Industry Focus Group Forum Approach for Assessing Undergraduate Engineering Program Outcomes

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Ferens ◽  
Witold Kinsner
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Learning Outcome ◽  
Program Outcomes ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The University

This paper shares the experiences of conducting an industry focus group forum to assess the undergraduate engineering program at the University of Manitoba. In the first meeting, the objective of the industry focus group was to identify gaps between expected and (perceived) actual abilities of new graduates at the time they enter the work force, and to construct learning outcome statements, with the intention that they be used to guide developers to redesign the curriculum and program so that the graduates would meet local industry expectations in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. There were 21 gap areas identified, and significant correlation of the gaps was found with other industry surveys; however, there were some notable differences.

scholarly journals External Assessment of Engineering Programs

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Ferens
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Computer Engineering ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
External Assessment ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
Secondary Purpose ◽  
University Of Manitoba

This paper reports on an Industry Focus Group Forum, which was held 20 October 2011. The purpose of the forum was to obtain local Industry’s perception and opinions of the strengths and weaknesses of new engineering graduates from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba at the time they enter the work force. Key strengths of best-in-class engineering employees were identified, such as attitude, knowledge base, creativity, communication, and initiative. While these were the attributes of best-in-class employees, they represented goals to which new graduates should aspire. The industry members also identified weaknesses of new engineering graduates, such as life-long learning, practical aspects, engineering tools, and communication. The strengths and weaknesses were mapped to Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board attributes for validation. The secondary purpose of the forum was to establish a process by which the Faculty can assess their graduates at the time they enter the workforce. The process involved external opinions of the quality of the Faculty’s new graduates.

scholarly journals Industry Forum III: Towards A Common Language

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Ferens ◽  
J. Seniuk Cicek ◽  
N. Sepehri ◽  
W. Kinsner ◽  
J.P. Burak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Education Literature ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
The University ◽  
New Hires

Engineering Education literature acknowledgesthat the language Academia uses to assess the abilities ofengineering students may not be the same as the languageIndustry uses to measure the abilities of new graduates at thetime they enter the work force. It also suggests that theunderstanding and expectations of Industry may differ fromAcademia. If the language, perceptions and expectations aredifferent, so too could be Industry’s assessment of theknowledge, skills and attitudes of new engineering graduates.Consequently, Industry may need to spend additional resourcesto develop the abilities of new hires to meet their own needs.The Industry Forum III was conducted in partnership withmembers of Manitoba Industry and members of Academia fromthe Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba withthe objective to develop a common language that Industry andAcademia can use in concert to measure the abilities of newengineering graduates. This paper details the findings from theforum, as well as the changes made to the University ofManitoba graduate attribute rubrics in the pursuit of a commonlanguage for our engineering stakeholders.

scholarly journals Peer Learning through Pedagogical Observation in Driving Teacher Education in Norway

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Hilde Kjelsrud ◽  
Hilde Kjelsrud
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Outcome ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Subject Knowledge ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The University

The purpose of this article is to examine what driving teacher students think they learn from the learning activity pedagogical observation and what factors concerning this activity they think are important for their learning outcome. At a driving school connected to a university, driving teacher students give driving lessons to student drivers with a peer driving teacher student—a pedagogical observer—in the back seat. Focus group interviews involving eight driving teacher students were conducted to explore what they think they learn through pedagogical observation, and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. The focus group interviews revealed that driving teacher students think they (1) strengthen their driving teacher role, (2) strengthen their peer guidance role, (3) increase their subject knowledge (4) and learn to interact with student drivers. For this learning outcome to occur, driving teacher students point to these factors: 1) the need for a focused plan; 2) establishing a definite agreement; 3) having a committed attitude; 4) providing constructive feedback; and 5) possessing appropriate knowledge. This study contributes to the sparse research on cooperation among driving teacher students in the practical field at the university level. It shows that the learning activity of pedagogical observation enables driving teacher students to learn from each other during driving lessons as a two-way reciprocal learning activity.

scholarly journals Employer and Employee Opinions of Thematic Deficiencies in New Athletic Training Graduates

