Reflective team meetings: A learning experience for first-year engineering students in joint projects

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marietjie Havenga
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Team Meetings

CAD Platform Independent Software for Automatic Grading of Technical Drawings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanchit Ingale ◽  
Anirudh Srinivasan ◽  
Diana Bairaktarova
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
First Year ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Students Success ◽  
Mechanical Objects

Spatial visualization is the ability of an individual to imagine an object mentally and understand its spatial orientation. There have been multiple works proving that spatial visualization skills can be improved with an appropriate training. Such training warrant a critical place in the undergraduate engineering curricula in many engineering schools as spatial skills are considered vital for students’ success in the technical and design fields [1–4]. Enhanced spatial skills help not only professionals in the engineering field but also everyone in the 21st century environment. Drawing sectional views requires mental manipulation and visual thinking. To enhance students spatial reasoning, one of the authors of this study, conducted a class in spatial visualization. The course-learning goal aimed at improving first-year engineering students’ spatial reasoning through instruction on freehand drawings of sectional view. During the semester, two teaching assistants had to grade more than 500 assignments that consisted of sectional views of mechanical objects. This was a tedious and a time consuming task. Motivated by this experience, this paper proposes a software aiming at automating grading of students’ sectional view drawings. The proposed software will also give live feedback to students while they are working on the drawings. This interactive tool aims to 1) improve the learning experience of first year students, with limited CAD knowledge, and 2) introduce a pedagogical tool that can enhance spatial visualization training.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Peer-to-Peer Lecture Films in Inverted Classroom Teaching Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Work Load ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Video Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Inverted Classroom

At HTW Berlin, Germany first year mechanical engineering students are taught material science as one of the fundamental courses with high work load in a blended learning environment with flipped classroom elements. Therefore peer-to-peer lecture films were established as source of theoretical background knowledge provided for self-study periods. Because the teaching method “inverted classroom” and class results directly relate to the quality of the video material one of the columns of lecture video production is the involvement of students in the lecture film production. First year students directly benefit from their fellow student learning experience, needs and perspective on teaching material. From the lecturers perspective students were generally more active and better prepared during class resulting in better grades. Practice examples introduce and evaluate both, the teaching method and videos.

scholarly journals INTRODUCTING A NEW ENGINEERING COURSE: A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dare ◽  
Brian Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Element ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

A Task Force was created by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in September 2004 charged with creating a new course for all first year engineering students to be delivered for the first time in September 2005. The course, to be taken by approximately 270 students, was to integrate material from other first year courses, introduce the students to working in teams, contain a substantial design element through a design project, and introduce communication skills. Nine professors from throughout engineering “volunteered” to help develop and deliver the course. In this paper we own up to what we did wrong during the first two years of delivery of this course, and (naturally!) counter this by celebrating our successes. Students are assessed based on a combination of individual and team submissions, with some submissions being oral and others written. This paper will outline the complex assessment scheme we initially used, and how we later simplified it. Rubrics were used to evaluate many of the course assignments. For most of the instructors, this was the first time they had used rubrics and so it was a learning experience to both develop and apply them. We show how we adapted their use in the second year of delivery after the experiences of the first year. We were pleased with the way that the assessments were mostly built around the design project – this helped the students grasp why clear communication is vital and enabled them to obtain continual feedback on the project. We were also delighted that an element of social responsibility was introduced into the course by making the project an international “Engineers Without Borders” project based in Africa. We believe this added an additional dimension to the course and especially the project. The professor-delivered skits were especially popular! Delivered by two wannabe actors, they introduced the students in a humorous manner to the different types of engineering that are taught at UNB. Engineering students at UNB have to commit to their specific engineering field from their first day at UNB, so these skits were included to ensure the students were exposed to all the UNB engineering disciplines. We conclude the paper with our plans for delivery of the course in September 2007 and beyond.

scholarly journals Experiential Learning for First Year Engineering through Outreach with a Local Community Hospital

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbey Desjarlais ◽  
Robert V. Fleisig
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
First Year ◽  
Practice Experience ◽  
Industry Professionals ◽  
Mcmaster University

