scholarly journals AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENT DEFINITIONS AND VALUE OF CREATIVITY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Waller ◽  
David Strong
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Definition Of

There appears to be an existing disconnect between engineering education and creativity that is partly caused by a lack of understanding of creativity’srole in engineering as well as the lack of value placed on creativity in the academic environment. This paper used mixed methods research to investigate this disconnect through the perceptions of undergraduate engineering students. A survey was used to gather definitions of engineering creativity and to measure the value students place on creativity in engineering.Results indicated that students have a wide variety of definitions and understanding of engineering creativity. It was found that students generally valued creativity in an engineering context, but Year 4+ students had statistically significant less value for creativity than all other years ofstudy. The findings support the need for a well-developed and universally accepted definition of engineering creativity. Causation for the difference in value Year 4+ students place on engineering creativity should be furtherinvestigated.

scholarly journals Modeling the Use of Mixed Methods–Grounded Theory: Developing Scales for a New Measurement Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Howell Smith ◽  
Wayne A. Babchuk ◽  
Jared Stevens ◽  
Amanda L. Garrett ◽  
Sherry C. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Mixed methods–grounded theory (MM–GT) has emerged as a promising methodology that intersects the value of mixed methods with rigorous qualitative design. However, recent reviews have found that MM–GT empirical studies tend to lack procedural details. The purpose of this article is to apply the “best practices” for conducting MM–GT in a study designed to develop and then test a theoretical model for how undergraduate engineering students develop interest in the engineering PhD. This study contributes to the field of mixed methods research by (a) illustrating best practices for MM–GT, (b) providing an MM–GT scale development example, (c) demonstrating how an MM-GT scale could potentially bypass exploratory factor analysis and proceed directly to confirmatory factor analysis for testing psychometric properties, and showing how a joint display for data collection planning can be used to strengthen integration in an instrument development study.

HOW STUDENTS DEFINE THEIR SUCCESS: A RESEARCH STUDY

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Ullrich ◽  
David S. Strong
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Survey Instrument ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
Full Study ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Diverse Groups

How undergraduate engineering students define their success and plan for their future differs notably amongst students. With a push for greater diversity and inclusion in engineering schools, it is valuable to also better understand the differences in these areas among different students to allow institutions to better serve the needs of these diverse groups.  The purpose of this research study is to explore students’ definition of success both in the present and projecting forward 5 to 10 years, as well as to understand to what level students reflect on, and plan for, the future. The proposed survey instrument for the pilot stage of this research includes 56 closed-ended questions and 3 open-ended questions. Evidence for the validity of the research instrument is established through a mixed-method pilot study. This paper will discuss the survey instrument, the pilot study, and outline plans for the full study.

Novel Method of Assessing Practical Intelligence Acquired in Mechatronics Laboratory Classes

2015 ◽  
pp. 895-928
Author(s):  
Zol Bahri Razali
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Practical Intelligence ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Representative Work ◽  
Method Of Assessment

Practical intelligence is often referred to as the ability of a person to solve practical challenges in a given domain. The lack of practical intelligence may be due to the way in which explicit knowledge is valued and subsequently assessed in engineering education, namely via examinations, tests, laboratory reports, and tutorial exercises. The lack of effective assessments on practical intelligence indicates implicit devaluation, which can significantly impair engineering students' ability to acquire practical intelligence. To solve this problem, the authors propose a new method of assessment for measuring practical intelligence acquired by engineering students after performing engineering laboratory classes. The novices-experts approach is used in designing the assessment instruments, based on the behaviors' of novices/experts observed and novices/experts representative work-related situations. The practical intelligence can be measured by calculating the difference between participants' and the experts' ratings; the closer the novices to experts, the higher the practical intelligence acquired.

scholarly journals EXPLORING STUDENTS’ DEFINITIONS OF SUCCESS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Ullrich ◽  
David S. Strong
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Achievement Motivation ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
The Other ◽  
Academic Environment ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Student Group ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering

