scholarly journals TEACHING AIRCRAFT DESIGN:A CASE STUDY ON AN ALTERNATIVE ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE CAPSTONE FINAL YEAR PROJECT

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Cartile ◽  
Catharine C. Marsden ◽  
Yong Zeng ◽  
Brandiff Caron
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Engineering ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Design Creativity ◽  
The University ◽  
Engineering Training

Abstract – The effectiveness of aerospace design engineering education has received a great deal of anecdotal feedback from its stakeholders. The aerospace industry, the Canadian government, the University, and the enrolled engineering students have expressed customer needs and expectations of design engineering training.  While numerous curriculum reform initiatives have been developed and implemented, their impact has not yet beenstudied quantitatively. This paper proposes to use a theoretical model on design creativity, the statistical Q methodology, and an aerospace undergraduate capstone team case study to develop a tool for the quantitative evaluation for the effectiveness of aerospace design engineering education.  

scholarly journals A Simple but Efficient Concept of Blended Teaching of Mathematics for Engineering Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Saray Busto ◽  
Michael Dumbser ◽  
Elena Gaburro
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Video Quality ◽  
Lecture Hall ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Teaching Of Mathematics ◽  
Online Streaming ◽  
The University ◽  
Blended Teaching

In this article we present a case study concerning a simple but efficient technical and logistic concept for the realization of blended teaching of mathematics and its applications in theoretical mechanics that was conceived, tested and implemented at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM) of the University of Trento, Italy, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept foresees traditional blackboard lectures with a reduced number of students physically present in the lecture hall, while the same lectures are simultaneously made available to the remaining students, who cannot be present, via high-quality low-bandwidth online streaming. The case study presented in this paper was implemented in a single University Department and was carried out with a total of n=1011 students and n=68 professors participating in the study. Based on our first key assumption that traditional blackboard lectures, including the gestures and the facial expressions of the professor, are even nowadays still a very efficient and highly appreciated means of teaching mathematics at the university, this paper deliberately does not want to propose a novel pedagogical concept of how to teach mathematics at the undergraduate level, but rather presents a technical concept of how to preserve the quality of traditional blackboard lectures even during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to make them available to the students at home via online streaming with adequate audio and video quality even at low internet bandwidth. The second key assumption of this paper is that the teaching of mathematics is a dynamic creative process that requires the physical presence of students in the lecture hall as audience so that the professor can instantaneously fine-tune the evolution of the lecture according to his/her perception of the level of attention and the facial expressions of the students. The third key assumption of this paper is that students need to have the possibility to interact with each other personally, especially in the first years at the university. We report on the necessary hardware, software and logistics, as well as on the perception of the proposed blended lectures by undergraduate students from civil and environmental engineering at the University of Trento, Italy, compared to traditional lectures and also compared to the pure online lectures that were needed as emergency measure at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation of the concept was carried out with the aid of quantitative internet bandwidth measurements, direct comparison of transmitted video signals and a careful analysis of ex ante and ex post online questionnaires sent to students and professors.

scholarly journals Project-based learning of advanced CAD/CAE tools in engineering education

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1071-1083
Author(s):  
Giovanni Berselli ◽  
Pietro Bilancia ◽  
Luca Luzi
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Integrated Design ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Design Environment ◽  
Mechanical Devices ◽  
Aided Design ◽  
The University

Abstract The use of integrated Computer Aided Design/Engineering (CAD/CAE) software capable of analyzing mechanical devices in a single parametric environment is becoming an industrial standard. Potential advantages over traditional enduring multi-software design routines can be outlined into time/cost reduction and easier modeling procedures. To meet industrial requirements, the engineering education is constantly revising the courses programs to include the training of modern advanced virtual prototyping technologies. Within this scenario, the present work describes the CAD/CAE project-based learning (PjBL) activity developed at the University of Genova as a part of course named Design of Automatic Machines, taught at the second level degree in mechanical engineering. The PjBL activity provides a detailed overview of an integrated design environment (i.e. PTC Creo). The students, divided into small work groups, interactively gain experience with the tool via the solution of an industrial design problem, provided by an engineer from industry. The considered case study consists of an automatic pushing device implemented in a commercial machine. Starting from a sub-optimal solution, the students, supervised by the lecturers, solve a series of sequential design steps involving both motion and structural analysis. The paper describes each design phase and summarizes the numerical outputs. At last, the results of the PjBL activity are presented and commented by considering the opinions of all the parties involved.

scholarly journals COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PRACTICE INVOLVING PARTNERS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION (PACE)

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mikkelsen ◽  
A. Steeves ◽  
W. L. Cleghorn ◽  
P. Bastani ◽  
R. Pattani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
General Motors ◽  
Collaborative Engineering ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Automobile Components ◽  
The University

This paper describes efforts to develop a collaborative design project involving third year mechanical engineering students from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Toronto (U of T). Selected students enrolled in a core kinematics and dynamics course at U of T were partnered with selected students enrolled in a core machine design course at UBC. These project groups were given the task of designing an automotive product specified by the industrial client, General Motors. The pilot project required students make full use of the advanced design resources provided under the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) program. This pilot project was performed as a simulation of real world automotive design where design offices around the globe participate in concurrent design of new automobile components and systems.

scholarly journals Educating Aerospace Design Engineers: Perspectives from Design Creativity Theory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suo Tana ◽  
Catharine Marsden ◽  
Yong Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
Design Creativity ◽  
Aerospace Companies ◽  
Concordia University ◽  
Recent Graduates ◽  
University Level ◽  
The University

When seeking candidates for engineering design positions, aerospace companies usually seek to hire high qualified professionals while overlooking recent graduates from engineering schools. The reason for this is the opinion that most of the engineers graduating from universities do not possess the skill sets the companies are seeking and that it takes too long to train recent graduates in the complexities of the aerospace design process. There is a need to minimize the gap between the needs of the aerospace industry and the training of engineers at the university level and this need cannot be met without the collaboration of aerospace firms, universities and government. In this paper, we propose an approach toeducating undergraduate aerospace engineering students based on design creativity theory. The NSERC Chair in Aerospace Design Engineering (NCADE) at Concordia University will be used as a test bed to implement, validate, improve and promote this educational strategy.

