scholarly journals Towards Scalable and Sustainable Active Learning in a Large Engineering Department

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen Rathlin ◽  
Eugene Li ◽  
Andrew Trivett
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Engineering Department ◽  
Formative Experiences ◽  
The University

Abstract – Students entering undergraduate engineering programs lack the formative experiences of their precursors and are demanding more hands-on, practical, and engaging experiences as part of their education[1].  Starting in 2013, the University of Waterloo engaged in a pilot project to address these needs and to improve the student experience. This paper will discuss the challenges encountered in the establishment of the MME Clinic initiative, the implementation methods used to address these challenges, and lessons learned through the first four years of this project.  

scholarly journals ENGINEERS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAMS AS A FRAMEWORK FOR INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Friesen ◽  
Nadine Ibrahim ◽  
Grant McSorley ◽  
Stephen Mattucci
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Theory ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
Industry Engagement ◽  
The University

Industry engagement in undergraduate engineering education is a community-centred approach to learning that is hands-on and links the engineering theory to practice. This paper provides a review of existing Engineer-in-Residence (EIR) programs in Canada, including the University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, University of Calgary, Ryerson University, University of Ottawa, and the University of Waterloo, as well as a brief international scan. We consider the motivations behind the institutions’ initiative to introduce EIR programs, different types of engagements, challenges, and opportunities. Programs are also examined externally relative to professional residency programs in business schools, among others, and relative to other forms of industry engagement in undergraduate engineering education. A brief overview of the history and role of EIRs within engineering programs is also presented. The paper will be of interest to those exploring a similar industry engagement framework at their institution, and offers a forward-looking perspective on ways to leverage the skills and experience of practicing engineers in preparing students to tackle the challenges of the future.

Widening the Participation of Disadvantaged Students in Engineering

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Sciffer ◽  
Mahsood Shah
Keyword(s):  
Disadvantaged Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Academic Preparedness ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Preparatory Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
History Of ◽  
The University ◽  
Diverse Groups

The University of Newcastle, Australia has a long history of providing enabling education which provides access and opportunity for students to participate in undergraduate education. The enabling programs at the University allow higher school leavers, and mature aged adults to prepare for undergraduate degrees. Students who complete enabling education at the University undertake undergraduate studies in various disciplines including engineering. This paper outlines the extent to which enabling programs have played an important role in widening the participation of disadvantaged students in engineering disciplines. The different levels of academic preparedness of students in enabling programs and barriers faced in learning require effective strategies for teaching and engaging students in learning. The paper outlines the strategy used in teaching an advanced level of mathematics to the diverse groups of students to prepare them for success in first year undergraduate engineering programs. While research on undergraduate engineering education is significant, limited studies have been undertaken on enabling or university preparatory programs and their impact in various professions.

Hands-On Student Experience With Complementary CFD Educational Interface and EFD and Uncertainty Analysis for Introductory Fluid Mechanics

Volume 1 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Stern ◽  
Marian Muste ◽  
Tao Xing ◽  
Donald Yarbrough
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Uncertainty Analysis ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Third Party ◽  
University Of Iowa ◽  
Computer Data ◽  
Hands On ◽  
The University

