scholarly journals Experiential Learning for First Year Engineering through Outreach with a Local Community Hospital

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbey Desjarlais ◽  
Robert V. Fleisig
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
First Year ◽  
Practice Experience ◽  
Industry Professionals ◽  
Mcmaster University

The lecture is the staple of university learning. It can be effective in the teaching of fundamental engineering subjects such as calculus and physics. However, it offers little in bringing students to understand the role of the engineering profession and its practice. With limited budgets, time and resources, and large first year classes, creating a poignant learning experience for our students is immensely challenging. Yet the university classroom offers an unparalleled opportunity given its diverse pool of talent, skill, and ambition. With guidance our students have the ability to not only meet our high academic expectations but also make a real difference for people in their local communities. At McMaster University, our entire first year engineering cohort is contributing to their local community through interactions with medical professionals and their clients. With an increased emphasis on design, experiential learning, and community outreach we at McMaster University have developed a unique first year course that involves the design of rehabilitation devices in collaboration with occupational therapists, researchers, industry professionals, and local volunteers. The project provides students with a rich and real-world practice experience as well as benefiting those clients with unique problems. This paper describes the successful collaboration between the Hand Therapy Clinic at Hamilton General Hospital and the Engineering 1 programme at McMaster University. The occupational therapists at the clinic presented 800+ first year engineering students with a challenge: design a dynamic elbow orthosis for the unique problems faced by two of their clients. Volunteers from the local community of occupational therapists, industry professionals, and biomedical researchers worked with the students to help them design, build, and test their designs. The paper highlights the challenges of teaching the large class using experiential learning and outlines the approaches for challenging students with unique problems that demand creativity.

CAD Platform Independent Software for Automatic Grading of Technical Drawings

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanchit Ingale ◽  
Anirudh Srinivasan ◽  
Diana Bairaktarova
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
First Year ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
Students Success ◽  
Mechanical Objects

Spatial visualization is the ability of an individual to imagine an object mentally and understand its spatial orientation. There have been multiple works proving that spatial visualization skills can be improved with an appropriate training. Such training warrant a critical place in the undergraduate engineering curricula in many engineering schools as spatial skills are considered vital for students’ success in the technical and design fields [1–4]. Enhanced spatial skills help not only professionals in the engineering field but also everyone in the 21st century environment. Drawing sectional views requires mental manipulation and visual thinking. To enhance students spatial reasoning, one of the authors of this study, conducted a class in spatial visualization. The course-learning goal aimed at improving first-year engineering students’ spatial reasoning through instruction on freehand drawings of sectional view. During the semester, two teaching assistants had to grade more than 500 assignments that consisted of sectional views of mechanical objects. This was a tedious and a time consuming task. Motivated by this experience, this paper proposes a software aiming at automating grading of students’ sectional view drawings. The proposed software will also give live feedback to students while they are working on the drawings. This interactive tool aims to 1) improve the learning experience of first year students, with limited CAD knowledge, and 2) introduce a pedagogical tool that can enhance spatial visualization training.

Words or Images: Insights on How Engineering Students and Engineers Communicate in Practice

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Bairaktarova ◽  
Mary Pilotte
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Communication Mode ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Mechanical Object ◽  
Data Investigation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Industry Professionals

This paper examines the use of language (text and verbal communication) across school and work settings. The participants of the study are from two distinct pools — 380 first-year engineering students and 355 industry professionals. To test the study predictions and interpret the results the individual data sets from both studies were reviewed and analyzed. Data suggests that for the professional engineering population, face to face communication was the preferred communication mode for sharing engineering evaluation, communicating difficult concepts, and describing their work product. Email and file sharing were also utilized communication options, but to a lesser extent. Data from students facing a simulated professional assignment (produce a fabrication instruction for assembling a mechanical object) indicated that 94% of the students’ chose to use language to produce fabrication instructions, compared to only 6% of students who used another tool of engineering representation in the form of sketches. Data investigation and outcomes are discussed in terms of prevalence and importance of language in engineering education.