The lecture is the staple of university learning. It can be effective in the teaching of fundamental engineering subjects such as calculus and physics. However, it offers little in bringing students to understand the role of the engineering profession and its practice. With limited budgets, time and resources, and large first year classes, creating a poignant learning experience for our students is immensely challenging. Yet the university classroom offers an unparalleled opportunity given its diverse pool of talent, skill, and ambition. With guidance our students have the ability to not only meet our high academic expectations but also make a real difference for people in their local communities. At McMaster University, our entire first year engineering cohort is contributing to their local community through interactions with medical professionals and their clients. With an increased emphasis on design, experiential learning, and community outreach we at McMaster University have developed a unique first year course that involves the design of rehabilitation devices in collaboration with occupational therapists, researchers, industry professionals, and local volunteers. The project provides students with a rich and real-world practice experience as well as benefiting those clients with unique problems. This paper describes the successful collaboration between the Hand Therapy Clinic at Hamilton General Hospital and the Engineering 1 programme at McMaster University. The occupational therapists at the clinic presented 800+ first year engineering students with a challenge: design a dynamic elbow orthosis for the unique problems faced by two of their clients. Volunteers from the local community of occupational therapists, industry professionals, and biomedical researchers worked with the students to help them design, build, and test their designs. The paper highlights the challenges of teaching the large class using experiential learning and outlines the approaches for challenging students with unique problems that demand creativity.

scholarly journals Enhancing The First Year Learning Experience For Biosystems Engineering Students At University College Dublin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Curran ◽  
Colleen Doyle ◽  
Enda Cummins ◽  
Kevin McDonnell ◽  
Nicholas Holden
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
University College

Development of “Real World” Project Skills for Engineering Students

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Aaron S. Blicblau ◽  
David Richards
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Project Work ◽  
First Year ◽  
Analysis Model

This work investigates the possible relationship between project results at first and final years of an engineering course for the same set of students to determine appropriateness of final year projects in a working environment. To determine if any significant prediction was applicable a multiple linear regression analysis model was applied to all sets of data. The analysis of results indicates that there is no significant correlation between grades from first year projects and final year projects. In terms of predictability of performance, exposure to first year projects is more of an initial adaptation to a teaching and learning environment. It is less of a suitable predictor of grade performance in project work in final year. For students to do well in their final year project, a period in industry greatly enhances their independent learning skills resulting in an overall enhanced learning experience. The major benefits to students in their final year project are in professional and personal areas, such as improved abilities to formulate, solve difficult problems and gain skills with independent learning.

scholarly journals REDESIGNING THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE: ONE PROFESSOR’S EFFO2 RTS TO DEVELOP AN ACTIVE AND ENGAGING FIRST YEAR THERMODYNAMICS COURSE

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Douglas Ruth ◽  
Sandra Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Course Performance ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Practical Action ◽  
Exit Survey ◽  
The University

Active learning is a pedagogicalmethodology that research has shown both engages andmotivates students. This paper reports on one professor’swork to infuse active learning into his first yearthermodynamics course. Based on the results of a pilotstudy aimed at exploring the use of active learning in afirst-year thermodynamics course to engage students andimprove their learning, a problem-solving learningapproach was designed for a subsequent offering of thecourse. Mini-lectures were interspersed with tutorials,and active learning and pedagogical tools and strategieswere employed with the intent to increase studentengagement and enhance learning. At the conclusion ofthis course, a student exit survey and a student focusgroup were conducted, and students’ course marks werecompared to their cumulative grade point averages toexamine their course performance. Findings showed thatstudents were engaged by the active learning design andevidence of learning was found. This is the second phaseof a practical action research study to turn a traditional,lecture-based course into an active learning arena forfirst year engineering students at the University ofManitoba.

scholarly journals Problem-based learning: Effects on academic performance and perceptions of engineering students in computer sciences

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 306
Author(s):  
Danilo Amaya Chávez ◽  
Vanesa-María Gámiz-Sánchez ◽  
Antonio Cañas Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Probabilistic Sampling ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

In the present article we analyse the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on learning and perceptions in first-year students undertaking Engineering in Computer Sciences. The module designed took a number of advanced theories of PBL and its application within the Engineering profession. Mixed methods were used to enable data from qualitative and quantitative instruments to be obtained. A quasi-experimental design was specified, employing non-probabilistic sampling, with a control (N = 40) and experimental group (N = 39). In comparing PBL with traditional methods, the results reveal statistically significant differences in aspects such as academic performance. Teamwork, oral communication, written communication and students’ perceptions of the learning experience were also all favoured. Nonetheless, lack of adequate team dynamics in previous learning experiences and reluctance to change traditional teaching approaches, could compromise the viability of that proposed.

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