Development, implementation, and evaluation are described of hands-on student experience with complementary CFD educational interface and EFD and uncertainty analysis (UA) for introductory fluid mechanics course and laboratory at The University of Iowa, as part of a three-year National Science Foundation sponsored Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement - Educational Materials Development project. The CFD educational interface is developed in collaboration with faculty partners from Iowa State, Cornell and Howard universities along with industrial partner FLUENT Inc. and designed to teach CFD methodology and procedures through interactive implementation that automates the “CFD process” following a step-by-step approach. Predefined active options for students’ exercises use a hierarchical system both for introductory and advanced levels and encourages individual investigation and learning. Ideally, transition for students would be easy from advanced level to using FLUENT or other industrial CFD code directly. Generalizations of CFD templates for pipe, nozzle, and airfoil flows facilitate their use at different universities with different applications, conditions, and exercise notes. Complementary EFD laboratories are also developed. Classroom and pre-lab lectures and laboratories teach students EFD methodology and UA procedures following a step-by-step approach, which mirrors the “real-life” EFD process. Students use tabletop and modern facilities such as pipe stands and wind tunnels and modern measurement systems, including pressure transducers, pitot probes, load cells, and computer data acquisition systems (Labview) and data reduction. Students implement EFD UA and use EFD data for validation of CFD and AFD results. Students analyze and relate EFD results to fluid physics and classroom lectures. The laboratories constitute 1 credit hour of a four credit hour 1 semester course and include tabletop kinematic viscosity experiment focusing on UA procedures and pipe and airfoil experiments focusing on complementary EFD and CFD for the same geometries and conditions. The evaluation and research plan (created in collaboration with a third party program evaluation center at the University of Iowa), focuses on exact descriptions of the implementations, especially as experienced by the students. Also discussed are conclusions and future work.

scholarly journals Rethinking the Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (03) ◽  
pp. 42-45
Author(s):  
John Kosowatz
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Assistant Professor ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Innovative Solutions ◽  
Critical Components

This article discusses that to better engage students, professors are integrating active learning methods into their biomedical classes. The goal is for students to develop entrepreneurial skills to aid students in thinking outside the box, using their developing technical skills to develop innovative solutions. Engineering programs are bringing the entrepreneurial mindset to younger students, often based on the definition used by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network. Sponsored by the Kern Family Foundation, KEEN is a collaboration of 31 U.S. universities with the goal of supporting entrepreneurial skills in undergraduate engineering and technical students. KEEN says the entrepreneurial mindset has three critical components: curiosity, connections, and creating value. At Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, mechanical engineering assistant professor Laurel Kuxhaus is working with a KEEN grant to integrate active learning into sophomore-level studies.

Active Learning in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Case Study: Computer-Based Interactive Learning in Robotics Classroom

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid R. Alemohammad ◽  
Mohsen Shahini
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Interactive Learning ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
University Instructors ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Initial Survey ◽  
Conventional Classroom ◽  
The University

This paper is concerned with the review of active learning methods implemented in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering courses. The active learning methods are categorized into two groups of in-class activities without the use of computers and computer-based classrooms. The strategies to encourage university instructors to adopt active learning methods are also discussed. The paper also addresses the pilot project for the implementation of a novel computer-based experiential learning in the course of “Robot Manipulators: Kinematics, Dynamics, Control” at the University of Waterloo, Canada. A Student Interactive Learning System (SILS) has been developed for in-class activities in this course. The SILS system has two components: students’ mobile devices and a front-end website in which the instructor has control to upload the demonstrations and quizzes and receive students’ responses. The students are connected to the website through the WiFi connection. Findings of an initial survey, which was conducted at the start of the semester, revealed that majority of the students find the conventional classroom passive and believe adding interactivity in the lecture enhances their in-class learning experiences.

Benchmarking the Integration of Complex Systems Study in Mechanical Engineering Programs in the Southeastern United States

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Kellam ◽  
Michelle Maher ◽  
James Russell ◽  
Veronica Addison ◽  
Wally Peters
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
University Websites ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering Education ◽  
The University

Complex systems study, defined as an understanding of interrelationships between engineered, technical, and non-technical (e.g., social or environmental) systems, has been identified as a critical component of undergraduate engineering education. This paper assesses the extent to which complex systems study has been integrated into undergraduate mechanical engineering programs in the southeastern United States. Engineering administrators and faculty were surveyed and university websites associated with engineering education were examined. The results suggest engineering administrators and faculty believe that undergraduate engineering education remains focused on traditional engineering topics. However, the review of university websites indicates a significant level of activity in complex systems study integration at the university level, although less so at college and department levels.

scholarly journals A LAB TASK GROUP FOR REVIEW AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THIRD AND FOURTH-YEAR LABORATORY COURSES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Torvi ◽  
Scott Noble ◽  
Doug Bitner ◽  
Melanie Fauchoux ◽  
Rob Peace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Task Group ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Remote Labs ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