A Regional University Perspective on Engineering Education of Multi-Cultural Freshman Students From South Pacific Countries

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnil R. Ram ◽  
Roneel V. Sharan ◽  
Mohammed Rafiuddin Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Quality Teaching ◽  
First Year ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Ethics And Economics ◽  
Regional University ◽  
The University

Of late, there is a growing need for quality engineers who have the ability to solve complex engineering problems with reasonable knowledge of ethics and economics. This has led many universities to pursue accreditation by professional engineering bodies. While the accreditation process installs a standardized system of quality teaching, it is important that the engineering entrants have a degree of understanding that allows implementation of quality teaching methods. This study looks at the performance of first year engineering students in a bid to identify major issues that students face in a Bachelor of Engineering program. The learning of students in the School of Engineering and Physics at the University of the South Pacific is influenced by interactions of at least 12 different cultures from the 12 member countries of the university. The study looks at how students perform across cultures in the first year mechanical engineering courses, mainly engineering mechanics and engineering graphics & design. The general trend over the last five years shows that while the student numbers in the program have been increasing, student performance in one course seems to be improving but declining in the other; the two courses differ considerable in contents, required skill sets, and assessment methodologies. The study also presents possible reasons for the varied performance by considering issues such as cultural and academic backgrounds, use of teaching tools and resources, and revisions to the course and program and looks at how multi-cultural engineering education can be improved. The number of female students taking up engineering as their major is also looked at and positive trends are seen with female participation increasing from 7.6% in 2008 to 13.9% in 2013.

scholarly journals Advances In Mining Engineering Education: A Case For Learning Communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Michael Hitch
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Current View ◽  
Mining Engineering ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
External Pressures ◽  
The University

Mining engineering involves the design, planning and management of operations for the development, production and eventual rehabilitation of resource extraction. These activities draw on a diverse set of skills. University of British Columbia mining engineers have traditionally been highly regarded for their strengths in the technical aspects of mining and mineral process but also for their understanding of the application of principles of sustainability and social responsibility. The current view of the UBC Mining curriculum demands the integration of aspects of environmental and social sciences shaping the future of tertiary engineering education. The solution is developing a curriculum that is focused on key learning objectives that are a reflection of all these external pressures. This paper examines the challenge of curriculum reform and the emergence of learning communities at the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

Articulating a Succinct Description: An Applied Method for Catalyzing Cultural Change

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-139
Author(s):  
Coleen Carrigan ◽  
Noah Krigel ◽  
Mira Banerjee Brown ◽  
Michelle Bardini
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Group Members ◽  
And Gender

Articulating a Succinct Description uses ethnographic data to create case study interventions facilitated with people who belong to the culture with whom the ethnographer is engaged. We do so in order to disseminate research findings, address problems presented in the case, and collect additional data for further collective analysis. Further, Articulating a Succinct Description is designed as a means of intervention for underrepresented group members to be heard and gain support and promote equity engagement among majority members in efforts to create more inclusive cultures. In this paper, we validate this method using findings from its application with engineering students at a public university. This method allowed us to view engineering culture not as monolithic, but rather as one with multiple sets of cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors. In particular, we noted a behavior among students we’ve called Swing Staters, who expressed meritocratic beliefs, yet, who we argue, may be critical to reducing bias in engineering education. These findings, analyzed along interwoven threads of race and gender, demonstrate the efficacy of the Articulating a Succinct Description method and contribute to efforts in engineering education to advance pedagogical tools to reduce bias and exclusions in these fields.

Information seeking behaviours of engineering students: Case of Near East University

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 82-91
Author(s):  
Kezban Alpan ◽  
Mehmet Ceyhun Avci
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Near East ◽  
The Internet ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
University Library ◽  
Internet Resources ◽  
The University ◽  
Google Search

This study examines the information seeking behaviours of university students and explores students’ preferences between the university library and the Google search engine with their reasons. The research questionnaire was applied to 250 Near East University, Faculty of Engineering students. According to the results of the study; even students have enough knowledge to use the university library, they prefer to use Google and Internet resources for various purposes because they think that this is the fastest and easiest way to reach information. Even students obtain information via the Internet; they give importance to indicate the source in their assignments and projects. Findings also showed that there are some significant differences between departments’ information seeking behaviours. Keywords: Information seeking behaviours, Internet, Google, engineering education, university libraries.

scholarly journals The Impact of Entrepreneurship on Engineering Education

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majed Jarrar ◽  
Hanan Anis
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Engineering schools are integrating entrepreneurship within their curriculum in order to equip their students with the capacity to adapt quickly to technological innovation. The University of Ottawa has developed an entrepreneurship course that is open to all engineering students, and aims to provide them with a hands-on approach to starting and growing a technology start-up. This paper is centred on assessing the students who took this course. The results of the survey analyze the impact entrepreneurship has had on their engineering skillset. This skillset reflects the graduate attributes that the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) expects engineering students to develop. We will observe whether this impact has changed since the inception of this course in 2012 and throughout 5 course cycles. Using the survey results as well as the direct observation during those semesters, we present our analysis on how these outcomes can be replicated in other environments.

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