scholarly journals Exploring the Prototypical Definitions of Intelligent Engineers Held by Irish and Swedish Higher Education Engineering Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110006
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Buckley ◽  
Tomás Hyland ◽  
Lena Gumaelius ◽  
Niall Seery ◽  
Arnold Pears
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Practical Problem ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Underrepresented Groups ◽  
Knowledge Reasoning ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Negative Attributes ◽  
Discipline Knowledge

Males are generally overrepresented in higher education engineering. However, the magnitude of this variance differs between countries and engineering fields. Evidence associated with the field-specific ability beliefs hypothesis suggests that perceptions of intelligence held by actors within engineering affects the engagement of underrepresented groups. This study examined perceptions of an intelligent engineer held by undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students in Ireland and Sweden, countries selected based on their levels of female representation in engineering education. It was hypothesised that there would be a significant difference in perceptions between countries. A survey methodology was employed in which a random sample of Irish and Swedish university students completed two surveys. The first asked respondents to list characteristics of an intelligent engineer, and the second asked for ratings of importance for each unique characteristic. The results indicate that an intelligent engineer was perceived to be described by seven factors; practical problem solving, conscientiousness, drive, discipline knowledge, reasoning, negative attributes, and inquisitiveness when the data was analysed collectively, but only the five factors of practical problem solving, conscientiousness, drive, discipline knowledge and negative attributes were theoretically interpretable when the data from each country was analysed independently. A gender × country interaction effect was observed for each of these five factors. The results suggest that the factors which denote intelligence in engineering between Irish and Swedish males and females are similar, but differences exist in terms of how important these factors are in terms group level definitions. Future work should consider the self-concepts held by underrepresented groups with respect to engineering relative to the factors observed in this study.

scholarly journals Students’ Task Understanding during Engineering Problem Solving in an Introductory Thermodynamics Course

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Oenardi Lawanto ◽  
Angela Minichiello ◽  
Jacek Uziak ◽  
Andreas Febrian
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Engineering Problem ◽  
Prior Learning ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Task Interpretation

Understanding problems or tasks is a critical step in any problem-solving activity and the heart of self-regulated learning. When encountering a problem, students draw upon information available in the environment, along with knowledge, concepts, and perceptions derived from prior learning experiences, to interpret the demands of the task. Interpretation of tasks is, therefore, a key determinant of the goals set while learning, strategies selected to achieve those goals, and the criteria used to self-assess and evaluate outcomes. The purpose of this study is to better understand engineering students’ self-regulation in task interpretation processes while engaged in problem solving in an introductory engineering thermodynamics course. Two research questions guided the study: (1) What are the gaps, if any, between the instructor’s and students’ interpretation (explicit and implicit task features) of a problem-solving task?; and (2) How do students’ task interpretation (explicit and implicit) change after engaging in self-evaluation of their problem-solving processes? One hundred twelve (112) second year engineering undergraduates voluntarily participated in the study. Analysis of the data collected revealed a significant difference between the instructor’s and students’ task interpretation of the assigned problems. Furthermore, the analysis showed that students’ had a higher ability to identify the explicit parts of problem tasks than implicit ones. Students were able to grasp 63 to 77 percent and 39 to 49 percent, respectively, of the explicit and implicit information that was presented to them while engaged in problem-solving activities.

scholarly journals A Comparison between the Spatial Intelligence of the Freshman Engineering Students of Sharif University of Technology and Debrecen University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Nagy-Kondor ◽  
Saeed Esmailnia
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Spatial Abilities ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Spatial Intelligence ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Purdue Spatial Visualization Test ◽  
Shed Light

The goal of this paper is to compare freshman engineering students' spatial abilities (Spatial Intelligence) at two universities: Sharif University in Tehran and Debrecen University of Hungary, focusing on both their final mathematical exam performance and their gender so as to ascertain whether the students differ significantly in terms of their spatial abilities and/or their problem solving methods. The tests used to measure spatial intelligence performance and mental rotation was the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT Branoff). The test results have been statistically evaluated and conclusions formulated. The results show that there was no significant difference between Iranian and Hungarian freshman engineering students in the performance of mental rotation tasks. However, a general gender difference in spatial ability performance was evident among the Hungarian students but not among the Iranians. The results also shed light on spatial rotation problem-solving methods that appear to be largely specific to females.

scholarly journals Industry 4.0 and Current Competencies

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Eva Beke ◽  
Richard Horvath ◽  
Katalin Takacs-Gyorgy
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cyber Security ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
The Right

