the few exceptions is the knowledge to take safety measures against accidents on the job site. As a result, two hypotheses were generated to adopt OSC teaching in a Civil Engineering program.

Computer Engineering Education Experiences with RISC-V Architectures—From Computer Architecture to Microcontrollers

With the growing popularity of RISC-V and various open-source released RISC-V processors, it is now possible for computer engineers students to explore this simple and relevant architecture, and also, these students can explore and design a microcontroller at a low-level using real tool-flows and implement and test their hardware. In this work, we describe our experiences with undergraduate engineers building RISC-V architectures on an FPGA and then extending their experiences to implement an Arduino-like RISC-V tool-flow and the respective hardware and software to handle input-output ports, interrupts, hardware timers, and communication protocols. The microcontroller is implemented on an FPGA as a Senior Design project to test the viability of such efforts. In this work, we will explain how undergraduates can achieve these experiences including preparation for these projects, the tool-flows they use, the challenges in understanding and extending a RISC-V processor with microcontroller functionality, and a suggestion of how to integrate this learning into an existing curriculum, including a discussion on if we should include these deeper experiences in the Computer Engineering undergraduate curriculum.

Students’ Experience of an Integrated Electrical Engineering and Data Acquisition Course in an Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents an innovative course sequence to integrate Electrical Engineering (EE) Fundamentals into the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Instrumentation and Data Acquisition (DAQ) course and reports students’ experience relevant to the sequence’s intended outcomes of helping students learn and connect EE concepts with ME applications and develop their engineering identities. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> The ME Department at Seattle University was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant to revolutionize its undergraduate program. This project focuses on doing engineering to foster stronger engineering identities. This course sequence is part of the curriculum change for this project and includes open-ended, real-world labs incorporating both EE and DAQ. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions:</i> 1) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Engineering Learning:</i> What evidence is there that students learned EE and DAQ concepts and integrated them with ME? 2) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Identity Development:</i> How did the students connect the experience to their evolving identity as engineers? 3) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Over-Time Experience:</i> How did students experience the course? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> A mix of quantitative and qualitative data was used: quantitative data (a standardized test) and qualitative data source (mini reflections that students provided over the course sequence) were analyzed to address the research questions that connect the educational design aspects and the intended outcomes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> The new course sequence created an opportunity to do engineering in a rich way and provided fertile ground for developing engineering identities. Students understood and retained EE and DAQ concepts at a level equal to when the material was taught via separate courses.

A team‐oriented course development experience in distance education for multidisciplinary engineering design

AbstractBased on the multidisciplinary needs of today's complex and innovative technology, accreditation bodies of engineering demand proof of multidisciplinary teamwork in undergraduate engineering curricula. This article reports the design and conduct of a Multidisciplinary Engineering Design (MED) course initiated as a result of accreditation process requirements. The course, which consists of multidisciplinary lectures, practice sessions, and various phases of a multidisciplinary team project, was conducted online because of the COVID‐19 pandemic by a multidisciplinary team of instructors using multiple software tools to enhance collaboration. In general, the course outcomes were satisfied under the current design, and several points for further improvement and elaboration were collected via quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Accordingly, the results show that the project‐based and team‐based MED course, in terms of multidisciplinary course management and its outcomes, can benefit from the use of software tools in creating a multidisciplinary team in distance education by means of enhanced cooperation and motivation among the participants.

An observational protocol to measure learning in a problem-based learning vibrations course

We have incorporated problem-based learning into several courses in an undergraduate engineering curriculum, including dynamics and vibrations. Students' prior knowledge (both formal and informal) were assessed through concept inventories to determine what prior knowledge supported or impeded the acquisition of new content in these courses. A point-and-click classroom observation tool was developed and refined over the span of two consecutive academic semesters to capture the students' interactions as they engaged in authentic learning activities in engineering. We identified patterns of discourse and interactions among the students and instructor, and, in vibrations, we identified a gap in the curriculum from the pre-requisite course, differential equations. The concept inventories and revised observational protocol that we have developed will enable instructors to assess the quality of the prior knowledge that students bring into a course and to analyze the manner in which students and instructor engage around the course content. We are developing bridge curriculum to improve transference of the theoretical knowledge in differential equations and the applied skills in vibration. This project spans across the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and includes observations on the interventions (successful and unsuccessful) where we attempted to continue student learning through a disrupted environment.

Digitalisation in chemical engineering: Industrial needs, academic best practice, and curriculum limitations

The digitalisation megatrend is currently changing the way whole sectors of the economy are operated and in the manufacturing sector, digitalisation promises productivity improvements with seemingly marginal investments in “steel and concrete”. These sector wide shifts will inevitably influence how a chemical engineering graduate would perform their job functions, irrespective if they are working in an area such as petrochemical manufacturing or in the financial and management sector of the economy. This manuscript presents the results from three targeted surveys carried out to get a better understanding of (1) what alumni from a chemical and materials engineering degree think these changes will mean for them, (2) expert opinions on the level of detail key topics of digital twins, big data and Internet of Things (IOT) should be covered by an undergraduate chemical engineering curriculum and (3) what staff from a chemical and materials engineering degree think the best way to embed these concepts into an undergraduate level chemical engineering education. Analysing the results from the survey highlighted the following aspects. (1) An overwhelming number of alumni reported that elements of digitalisation are already influencing their industry and job function and these influences are likely to get stronger overtime (2) The experts identified that chemical engineering graduates will likely drive the development of digital twins hence requiring a high level of understanding in this subject. The graduates would only need to apply Big Data analytics and likely not be involved with the IOT developments. (3) The staff identified that these requirements identified by the experts can be satisfied by taking a two-pronged approach of adding modules to current core courses while developing standalone elective courses to cover the more advanced concepts.

Using SIR Epidemic Modeling and Control to Teach Process Dynamics and Control to Chemical Engineers

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented opportunities to introduce control systems topics in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. This paper describes two computer modeling assignments based on MATLAB with Simulink developed for CHE 461: Process Dynamics and Control taught at Arizona State University during the fall 2020 semester. A myriad of important concepts, among these dynamic modeling using conservation and accounting principles, linearization, state-space system and transfer function model representations, PID feedback control and Internal Model Control design can be applied to the problem and explained to students in the context of a significant world event representing a unique “process” system, notably the COVID-19 pandemic.