scholarly journals FIRST-YEAR COMMON ENGINEERING CURRICULUM FOR THE BC POST-SECONDARY SECTOR

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Dick
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
First Year ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Secondary Sector ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Consultative Process

Abstract – Demand for engineering education has grown in recognition of its importance to the provincial economy, while engineering education capacity continues to lag.  Engineering schools in British Columbia traditionally offer a common first-year of study that provides a foundation of science, mathematics, and engineering design before students specialize in second year. The British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) Engineering Articulation committee believed this transition served as a natural transfer point and undertook a year-long consultative process to establish the feasibility of developing a common, first-year engineering curriculum within the BC post-secondary sector. This study found that although there exists some diversity within the first-year engineering programs at accredited receiving institutions, sufficient curriculum overlap allowed for a sector-wide common first-year engineering curriculum. This proposed curriculum suggests a content framework for students in all regions of the province to begin the first year of engineering studies at their institution of choice, and subsequently transfer to any of the major research institutions for degree completion.  

scholarly journals Common First-Year Engineering Curriculum in British Columbia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Dick
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Postsecondary Institutions ◽  
First Year ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
New Entrants ◽  
Engineering Schools

Labour market demand for engineers  continues to outpace the capacity of postsecondary institutions to produce new entrants to the field.  Providing for the diverse pathways students may take for their education could both increase the numbers of potential candidates, as well as improve the likelihood of those candidates successfully completing engineering programs. The British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) Engineering Articulation committee leveraged overlap within the content and delivery requirements of first-year engineeringprograms at most engineering schools in the province and developed a sector-wide common first-year engineering curriculum

scholarly journals Practical Elements of Mechanical Engineering – An Enrichment to University Engineering Education

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony G. Straatman
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Materials Engineering ◽  
Enrichment Program ◽  
Applied Arts

Practical Elements of Mechanical Engineering (PEME) is an enrichment program developed by the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Western University in collaboration with Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology. The PEME program was developed mainly in response to the changing backgrounds of students entering university engineering programs, and to provide an opportunity for students to get exposure to practical courses in machining, welding, metrology, and other practical areas, which complement the traditional Mechanical engineering curriculum. The PEME program is thus a formal avenue whereby students have an opportunity to gain some additional practical knowledge of their profession.

Education for Sustainability

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-170
Author(s):  
Caroline Baillie ◽  
Victoria Remenda
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Common Knowledge ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
First Year ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Core Courses ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Pass Through

Courses which are intended to help students learn 'attitudes' or ways of thinking, as well as or instead of the more common 'knowledge' and 'skills,' are notoriously difficult to get right—particularly for younger students. Most courses relating to environmental issues or sustainability are electives within general science or engineering programs or they are within specialized environmental degree programs. In this paper, we examine two compulsory core courses designed to help students develop an appreciation of sustainability of the environment, one within a common first-year program of 600 students and one within a second-year geological engineering program of 35 students. In the first-year course, the sustainability component is situated within a course on 'Professional Skills,' which is taught in an innovative week-long intensive module. Students in this course have difficulties with the teaching and learning approach as much as with the subject matter. In the second-year course the main focus is on sustainability and the environment, taught using enquiry-based learning, a similar, interactive, innovative approach. In this course students respond much better to the concepts and appear to enhance or transform their perspectives. Students may be considered to pass through a 'threshold.' We examine the factors which seem to prevent students from passing through the threshold and consider possible strategies for aiding the pathway.

Integrating National Standards in the curricular development, implementation, and student outcomes of a post-secondary Chinese language program

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-74
Author(s):  
Nina Lin ◽  
Marina Chung ◽  
Hong Zeng ◽  
Youping Zhang ◽  
Chaofen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
National Standards ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Curricular Development ◽  
Second Year

Abstract This paper chronicles the development of a post-secondary Chinese program after the establishment of the Language Center at Stanford University in 1995. It outlines a continuous process of curriculum development aiming to be consistent with the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning (ACTFL, 2006) and World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL, 2014). It also describes assessment programs implemented to obtain data on students’ oral and writing proficiency levels at the end of 150 hours of instruction (completion of first-year Chinese) and at the end of 300 hours of instruction (completion of second-year Chinese). Because Chinese is a non-cognate language to English, students’ achieving ACTFL proficiency levels of Intermediate Low in oral and writing proficiency at the end of their first year and achieving Intermediate Mid and higher at the end of their second year indicates the program’s successful curricular design and implementation. This paper outlines the main factors contributing to this success.

scholarly journals Integrated Learning in First-Year Engineering: Preliminary Findings and Impressions from a New Project-Based Design Course

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin P McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Health Sciences ◽  
First Year ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Profession ◽  
Design Computing ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Required Courses