AbstractThere is a growing gap between higher education systems and the needs and demands of the labor market. Many of today’s students will work at jobs that just have emerged or do not even exist yet. The “newcomers” will need both digital and social-emotional skills in the coming years. These new competencies will make the new generation of employees’ company goals. This article presents the results of the recent research about modern-day competencies to evaluate what exactly relevant companies’ expectations are, how students see their knowledge and value in future workplaces, and how academia is coping with this new demand. For this analysis, I have conducted deep interviews with applicable entities, namely companies from the car industry and from the field of security industries (cyber security, integrated camera surveillance, financial security) to see how Industry 4.0 shapes the competencies they expect from our students entering to the job market. Engineering students - by questionnaire -were also interviewed at the Óbuda University, to examine their views about the skills gained at the university and how these competencies helping them to apply for the right position in the job market. Although the competence list showed similarities in the expected skill sets, the order of them differs. While most companies are aiming to hire team players with creative problem solving and those are capable and willing to accept changes, the students’ observations showed that technical skills, expertise, and problem solving are the most important competencies for future employment. Based on all participants’ answers and additional research, we aim to involve international companies to take part in our higher education system more thoroughly either by widening the practical in-site education or by inviting them to our university for lecturing future engineers. Furthermore, new courses are introduced at our university, such as information security, humanitarian response management, rehabilitation environmental planning engineering or ergonomics and human factors specialization.

No Significant Difference in Service Learninng Online

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Y. McGorry
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
Online Delivery ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Business Programs ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference

Institutions of higher education are realizing the importance of service learning initiatives in developing awareness of students’ civic responsibilities, leadership and management skills, and social responsibility. These skills and responsibilities are the foundation of program outcomes in accredited higher education business programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. In an attempt to meet the needs of the student market, these institutions of higher education are delivering more courses online. This study addresses a comparison of traditional and online delivery of service learning experiences. Results demonstrate no significant difference in outcomes between the online and face-to-face models.

First-Year Engineering Computing Courses in Canadian Engineering Programs

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Maw ◽  
Janice Miller Young ◽  
Alexis Morris
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Expected Value ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Digital Computation ◽  
Pedagogical Philosophies ◽  
Introductory Computing

Most Canadian engineering students take a computing course in their first year that introduces them to digital computation. The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board does not specify the language(s) that can or should be used for instruction. As a result, a variety of languages are used across Canada. This study examines which languages are used in degree-granting institutions, currently and in the recent past. It also examines why institutions have chosen the languages that they currently use. In addition to the language used in instruction, the types and hours of instruction are also analyzed. Methods of instruction and evaluation are compared, as well as the pedagogical philosophies of the different programs with respect to introductory computing. Finally, a comparison of the expected value of this course to graduates is also presented. We found a more diverse landscape for introductory computing courses than anticipated, in most respects. The guiding ethos at most institutions is skill and knowledge development, especially around problem solving in an engineering context. The methods to achieve this are quite varied, and so are the languages employed in such courses. Most programs currently use C/C++, Matlab, VB and/or Python.

scholarly journals Engineering students’ attitudinal beliefs by gender and student division: a methodological comparison of changes over time

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madison E. Andrews ◽  
Anita D. Patrick ◽  
Maura Borrego
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Value Engineering ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Students’ attitudinal beliefs related to how they see themselves in STEM have been a focal point of recent research, given their well-documented links to retention and persistence. These beliefs are most often assessed cross-sectionally, and as such, we lack a thorough understanding of how they may fluctuate over time. Using matched survey responses from undergraduate engineering students (n = 278), we evaluate if, and to what extent, students’ engineering attitudinal beliefs (attainment value, utility value, self-efficacy, interest, and identity) change over a 1-year period. Further, we examine whether there are differences based on gender and student division, and then compare results between cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses to illustrate weaknesses in our current understanding of these constructs. Results Our study revealed inconsistencies between cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the same dataset. Cross-sectional analyses indicated a significant difference by student division for engineering utility value and engineering interest, but no significant differences by gender for any variable. However, longitudinal analyses revealed statistically significant decreases in engineering utility value, engineering self-efficacy, and engineering interest for lower division students and significant decreases in engineering attainment value for upper division students over a one-year period. Further, longitudinal analyses revealed a gender gap in engineering self-efficacy for upper division students, where men reported higher means than women. Conclusions Our analyses make several contributions. First, we explore attitudinal differences by student division not previously documented. Second, by comparing across methodologies, we illustrate that different conclusions can be drawn from the same data. Since the literature around these variables is largely cross-sectional, our understanding of students’ engineering attitudes is limited. Our longitudinal analyses show variation in engineering attitudinal beliefs that are obscured when data is only examined cross-sectionally. These analyses revealed an overall downward trend within students for all beliefs that changed significantly—losses which may foreshadow attrition out of engineering. These findings provide an opportunity to introduce targeted interventions to build engineering utility value, engineering self-efficacy, and engineering interest for student groups whose means were lower than average.

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