scholarly journals The Impact Of Exposure To Biologically Inspired Design On The Environmental Ethics Of Undergraduate Engineering Students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
The Impact

Applying Designer Feedback to Generate Requirements for an Intuitive Biologically Inspired Design Tool

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Arlitt ◽  
Bryan M. O’Halloran ◽  
Jennifer Novak ◽  
Robert B. Stone ◽  
Irem Y. Tumer
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Directed Design ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
Generation Activity

This research provides a comparison of a set of Bio-Inspired Design (BID) tools to determine advantages and disadvantages of each, with particular focus on database-directed design processes. The result of this comparison is a set of beneficial attributes, discussed to develop requirements for formulating an effective BID tool. In this study, each tool is evaluated in terms of both the effectiveness of the concept generation process, and designer feedback concerning the effective elements. The comparison between tools uses concept sketches and feedback generated from a classroom of graduate and undergraduate engineering students. Over the course of a ten-week class, each BID technique was formally presented to the students. Following this presentation, students were given a new design problem and instructed to use the new BID technique to generate a set of solution concepts. Quantity of concepts generated was used to assess the goodness of each concept generation activity outcome, which forms one basis for comparing the different tools. In addition, questionnaires were used to assess and identify the various positive and negative elements of each BID tool.

scholarly journals Beyond analogy: A model of bioinspiration for creative design

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Freitas Salgueiredo ◽  
Armand Hatchuel
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Knowledge Bases ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Concept Knowledge ◽  
Bioinspired Design ◽  
Aerodynamic Properties ◽  
Biologically Inspired Design ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIs biologically inspired design only an analogical transfer from biology to engineering? Actually, nature does not always bring “hands-on” solutions that can be analogically applied in classic engineering. Then, what are the different operations that are involved in the bioinspiration process and what are the conditions allowing this process to produce a bioinspired design? In this paper, we model the whole design process in which bioinspiration is only one element. To build this model, we use a general design theory, concept–knowledge theory, because it allows one to capture analogy as well as all other knowledge changes that lead to the design of a bioinspired solution. We ground this model on well-described examples of biologically inspired designs available in the scientific literature. These examples include Flectofin®, a hingeless flapping mechanism conceived for façade shading, and WhalePower technology, the introduction of bumps on the leading edge of airfoils to improve aerodynamic properties. Our modeling disentangles the analogical aspects of the biologically inspired design process, and highlights the expansions occurring in both knowledge bases, scientific (nonbiological) and biological, as well as the impact of these expansions in the generation of new concepts (concept partitioning). This model also shows that bioinspired design requires a special form of collaboration between engineers and biologists. Contrasting with the classic one-way transfer between biology and engineering that is assumed in the literature, the concept–knowledge framework shows that these collaborations must be “mutually inspirational” because both biological and engineering knowledge expansions are needed to reach a novel solution.

Top down, bottom up and classroom reading anxiety and their effect on reading performance of undergraduate engineering students in Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-603
Author(s):  
Ashfaque Hussain Soomro ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Muhammad Younus
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Reading Performance ◽  
First Year ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Reading Anxiety ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore EFL reading anxiety of first-year undergraduate engineering students and its effect on their reading performance in a public sector engineering university in Pakistan. It specifically aims to explore their top-down, bottom-up and classroom EFL reading anxiety. Design/methodology/approach Data for the present study were collected from 200 first-year engineering students to explore their reading anxiety. A 20-item questionnaire developed by Zoghi and Alivandivafa (2014) was used to measure students’ EFL reading anxiety, while an IELTS academic reading test was used to measure their reading performance. The data were analyzed through exploratory factorial analysis and multiple regression analysis to determine which type of reading anxiety has a significant effect on students’ reading performance. Findings It was found that the bottom-up reading anxiety and the classroom reading anxiety have a significant negative impact on the reading performance of the first-year undergraduate engineering students of a Pakistani university. However, top-down reading anxiety has an insignificant negative impact on the reading performance of university students. Research limitations/implications The data for the current study were drawn from one Pakistani public sector engineering university, and all the students were first-year undergraduates. The data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire and IELTS (academic) reading test. Some of the students may be unfamiliar with the IELTS test pattern, so their reading performance might have been affected. Practical implications Teachers should adopt such a methodology in their EFL classrooms which helps students reduce their reading anxiety. Reading texts must be selected considering the proficiency level of students, and reading strategies must be explicitly taught to reduce bottom-up and top-down reading anxieties. Teachers should create a positive learning environment in their classroom by encouraging students to make an effort to improve their reading skills in order to deal with classroom reading anxiety. Students must be explained that they should help one another rather than ridiculing each other’s reading mistakes. Differentiated instruction can also be adopted to facilitate weak readers. The teachers can provide additional/out of the class support to weak readers in order to help them deal with reading anxiety. Originality/value The EFL reading anxiety among university students in the Pakistani context has received little attention from the researchers. Furthermore, although the impact of EFL reading anxiety on EFL students’ reading performance has been explored previously, the impact of three types of EFL reading anxiety on EFL learners’ reading performance has not been adequately investigated.

scholarly journals The role of undergraduate laboratories in the formation of engineering identities: A critical review of the literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Winberg ◽  
Simon L. Winberg
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Engineering Identity