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. David Carr ◽  
Jennifer Volberding
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Interpersonal Communication ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
National Athletic Trainers Association ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Job Orientation

Context: Anecdotal information has been shared for several years that employers do not feel that new athletic training graduates are ready for the workforce. To date there have been no studies of employers and employees to determine deficiencies in order to confirm or refute this position. Objective: To explore the opinions of employers and employees (recent graduates within the last 3–5 years) about the level of preparation and readiness for the work force of new athletic training graduates. Specifically, the purpose was to examine the themes emerging from interviews with employers and employees about the employee's abilities. Design and Setting: A mixed methods quantitative/qualitative design involving in-depth focus group interviews. Interviews were conducted in a controlled environment during the National Athletic Trainers' Association Annual Symposium in June of 2010. Participants: Eleven employers and five employees were available at scheduled times during the symposium. Extensive networking efforts were conducted to solicit participants from 3 work settings; college/university, high school/clinic/outreach, and emerging practices. Data Collection and Analysis: Focus group interviews were videotaped then transcribed verbatim and analyzed deductively. Peer debriefing and member checks were used to ensure trustworthiness. Results: Several ‘thematic’ deficiencies, or abilities, that were lacking emerged from our analysis. Both groups cited: 1) interpersonal communication, 2) decision making/independence, 3) initiative, 4) confidence, and 5) humility/ability to learn from mistakes as abilities that were deficient in new graduates. Administrative skills was the only thematic deficiency cited by the employees but not the employers. Conclusion: Limitations of current curriculum education models and employer-driven on-the-job-orientation and experience were identified as areas of concern.

scholarly journals INDUSTRY PERCEPTIONS OF GRADUATE ATTRIBUTE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WORKPLACE

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald S. Petkau
Keyword(s):  
Accreditation Process ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Professional Skills ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
New Graduates ◽  
New Graduate ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
Areas Of Concern ◽  
The University

At the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba research has been undertaken to determine the level of student competency in the graduate attributes as set forth by the CEAB accreditation process. This study takes an alternative view and seeks to understand the current industry requirements for a new graduate employee based on the graduate attributes. It consisted of a questionnaire completed by two groups of engineers working in a major energy corporation in the Province of Manitoba. One group consisted of senior engineers with a minimum of 15 years experience while the other was of new graduates with at minimum 18 months of service. The groups were asked to complete a questionnaire on the level of competency they felt was required for new graduates entering the workplace. This paper describes the process and the analysis of the information. Results were compared with an assessment of a new graduate’s competency levels. The information shows that while a student’s competency levels at graduation may be lower than expected they still generally meet the requirements of the workplace. Information also shows that areas of concern are not in the technical areas but rather in the professional skills.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A CROSS DISCIPLINE CAPSTONE DESIGN EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.C.D. DeGagne ◽  
Paul Labossiere
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Real World ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Engineering Discipline ◽  
Respective Discipline ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The University ◽  
Capstone Design Courses ◽  
Capstone Design

One of the most effective and efficient ways for an engineering program to facilitate compliance with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) accreditation criteria is through capstone design projects and courses. Currently, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Engineering has several capstone design courses; however, each is independently focused on its own respective discipline. The resulting educational experience for students, though rigorous and challenging, is maintained within the boundaries of the students’ engineering discipline, thereby neglecting to provide the opportunity for students to work with people from multiple disciplines and across multiple fields. This style/mode of education, where students work in silos, arguably does not reflect real world engineering. Program representatives from the Faculty of Engineering agree. An interdisciplinary capstone course would provide a more rounded engineering education for students. Exposing students to other disciplines and facilitating their learning of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to work in a multidisciplinary capacity will more effectively prepare students for the real world. Thus, to better comply with CEAB requirements and to increase the breadth and depth of students’ engineering education, an interdisciplinary capstone pilot course will be launched at the University of Manitoba.This paper explains how this multidisciplinary capstone pilot program has been developed, and touches on the early stages of its initiation and implementation.

scholarly journals DESIGN OF A CONSISTENT INTERDISCIPLINARY AND DUAL FACULTY CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.C.D. DeGagne ◽  
Paul E. Labossiere
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Engineering Discipline ◽  
Respective Discipline ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Interdisciplinary Courses ◽  
The University ◽  
Capstone Design Courses ◽  
Capstone Design