scholarly journals Mobile Radar as an Undergraduate Education and Research Tool: The ERAU C-BREESE Field Experience with the Doppler on Wheels

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 1931-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn M. Milrad ◽  
Christopher G. Herbster
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Sea Breeze ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
Intensive Observation

Abstract Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Convective-Boundary Research Engaging Educational Student Experiences (ERAU C-BREESE) was an 18-day National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded educational Doppler on Wheels (DOW) deployment through the Center for Severe Weather Research in May 2015. ERAU C-BREESE had three primary areas of focus: meteorological field observations and research, undergraduate experiential learning, and local community outreach. ERAU undergraduate meteorology students had the unique opportunity to forecast for, collect, and analyze field measurements of sea-breeze processes and convection. The scientific objectives of ERAU C-BREESE were to forecast, observe, and analyze central Florida sea-breeze processes and thunderstorms by combining a DOW with more traditional tools. Specific scientific investigations were spurred by nine intensive observation periods (IOPs) throughout central Florida. Specific details are provided for IOP9, the most successful IOP, from both forecast and observational perspectives. Summaries of local community outreach, student education and responsibilities, and a discussion of the benefits of experiential learning are also provided.

scholarly journals A comparison of a first and third year UG enterprise unit: lessons from experiential learning and interdisciplinarity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Sanchez-Romaguera ◽  
Robert A Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Interdisciplinary Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Enterprise Education ◽  
Growth Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Manchester

Drawing from several years of experience, this work describes lessons learnt in designing, delivering and assessing two interdisciplinary enterprise units offered undergraduate students from any discipline studing at the University of Manchester (UK). Both units are electives (optional). One unit is delivered to first year undergrdaute students whereas the other unit is delivered to third/fourth year undergraduate students. Experiential learning and interdisciplinary cohorts are core aspects of both units. Students work on ‘real-world’ projects to develop a credible and competitive solution within a tight dead-line. In this paper, findings are drawn from data collected from staff and teaching assistants observations, students’ reflective diaries and students’ feedback. Findings showed that in general, students at both levels, year 1 and year 3/4, regarded the experience challenging at first due to the ‘unusual’ learning environment when compared to the education that most students have experienced prior to the units here discussed. However, most students highly regarded the interdisciplinary experiential learning experience. The paper contributes to the growth of knowledge and aids understanding of how experiential learning and interdisciplinarity have been effectively combined and introduced in the university curriculum. Although this works focused on enterprise education the experience-based guidance here described is also applicable to a much wider range of situations and academic areas of study. Keywords: Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education; Employability; Experiential learning; Interdisciplinary education;

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Peer-to-Peer Lecture Films in Inverted Classroom Teaching Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Work Load ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Video Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Inverted Classroom

At HTW Berlin, Germany first year mechanical engineering students are taught material science as one of the fundamental courses with high work load in a blended learning environment with flipped classroom elements. Therefore peer-to-peer lecture films were established as source of theoretical background knowledge provided for self-study periods. Because the teaching method “inverted classroom” and class results directly relate to the quality of the video material one of the columns of lecture video production is the involvement of students in the lecture film production. First year students directly benefit from their fellow student learning experience, needs and perspective on teaching material. From the lecturers perspective students were generally more active and better prepared during class resulting in better grades. Practice examples introduce and evaluate both, the teaching method and videos.

scholarly journals INTRODUCTING A NEW ENGINEERING COURSE: A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dare ◽  
Brian Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Year ◽  
Design Element ◽  
Design Project ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