The term “success” has many different meanings for students and stakeholders in the academic environment [1]. The most common measure of student success employed by researchers and institutions is performance-based measures such as grades and graduation rates. The remainder of the definitions are inconsistent among the various stakeholders in the academic environment. Understanding the importance of the criteria used by students to define their success in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs, as well as the degree to which students are motivated to engage in each criterion with a mastery-based approach, could be useful for reconciling the differences between the student group and the other stakeholders in the academic environment and assist in designing teaching strategies that align with these criteria and thus promote a masterybased view of success. This paper summarizes three achievement motivation frameworks and contributes a synthesis of the literature regarding student and other stakeholder definitions of student success to identify opportunities and methodologies in preparation for a research study on this topic as it applies to success in the context of Canadian undergraduate engineering students.  

scholarly journals Collaboration Patterns as a Function of Article Genre among Mixed Researchers: A Mixed Methods Bibliometric Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
John Jordan ◽  
Melanie Wachsmann ◽  
Susan Hoisington ◽  
Vanessa Gonzalez ◽  
Rachel Valle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Bibliometric Study ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Quantitative Phase ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Collaboration Patterns ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Qualitative Phase

Surprisingly, scant information exists regarding the collaboration patterns of mixed methods researchers. Thus, the purpose of this mixed methods bibliometric study was to examine (a) the distribution of the number of co-authors in articles published in the flagship mixed methods research journal (i.e., Journal of Mixed Methods Research [JMMR]) as a function of article genre (Quantitative Phase); (b) the relationship between the genre of articles published in JMMR and degree of collaboration in these articles (Quantitative Phase); (c) the difference between the number of authors in empirical research articles and non-empirical research articles published in JMMR (Quantitative Phase); and (d) select leading mixed methods researchers’ collaboration experiences as a function of genre of article (Qualitative Phase). An analysis of all articles published in JMMR from 2007 (its inception) to 2015 (the latest complete year at the time that the study was conducted) revealed (a) a statistically significantly higher proportion of empirical research articles (63.2%) than non-empirical research articles (36.8%), (b) that empirical research articles were 1.4 times (95% confidence interval = 1.10, 1.78) more likely to involve multiple authors than were non-empirical research articles; and (c) that empirical research articles contained statistically significantly more authors than did non-empirical research articles. With respect to the qualitative phase, four themes (i.e., mental perception, mixed methods research, publication and research aids, and independent/group work) emerged regarding collaboration for empirical articles versus for non-empirical research articles. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Experiences of Belonging in Engineering Undergraduate Education at Queen’s

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Buitenhuis
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Engineering Profession ◽  
Socialization Process ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Canadian Context ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education

The purpose of this study is to explore the role that the engineering undergraduate degree plays in the socialization process of professional engineers.  I will look at how exclusion is normalized through undergraduate education.  To do this, I will analyze the history and content of the Iron Ring Ceremony. This ceremony has symbolic significance to engineering students as it marks the completion of the undergraduate degree. It is also a ceremony unique to Canada, which will provide insights into the engineering profession in the Canadian context. I will also conduct interviews with 12 graduates of the Queen's undergraduate engineering program to gain insights into how engineering undergraduate education plays a role in shaping engineering identities. I will use my findings regarding the Iron Ring Ceremony to understand feelings of belonging and patterns of exclusion and inclusion throughout undergraduate engineering education.

Multiscale-Based Mechanical Engineering Education

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Karami ◽  
R. V. Pieri
Keyword(s):  
Finite Elements ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Multiscale Analysis ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Classical Mechanics ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Engineering Mechanics ◽  
Finite Elements Model

The classical engineering mechanics courses of Statics, Dynamics and Strength of Materials are taught to most engineering disciplines. With the advent of multiscale analysis and practice, reforms should be implemented in such classical mechanics courses to address the change so that they won't be limited only to continuum and macro-based level, but to include all the scales. This paper will suggest revisions that should be implemented in these courses. This includes introducing the concepts of multiscale engineering and the addition of new modules in the form of example problems in micro and nano-scales. Relying upon the framework of existing courses and using the existing physical and intellectual resources, an array of educational activities will be suggested to provide such an opportunity for undergraduate engineering students. The efforts will be substantiated and facilitated using the simulation capabilities of Computer Aided Engineering and Drawing (CADD) techniques as well as the analysis capabilities of Finite Elements Model (FEM) procedures.

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