Abstract - One of the most effective and efficient ways for an engineering program to facilitate compliance with the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) accreditation criteria is through capstone design projects and courses, [1]. Currently, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Engineering has several capstone design courses; however, each is independently focused on its own respective discipline. The resulting educational experience for students, though rigorous and challenging, is maintained within the boundaries of the students’ engineering discipline, thereby neglecting to provide the opportunity for students to work with people from multiple disciplines and across different faculties. This style/mode of education, where students work in silos, arguably does not reflect real world engineering. Program representatives from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba agree that the capstones should be more reflective of real life situations. For this paper, we were hoping to present the research results of a pilot interdisciplinary capstone that was to be launch in the winter of 2017. Unfortunately, the pilot course was not offered because of low student enrollment. So we decided to take an innovative and creative approach to the research. Since, at the University of Manitoba, the Dean of Engineering is also the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, rather than team with an outside industry focus group, we decided to develop a holistic course with the Faculty of Architecture. The Dean supports this strategy. Interdisciplinary courses are most important because they "…articulate the difference between educational problems and workplace problems" [2]. And allow "(students) persons from different disciplines to work collaboratively and are integrated to combine their knowledge to solve a problem"[3]. This paper explores and explains how that Engineering/Architecture Multidiscipline Capstone and Dual Faculty course will be developed, touches on the early stages of its initiation and implementation, and outlines how the success of the new course will be evaluated.  

scholarly journals ENHANCED STUDENT PERFORMANCE THROUGH INDUSTRY ADVISORS

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Schor ◽  
Kane Anderson ◽  
Brady Russell ◽  
Reza Fazel Darbandi ◽  
Arash Fazel Darbandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Laboratory Unit ◽  
Satellite Design ◽  
Design Build ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The University ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Undergraduate students that complete their degrees and enter industry are seldom prepared for some of the realities of the work force. The expectations of academic reports for laboratories and course projects have strong theoretical considerations that often focus on small sub-problems manageable within a laboratory, unit, or at most a course. This exposure is very different from long term industry projects where designs not only have to work in isolation, but must also adhere to customer specifications, strict timelines, and limited budgets. In order to bridge the gap, the University of Manitoba introduced industry advisors into the team competing in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge to design, build, and test an operational triple pico-satellite (T-Sat). The advisors attend internal reviews and provide feedback on many areas including designs and documentation. In addition to aiding students in their performance at the competition, the process also provides motivation for long-term career goals, networking opportunities for students, and a strong foundation on many desirable skills for successful careers as a Professional Engineer. This paper describes the process of integrating advisors and the observed benefits from the experience at the University of Manitoba.

Systems Engineering Education in an Accredited Undergraduate Engineering Program

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Meyer ◽  
Hannelie Nel ◽  
Nickey Janse van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Product Development ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Project Objectives ◽  
The University

Developing countries are mostly reliant on external technologies and this augments the need for systems engineering capability in these economies. It is therefore imperative that systems engineering as theory and practice is included in undergraduate engineering curricula to strengthen the internal technological capability of a country’s developing engineers. In South Africa, the quality of undergraduate engineering programs is governed by the Engineering Council of South Africa (affiliated under the Washington Accord); and the exit level outcomes of the programs are predetermined explicitly per module. Systems engineering was introduced to an undergraduate electrical engineering program offered in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg; and a framework developed to ensure that the program still meets the requisite ECSA exit level outcomes and therefore international standards. This paper presents the design and implementation of the framework, as well as the challenges that students are exposed to when faced with real-world systems engineering practice. Students were grouped into independent product development teams using a software support tool which promotes diversity and skill-level targets for each team. The independent team structure required the use and application of the systems engineering process and supported the development of management and communication skills. Furthermore, the framework allowed assessment of the performance of each product development team towards achieving the overall project objectives. One of the accreditation requirements of undergraduate engineering programs is peer assessment and this was achieved by the process. The paper closes by presenting the results of the stated framework implementation in an undergraduate electrical engineering program offered in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg.

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