A Task Force was created by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in September 2004 charged with creating a new course for all first year engineering students to be delivered for the first time in September 2005. The course, to be taken by approximately 270 students, was to integrate material from other first year courses, introduce the students to working in teams, contain a substantial design element through a design project, and introduce communication skills. Nine professors from throughout engineering “volunteered” to help develop and deliver the course. In this paper we own up to what we did wrong during the first two years of delivery of this course, and (naturally!) counter this by celebrating our successes. Students are assessed based on a combination of individual and team submissions, with some submissions being oral and others written. This paper will outline the complex assessment scheme we initially used, and how we later simplified it. Rubrics were used to evaluate many of the course assignments. For most of the instructors, this was the first time they had used rubrics and so it was a learning experience to both develop and apply them. We show how we adapted their use in the second year of delivery after the experiences of the first year. We were pleased with the way that the assessments were mostly built around the design project – this helped the students grasp why clear communication is vital and enabled them to obtain continual feedback on the project. We were also delighted that an element of social responsibility was introduced into the course by making the project an international “Engineers Without Borders” project based in Africa. We believe this added an additional dimension to the course and especially the project. The professor-delivered skits were especially popular! Delivered by two wannabe actors, they introduced the students in a humorous manner to the different types of engineering that are taught at UNB. Engineering students at UNB have to commit to their specific engineering field from their first day at UNB, so these skits were included to ensure the students were exposed to all the UNB engineering disciplines. We conclude the paper with our plans for delivery of the course in September 2007 and beyond.

scholarly journals A DESIGN-CENTERED LABORATORY CURRICULUM FOR FIRST-YEAR BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Lam
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Laboratory Course ◽  
Structured Design ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Design Projects

A new first-year biomedical engineering laboratory course was created using a problem-based learning approach. Centered on four semi-structured design projects and experiments, the laboratory course was designed to facilitate meaningful experiential learning. Preliminary analyses of survey results suggest that the semi-structured nature of lab activities is viewed both positively and negatively by students, depending on their perception of preparedness for the project. Its correlation with student performance will be better understood with thorough study of other components of survey results.

A UAE case study: experiential learning through effective educational partnerships

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wasif Minhas ◽  
Jo Perret
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
First Year ◽  
Educational Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Organization

Purpose One of the largest higher education institutes (HEI) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and another public sector organization (PSO) responsible for promoting heritage, history and culture in the tourism sector formed an informal partnership in 2012. The purpose of this paper is to give Emirati students an opportunity to undertake projects based on their heritage, communities and develop their skills by experiencing “learning by doing.” Design/methodology/approach Projects briefs were provided by the PSO and followed the curriculum requirements of first year bachelor programs. In February 2013, faculty from different departments within the HEI met with PSO representative to explore how both organizations could collaborate. The conversation also focused on how the PSO could take advantage of readily available resources of creativity and innovation at the HEI. An innovative, cross-discipline, joint-marketing project was developed in line with the curriculum and PSO needs. By June, 2013, all students had undertaken projects which led toward developing recommendations and materials to promote the brief from PSO of “Raising Awareness” and “Increasing Visitor Numbers.” Findings Students from different disciplines produced different elements to meet the brief; however, they all followed a similar approach of research, analysis and evaluation. Although such projects are difficult to manage, staff found they had a profound effect on students’ motivation, personal development and overall learning experience. Originality/value This case study provides an insight into how experiential learning can be fostered through educational partnerships in the UAE context and beyond. It also highlights the importance of technology and informal relationships between partnering institutions.

scholarly journals A New Approach to Teaching Biomechanics Through Active, Adaptive, and Experiential Learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Singh
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Real World ◽  
Adaptive Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Healthcare Industry ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Capstone Course ◽  
Real World Problem

Demand of biomedical engineers continues to rise to meet the needs of healthcare industry. Current training of bioengineers follows the traditional and dominant model of theory-focused curricula. However, the unmet needs of the healthcare industry warrant newer skill sets in these engineers. Translational training strategies such as solving real world problems through active, adaptive, and experiential learning hold promise. In this paper, we report our findings of adding a real-world 4-week problem-based learning unit into a biomechanics capstone course for engineering students. Surveys assessed student perceptions of the activity and learning experience. While students, across three cohorts, felt challenged to solve a real-world problem identified during the simulation lab visit, they felt more confident in utilizing knowledge learned in the biomechanics course and self-directed research. Instructor evaluations indicated that the active and experiential learning approach fostered their technical knowledge and life-long learning skills while exposing them to the components of adaptive learning and innovation.

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