Since the mid-1980’s, the mechanical engineering program at the University of Saskatchewan has included three core third and fourth-year lab courses, each of which consists of 9-10 individual labs. In 2015 a task group was set up to review these courses, including deliverables, scheduling and links to material in corecourses. Since this time, the task group has taken on the major responsibility for continuous improvement of the lab program, including reviewing student evaluations, making changes to labs, and recommending equipment purchases.  The task group has also been responsible for a major redesign of the lab program, which will improve delivery and scheduling of labs, alignment with core courses, workload of students, and experience gained by graduate teaching assistants. Smaller apparatus have been designed and built in-house to allow students to gain additional hands-on experience. Labs have been designed to build on one another in order to systematically improve students’ general laboratory skills, including the use of data acquisition systems and experimental design. This new approach was used for the first time in ME 328 in 2019-20.  This paper will focus primarily on the role of the task group in continuous improvement, and the lab program redesign.  The new ME 328 course is described, along with lessons learned from the first offering. The task group’s role in moving to remote labs during COVID-19 is also discussed.

scholarly journals ENGCON: A PRE-CAPSTONE ENGINEERING DESIGN CONVENTION

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Rennick ◽  
Eugene Li
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Internal Support ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
The University ◽  
Important Activity ◽  
Capstone Design

The capstone design project is ubiquitous in engineering programs worldwide, and is seen by students as the single most important activity in their undergraduate careers. Staff and faculty at the University of Waterloo identified three issues with the current capstone process: students are unaware of industrial suppliers, they lack multi-disciplinary exposure, and they often struggle to identify "good" needs for their projects. The Engineering IDEAs Clinic, with support from instructors and staff from across Engineering, developed a conference for students to address these issues. EngCon – aimed at students in third/fourth year – brought students together with their peers from other programs, instructors from across the Faculty, and representatives from suppliers (both external industry, and internal support units) with the goal of improving their capstone projects. This paper presents the design and implementation of EngCon in both 2017 and 2018 with lessons learned from offering a large coordinated set of workshops aimed at students as they enter their capstone design projects.  

scholarly journals Women In Engineering: Insight Into Why Some Engineering Departments Have More Success In Recruiting And Graduating Women

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Bossart ◽  
Neelam Bharti
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Women In Engineering ◽  
Societal Benefit ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Department ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
The University

Universities across the United States (U.S.) are perplexed as to why fewer women than men study engineering and why even fewer complete the curriculum and earn an undergraduate degree in engineering. The percentage of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded annually to women in the U.S. since 2000 has remained relatively constant at around 20%. However, some engineering disciplines have had much greater success in graduating women, with some programs awarding 50% or more of their bachelor’s degrees to women. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of why women preferred certain engineering disciplines over others. Up to 17 years of undergraduate engineering department data from the University of Florida (UF) and national averages from the National Science Foundation (NSF) were reviewed to evaluate graduation rates for women in engineering. The total number of graduates at the undergraduate level were compared to the number of undergraduates who identified themselves as women. Linear regression of the data was used to identify trends. In the last 17 years, there has been little change in the overall percentage of women engineering undergraduates, but there is a great disparity between the engineering disciplines. Women earn larger proportions of undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines where they perceive a societal benefit. How can engineering departments improve their enrollment and retention of women? One way is by providing early-on specific real life examples of how engineers solve society’s most challenging problems.

scholarly journals A WORKSHOP ON LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR ENGINEERING FACULTY MEMBERS

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Romkey ◽  
Susan McCahan
Keyword(s):  
Educational Practice ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time

As an initial step in preparing faculty members for the new outcomes-based accreditation process introduced by the CEAB, a pilot workshop on creating learning objectives was developed for engineering professors at the University of Toronto. As the Graduate Attributes will be mapped to individual courses within engineering programs, the need for course-based learning objectives is even more critical; although research already supports the development and use of learning objectives as an effective educational practice. . This paper will describe the process of developing the workshop, facilitating it for the first time, and the lessons learned that were used in developing a second iteration of the workshop.

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