The first-year engineering curriculum at McMaster University is a common curriculum that introduces students to the field of engineering through discrete courses focused in graphics design, computing, materials science, and the engineering profession. While these courses provide an important foundation for entry into second year (in addition to the required courses in math and science), course topics are isolated and there is very little cross-over in content from one course to the next. This paper will present initial findings and impressions of “Health Solutions Design Projects I”, a project-based first-year course in McMaster’s new Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBiomed) program. This new course, first offered in Fall 2017, integrates the aforementioned topics in first-year engineering into one course, and further reinforces these concepts through a series of design projects.

scholarly journals INTEGRATED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING - DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING CURRICULUM AT UNB

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Couturier ◽  
Dawn MacIsaac ◽  
Liuchen Chang
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Task Force ◽  
First Year ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Disciplinary Boundaries ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
The University

Following its rich tradition of over 150 years of excellence in engineering education, the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) is currently implementing an exciting first year program. In consultation with Atlantic businesses, governments and members of the Faculty, an Engineering Education Task Force was formed in the summer of 2003 with the mandate to enhance integrated learning in undergraduate engineering programs at UNB. The Task Force proposed a substantially-common first year program for all engineering disciplines with design projects in both the first and second terms. The design projects are used to integrate knowledge gained in the first year and are part of two new design courses. The first design course is centered on Design and Communications. The second design course is centered on Design and Computations. This new approach requires that teaching of core materials be integrated at a level that crosses disciplinary boundaries.

A networked social change lab approach to re-imagining engineering education

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Frank ◽  
Bob Brennan ◽  
Laurent Mydlarski ◽  
Stephen Mattucci ◽  
Deena Salem
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Change ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Curriculum Interventions ◽  
Network Approaches

This paper presents a literature review of social laboratory and network approaches to change, and describes a collaborative approach being implemented in some Canadian engineering programs to rethink the engineering curriculum. As part of the Canadian Engineering Education Challenge in the Engineering Change Lab, the institutions present some proposed curriculum interventions and proposed research activities.

scholarly journals Degree Completion for Aboriginal People in British Columbia: A Case Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Price ◽  
Brian Burtch
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Degree Completion ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Collaborative Effort ◽  
Post Secondary Education ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Aboriginal Students

Both programs were offered in a face-to-face format at the Merritt campus, and both were a collaborative effort. Implications for establishing and sustaining Aboriginal-focused post-secondary education are identified and discussed in this article, as are the barriers to post-secondary education faced by Aboriginal students and the authors’ challenges as non- Aboriginal people engaged in programming across cultures. Additionally, reflections on these initiatives are offered and linkages to key literature on the issue of Aboriginal post- secondary education are identified.

scholarly journals Assessment and Evaluation Practices in Engineering Education: A Global Perspective

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N P Subheesh ◽  
Satya Sundar Sethy
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
Engineering Faculty ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Assessment And Evaluation ◽  
Education Literature ◽  
Evaluation Practices

‘Assessment’ and ‘evaluation’ are the integral parts of the engineering curriculum. These components have direct relevance to quality assurance in engineering education. Literature suggests that better assessment and evaluation practices require certain knowledge and skills about types and methods of assessment and evaluation. It is found that most of the engineering faculty members do not have concrete knowledge about ‘assessment’ and ‘evaluation’ types and methods. Further, it is argued that engineering educators are not well aware of ‘feedback comments’ that are associated with assessment practices. Comments on students’ performances are essential because it helps them to know their strengths and weaknesses of a course. In this background, the paper critically analyses assessment and evaluation practices in engineering education setup across the globe. In particular, it discusses the challenges faced by engineering faculty members while assessing students’ performances. Finally, the paper offers suggestions to improve assessment and evaluation practices so that students doing engineering programs will be largely benefited.

Black engineering students’ motivation for PhD attainment: passion plus purpose

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebony O. McGee ◽  
Devin T. White ◽  
Akailah T. Jenkins ◽  
Stacey Houston ◽  
Lydia C. Bentley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Students ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
And Mathematics

Purpose Much of the extant research, practice and policy in engineering education has focused on the limited persistence, waning interest and lack of preparation among Black students to continue beyond the post-secondary engineering pipeline. However, this research suggests that many Black PhD students persist and succeed in engineering, fueled by various motivational strengths. To better understand the motivations of Black students in engineering doctoral programs, this study aims to explore the factors that influence their decision to enroll in either an engineering or a computing doctoral program. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses an intrinsic and extrinsic motivational framework to investigate the inspiration of 44 Black engineering doctoral students in PhD engineering programs in 11 engineering schools across the country. Findings Results show that the participants’ motivation to pursue a PhD in engineering comes from several distinct factors, including the following: an unyielding passion for their particular discipline, a sense of responsibility to serve marginalized peoples and society, a path toward autonomy, pre-PhD mentorship and research opportunities and family and prior work experience. Research limitations/implications Based on this study’s findings, a reconceptualization of graduate engineering education that incorporates the importance of “being Black” and its relationships with motivating and, potentially, retaining Black science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students is also offered. Originality/value This paper seeks to expose particular constructs and behaviors surrounding Black students’ motivation to learn and achieve in engineering at the highest academic levels, offering a more nuanced perspective than currently is found in traditional engineering education literature.

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