Problem Solving Skills Among Graduate Engineers: A Systematic Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 1044-1052
Author(s):  
Murugan Subramaniam ◽  
Aini Najwa Azmi ◽  
Muhammad Khair Noordin

Industrial Revolution 4.0 has been one of the most popular topics discussed among engineers. In the near future the non-technical skills will be equally or more important than technical skills. Moreover, IR4.0 will incur job displacement and majority of the task will be taken over by robots and Artificial Intelligent (Tapsir, S.H. and Puteh, M., 2018. Framing Malaysian Higher Education 4.0). Therefore, priority will be given to non-technical skills which cannot be done completely by the robots and Artificial Intelligent at the moment. NACE Job Outlook 2019 (To, F., et al., 2019. Job Outlook 2019, (November 2018)) shows Problem Solving Skills is the second most important skill sought by employers; Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC), 8-Disciplinary and Plan- Do-Check-Act (PDCA) are the very common systematic approaches used by the industries to solve the problem arose in the industrial environment. The studies show that the problems cannot be solved by using the same kind of thinking approach applied at the moment it was created. Therefore, a systematic analytical skill is required to handle the engineering related problems happening at manufacturing environment or engineering workplace. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing literature about Problem Solving skills for graduate engineers through a systematic literature review. This paper analyses literature through electronic databases mainly from Scopus and Web of Science. This paper summarizes types of problem-solving skills applied in the engineering field as of now. Based on that, engineers can differentiate and understand the approach of the problemsolving skills in the industrial environment to improve the failures and increase productivity.

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
MURUGAN SUBRAMANIAM ◽  
Muhammad Khair Noordin

Current survey shows there are 1 out of 5 graduates are unemployed (Site, 2018). Lack of non technical skills among graduates be one of the main reason for unemployment.Data shows Problem Solving Skills is the second most important non technical skill sought by employers (To et al., 2019); The studies show that the problems cannot be solved by using the same kind of thinking approach applied at the moment it was created. Therefore, a systematic analytical skill is required to handle the engineering related problems happening at manufacturing environment or engineering workplace. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existing literature about Problem Solving skills for graduate engineers through a systematic literature review. This paper analyses literature through electronic databases mainly from Scopus and Web of Science. This paper summarizes types of problem solving skills applied in the engineering field as of now. Based on that, engineers can differentiate and understand the approach of the problem solving skills in the industrial environment to improve the failures and increase productivity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-140
Author(s):  
Gusti Firda Khairunnisa ◽  
Yuli Ismi Nahdiyah Ilmi

The development of technology in the age of the fourth industrial revolution  affects almost every aspect of human lives, including education sector. Therefore, learning innovations are needed in order to meet learning objectives. The objectives are coaching people who are competitive and have 4C skills (communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation). One of the learning innovations in mathematics is the application of concrete and digital learning media. To explore and summarize the latest facts related to the concrete and digital mathematics learning media during industry 4.0, the authors of this study conducted a research using Systematic Literature Review method. A total of 30 literatures from various databases were interpreted. A review was drawn on the uses, strengths, and weaknesses of digital and concrete mathematics learning media during industry 4.0. The concrete learning media has advantages which include improving students’ problem solving, creative thinking, and visual thinking skills, but it requires more attention and care. Meanwhile, the advantages of digital learning media include increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of learning mathematics, supporting distance learning, and not requiring special maintenance. Nevertheless, there are still students and teachers who are not familiar with technology, some students do not have gadgets, and there are also inadequate internet networks in some areas.


Author(s):  
Byabazaire Yusuf ◽  
Abdul Hamid Busthami Nur

Redesigning higher education is one of the most widely discussed topics among educators, parents, and other community stakeholders. This is due to the current developments in digital technologies and onset of the fourth industrial revolution which is set to alter the way people live and work. This chapter suggests the implementation of the flipped classroom model as an appropriate approach for equipping students with creative abilities, problem solving skills, thinking skills, and lifelong learning skills. Eight in-service teachers pursuing a postgraduate course on a part-time basis participated in a qualitative study. The study was conducted using asynchronous virtual focus group dialogue sessions. The study addressed three main questions: 1) why they adopted a flipped classroom model, 2) how they implemented it, and 3) what fourth industrial revolution skills were developed using this model. On the whole, this approach created an active and collaborative environment which enabled students to demonstrate their creativity and problem solving skills needed for future careers.


SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401990017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester van Laar ◽  
Alexander J. A. M. van Deursen ◽  
Jan A. G. M. van Dijk ◽  
Jos de Haan

This study brings attention to the determinants of 21st-century skills and 21st-century digital skills. The following skills are investigated: technical, information, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. To understand differences in the level of these skills among workers, we need to know the factors that determine an individual’s skill level. A systematic literature review was conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of empirical studies measuring skill determinants. The results show that there is strong need for research on determinants of communication and collaboration skills. In a digital context, determinants for creativity and critical thinking are hardly studied. Furthermore, the identified determinants of 21st-century skills studies are limited to personality and psychological determinants, neglecting, for example, social determinants such as social support. Although digital skills studies show more variety, they mostly cover demographic and socioeconomic determinants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.20) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Alawiyah Abd Wahab ◽  
Teh Piak San

Software development outsourcing has become a prevalent practice in the software industry. Organizations in both public and private sectors are adopting software development outsourcing in order to achieve lower cost and to access to skilled labour. However, it is widely recognized that outsourced software development projects involve risks and sometimes leads to undesirable consequences. Existing research in the software engineering and related areas have identified several risks in the software development outsourcing projects such as lack of communication and technical skills. The aim of this paper is to examine the literature on outsourced software development in order to identify some risks that could occur during the pre-contract, contract and post-contract phases of the outsourcing life cycle. It is anticipated that by understanding these risks, project managers could better manage them and subsequently increase the possibility of the success of outsourcing project. A systematic literature review of studies on software development outsourcing published in year 2005 to year 2015 was conducted. Of 41 studies consulted, 18 were concerned with outsourcing software development risk factors. The top three risk factors identified are lack of required technical skills and competencies (61%), lack of communication (44%) and poorly articulated requirements (44%).  


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 2435-2457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Belinski ◽  
Adriana M.M. Peixe ◽  
Guilherme F. Frederico ◽  
Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes

PurposeIndustry 4.0 has been one of the most topics of interest by researches and practitioners in recent years. Then, researches which bring new insights related to the subjects linked to the Industry 4.0 become relevant to support Industry 4.0's initiatives as well as for the deployment of new research works. Considering “organizational learning” as one of the most crucial subjects in this new context, this article aims to identify dimensions present in the literature regarding the relation between organizational learning and Industry 4.0 seeking to clarify how learning can be understood into the context of the fourth industrial revolution. In addition, future research directions are presented as well.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a systematic literature review that covers Industry 4.0 and organizational learning based on publications made from 2012, when the topic of Industry 4.0 was coined in Germany, using data basis Web of Science and Google Scholar. Also, NVivo software was used in order to identify keywords and the respective dimensions and constructs found out on this research.FindingsNine dimensions were identified between organizational learning and Industry 4.0. These include management, Industry 4.0, general industry, technology, sustainability, application, interaction between industry and the academia, education and training and competency and skills. These dimensions may be viewed in three main constructs which are essentially in order to understand and manage learning in Industry 4.0's programs. They are: learning development, Industry 4.0 structure and technology Adoption.Research limitations/implicationsEven though there are relatively few publications that have studied the relationship between organizational learning and Industry 4.0, this article makes a material contribution to both the theory in relation to Industry 4.0 and the theory of learning - for its unprecedented nature, introducing the dimensions comprising this relation as well as possible future research directions encouraging empirical researches.Practical implicationsThis article identifies the thematic dimensions relative to Industry 4.0 and organizational learning. The understanding of this relation has a relevant contribution to professionals acting in the field of organizational learning and Industry 4.0 in the sense of affording an adequate deployment of these elements by organizations.Originality/valueThis article is unique for filling a gap in the academic literature in terms of understanding the relation between organizational learning and Industry 4.0. The article also provides future research directions on learning within the context of Industry 4.0.


Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 364
Author(s):  
Mohd Hizam-Hanafiah ◽  
Mansoor Ahmed Soomro ◽  
Nor Liza Abdullah

It is critical for organizations to self-assess their Industry 4.0 readiness to survive and thrive in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Thereon, conceptualization or development of an Industry 4.0 readiness model with the fundamental model dimensions is needed. This paper used a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and content analysis strategy to review 97 papers in peer-reviewed academic journals and industry reports published from 2000 to 2019. The review identifies 30 Industry 4.0 readiness models with 158 unique model dimensions. Based on this review, there are two theoretical contributions. First, this paper proposes six dimensions (Technology, People, Strategy, Leadership, Process and Innovation) that can be considered as the most important dimensions for organizations. Second, this review reveals that 70 (44%) out of total 158 total unique dimensions on Industry 4.0 pertain to the assessment of technology alone. This establishes that organizations need to largely improve on their technology readiness, to strengthen their Industry 4.0 readiness. In summary, these six most common dimensions, and in particular, the dominance of the technology dimension provides a research agenda for future research on Industry 4.0 readiness.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneeka Avlani ◽  
Maria Charalampous

<p>Remote working practices which involve performing professional work activities outside of the central workplace have gained considerable popularity over the years. However, leading remotely located employees is seemingly difficult. Therefore, this systematic literature review provides an in-depth understanding of the association between remote work and leadership competencies by collating data from twenty-one research studies between 2001 and 2019. A combination of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods designs revealed that trust and relationship-building skills, communication skills and technology skills are fundamental for effective remote leadership practice. Problem-solving skills and creating and maintaining awareness were also observed; however, with less significance. This review may be of considerable importance for academics to continue the theoretical advancement of research into remote working and practitioners to implement and manage remote leadership behaviours more effectively. Limitations and future directions are discussed.<br></p>


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