Background: There was growing recognition worldwide by professional engineering bodies, engineering faculties and researchers on the need to pay attention to engineering students’ emerging identities and how they were formed across the trajectory of undergraduate engineering programmes. An increasing number of research studies focused on engineering identity, including systematic reviews of the research literature.Aim: Engineering laboratories were key learning spaces in undergraduate engineering programmes. In the laboratory, students learned to integrate theory and practice, engaged in problem-solving and applied experimental methods. The purpose of this critical review of the literature was to interrogate the impact that learning in engineering laboratories had on emerging professional identities across engineering disciplines and fields.Method: This review built on and extended previous systematic reviews on engineering identity by studying pedagogies in the engineering laboratory through the lens of identity formation. Search terms were consistently applied to eight databases, which yielded 57 empirical studies, after the application of relevance and quality appraisal criteria. Two reviewers independently applied a socio-materialist theoretical framework of identify formation to each study and coded each of the studies into categories aligned with the theoretical framework.Results: The findings of the critical review revealed the temporal, spatial, material, performative and discursive dimensions in engineering identity formation and showed that students’ emerging identities could be affirmed and supported by appropriate laboratory pedagogies.Conclusion: The critical review of the literature concluded that curricular and pedagogical interventions that were better aligned with the dimensions of identity formation were more likely to enhance students’ identification with engineering.

How Engineering Design Students’ Creative Preferences and Cognitive Styles Impact Their Concept Generation and Screening

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Heininger ◽  
Hong-En Chen ◽  
Kathryn Jablokow ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Risk Tolerance ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
The Impact

The flow of creative ideas throughout the engineering design process is essential for innovation. However, few studies have examined how individual traits affect problem-solving behaviors in an engineering design setting. Understanding these behaviors will enable us to guide individuals during the idea generation and concept screening phases of the engineering design process and help support the flow of creative ideas through this process. As a first step towards understanding these behaviors, we conducted an exploratory study with 19 undergraduate engineering students to examine the impact of individual traits, using the Preferences for Creativity Scale (PCS) and Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation inventory (KAI), on the creativity of the ideas generated and selected for an engineering design task. The ideas were rated for their creativity, quality, and originality using Amabile’s consensual assessment technique. Our results show that the PCS was able to predict students’ propensity for creative concept screening, accounting for 74% of the variation in the model. Specifically, team centrality and influence and risk tolerance significantly contributed to the model. However, PCS was unable to predict idea generation abilities. On the other hand, cognitive style, as measured by KAI, predicted the generation of creative and original ideas, as well as one’s propensity for quality concept screening, although the effect sizes were small. Our results provide insights into individual factors impacting undergraduate engineering students’ idea generation and selection.

Pilot of Systematic Ideation Study With Lessons Learned

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda C. Schmidt ◽  
Noe Vargas Hernandez ◽  
Gu¨l Kremer ◽  
Julie Linsey
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Treatment Condition ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Pilot Work ◽  
Experimental Process ◽  
The Impact

This work describes an experiment to research improving the ideation performance of undergraduate engineering students in classroom settings. This research investigates the impact of TRIZ, increasing emphasis on sketching during design, and using the Pulse Smartpen, on ideation performance. The research team’s goal is to develop an experimental design and protocols for this suite of ideation tools. Successful experimentation will provide a standard way to benchmark ideation tool effectiveness. The experimental design includes training students in the appropriate tools for their treatment condition and presenting students with an ideation design assignment. The design assignment results will be analyzed using ideation measures of novelty, variety, quantity and quality as defined in the literature. Results from pilot work at three institutions are introduced here along with observations on the experimental process to date.

scholarly journals Augmenting Mathematics Courses by Problem-Based Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Martin Frank ◽  
C. Roeckerrath
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Mathematics Courses ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Real World Applications ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
The Impact

We describe a project that aims to motivate undergraduate engineering students to participate more in mathematics courses. Our approach shares characteristics of active, project-based and problem-based learning. We have developed interactive projects that deal with the mathematics behind real-world applications. In this paper, we describe one example project in detail, and discuss our guiding principles in designing projects. The projects are open in the sense that there are many possible solutions, and several possible follow-up questions. We use a MATLAB environment, which helps intuitive understanding of mathematical notions, lowers the barrier to programming, and provides many interfaces. Our activities are bundled in an education lab, which we also briefly describe. We conclude with an assessment of the impact of the supplementary courses.

scholarly journals Emotional Intelligence and Undergraduate Engineering Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Skipper ◽  
Lindsay Greenlee ◽  
Jannette Finch ◽  
Kaitlin Marley
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
Senior Year ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
The Impact

Engineers in construction and manufacturing are expected to be able to work with and lead diverse, multidisciplinary teams. Engineering students entering the workforce must be not only technically competent, but also possess skills in working with other people. These traits are frequently lacking with newly graduated engineering students due to the highly technical focus of their curriculum. The opportunity to develop Emotional Intelligence skills is limited. This research proposed that Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) undergraduate students may possess a higher level of Emotional Intelligence than Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) undergraduate students. The research also proposed that if differences were observed, that causal influences could be identified. Undergraduate engineering students at The Citadel completed The TalentSmart Emotional Intelligence Appraisal® along with demographic data and a variety of questions regarding their undergraduate experience. This research included freshman and senior students in Civil and Environmental (CEE) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at The Citadel. These surveys suggested that undergraduate engineering students increase their EI score as they advance from Freshman to Senior year. The surveys also suggest that Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Majors do not advance in their EI scores from Freshman to Senior year as well as Civil and Environmental (CEE) majors. A positive connection was established between work experience and the impact on higher levels of EI. A positive correlation for growth in EI score was also demonstrated for students who attended high schools with smaller graduating classes. Based on the results of this research, the paper proposes CEE and ECE faculty place increased emphasis on encouraging students to pursue summer jobs, internships, and similar extracurricular programs. Both CEE and ECE faculty should evaluate their curriculum with an eye towards inculcating learning opportunities for EI into course work. Additionally, faculty and admission officials should give at least equal consideration to admitting students who graduate from smaller schools that may offer less college prep courses that may appeal to admissions officials

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