scholarly journals THE “ENGINEERS HAVE FEELINGS” PROJECT: INTEGRATING MENTAL WELLNESS AND LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS IN FIRST-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING COURSES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn Paul ◽  
Destiny Dedemus ◽  
Melissa Boyce ◽  
Kim Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Academic Engagement ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Curricular Intervention ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Mental Wellness

To address an identified need for programming that helps Engineering students to develop skills in coping, resilience, and lifelong learning, we designed, implemented, and reflected on the effectiveness of a curricular intervention on Engineering students’ mental wellbeing, academic engagement and achievement, and perceptions of support. This intervention has implications for the development of a model of the curricular components necessary to benefit undergraduate students’ academic engagement, success, and perceptions of student support. It may also be used to inform curriculum development across many university programs. 

scholarly journals CONSIDERATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL REFLECTION SKILLS IN FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING INFORMED THROUGH STUDENT PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth DaMaren ◽  
Danielle Pearlston ◽  
Stephen Mattucci
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Student Activities ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Directed Learning

Reimagined curriculum models offer new possibilities for embedding durable competencies into the curriculum, including critical reflection, which promotes the development of self-directed learning skills. However, students often perceive these skills as unimportant with pre-existing biases focusing on technical content as the core of engineering.  The primary goal of this work was to identify key considerations when integrating critical reflection into engineering curricula, specifically in the context of first-year engineering, to promote the development of student self-directed learning skills.  This work was framed within the Students-as-Partners (SaP) approach, where two undergraduate students worked in collaboration with the instructor. To gather information regarding student perceptions of critical reflection, focus groups were conducted for first-year engineering students and students familiar with reflection.  Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on the focus group data and key insights were identified and categorized into five themes: approaches, supporting students, evaluation and framing, development pathway and value, and reflection for engineers. Suggested learning outcomes, student activities, and evaluation methods are proposed. These findings are applicable to implementing reflection across a variety of academic settings, as they highlight main considerations and challenges faced with reflection from the perspective of students in multiple programs. 

Engineering Innovation in Biomedical Nanotechnology

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eniko T. Enikov ◽  
Zoltán Szabó ◽  
Rein Anton ◽  
Jesse Skoch ◽  
Whitney Sheen
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
First Year ◽  
Nanoscale Science And Engineering ◽  
Training Project ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Nanoscale Science ◽  
College Of Engineering ◽  
Student Projects ◽  
Institutional Challenges

The objective of this National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded undergraduate engineering training project is to introduce nanoscale science and engineering through an innovative use of a technical elective sophomore-level mechatronics course, followed by an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)-mandated senior-level engineering capstone design project. A unique partnership between University of Arizona’s department of surgery, its neurosurgical division, and the College of Engineering presents a creative environment, where medical residents serve as mentors for undergraduate engineering students in developing product ideas enabled by nanotechnology. Examples include: a smart ventricular peritoneal (VP) shunt with flow-sensing; a bio-resorbable inflatable stent for drug delivery, and a hand-held non-invasive eye tonometer. Results from the first year of the student projects, as well as qualitative assessment of their experience, is presented. Several institutional challenges were also identified.

Effective NEMS Education and Training in an Undergraduate Course

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nael Barakat ◽  
Heidi Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Engineering Level ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Manufacturing Techniques ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Micro Systems

Increasing demand on workforce for nanotechnology implementation has resulted in an exponential increase of demand on educational material and methods to qualify this workforce. However, nanotechnology is a field that integrates many areas of science and engineering requiring a significant amount of background knowledge in both theory and application to build upon. This challenge is significantly magnified when trying to teach nanotechnology concepts and applications at the undergraduate engineering level. A considerable amount of time is needed for an undergraduate engineering student to be able to design and build a useful device applying nanotechnology concepts, within one course time. This paper presents an actual experience in teaching hands-on applications in nanotechnology to undergraduate engineering students through an optimized model, within a normal course time. The model significantly reduces the time needed by undergraduate students to learn the necessary manufacturing techniques and apply them to produce useful products at the micro and nano levels, by ensuring that infrastructure and legwork related to the educational process are partially completed and verified, before the course starts. The model also provides improved outcomes as all its pre-course work is also tested with students working under different arrangements of professors’ supervision. The result is an optimized infrastructure setup for micro and nanotechnology design and manufacturing education, built with students in mind, to be completed within the frame of one semester course. The model was implemented at GVSU-SOE as the core hands-on part of a senior undergraduate course titled (EGR 457 nano/micro systems engineering). Students in the course were able to go through the design and build steps of different MEMS and NEMS products, while learning and utilizing cleanroom equipment and procedures. This was based on infrastructural arrangements by students preceding this class by a semester and working closely with the professors. Assessment was conducted on both sides of the model and results were collected for evaluation and improvement of the model.

Problem Solving Techniques Taught Through Validation of an Instantaneous Rigid Force Model

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard B. Mindek ◽  
Joseph M. Guerrera
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cutting Forces ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Force Model ◽  
Limited Time ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Laboratory Courses ◽  
Milling Operations ◽  
Cutting Model

Educating engineering students in the appropriate methods for analyzing and problem solving fundamental manufacturing processes is a challenge in undergraduate engineering education, given the increasingly limited room in the curriculum as well as the limited time and resources. Although junior and senior level laboratory courses have traditionally been used as a pedagogical platform for conveying this type of knowledge to undergraduate students, the broad range of manufacturing topics that can be covered along with the limited time within a laboratory course structure has sometimes limited the effectiveness of this approach. At the same time, some undergraduate students require a much deeper knowledge of certain manufacturing topics, practices or research techniques, especially those who may already be working in a manufacturing environment as part of a summer internship or part-time employment. The current work shows how modeling, actual machining tests and problem solving techniques were recently used to analyze a manufacturing process within a senior design project course. Specifically, an Instantaneous Rigid Force Model, originally put forward by Tlusty (1,2) was validated and used to assess cutting forces and the ability to detect tool defects during milling operations. Results from the tests showed that the model accurately predicts cutting forces during milling, but have some variation due to cutter vibration and deflection, which were not considered in the model. It was also confirmed that a defect as small as 0.050 inches by 0.025 inches was consistently detectable at multiple test conditions for a 0.5-inch diameter, 4-flute helical end mill. Based on the results, it is suggested that a force cutting model that includes the effect of cutter vibration be used in future work. The results presented demonstrate a level of knowledge in milling operations analysis beyond what can typically be taught in most undergraduate engineering laboratory courses.

scholarly journals So you need to choose a textbook: An investigation into first-year engineering calculus textbooks in Canada

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha Gollish ◽  
Bryan Karneyc
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Online Search ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Course Syllabus

The motivation for this paper was two-fold; first to examine the types of textbooks that are being used to teach calculus to undergraduate engineering students in the Canadian Universities; and, second, to assess whether these textbooks do a "good job" at teaching calculus to undergraduate engineering students.The calculus textbooks used by engineering faculties across Canada were found through an online search, either by downloading a course syllabus or through a course website. Research into these various textbooks was done through the various textbook company websites and other articles. A review of the various textbooks was provided. In addition, select calculus textbooks were selected for a more thorough review of teaching differentiation.More often universities are choosing calculus textbooks that are rooted in engineering.

Introducing “Advanced” Tuned Vibration Absorbers in an Undergraduate Vibrations Course

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong-Hoi Koo ◽  
Fernando Goncalves ◽  
Hong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Smart Materials ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Vibration Absorbers ◽  
Active Materials ◽  
New Class ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Tuned Vibration Absorbers ◽  
Real World Problems

The primary objective of this paper is to bridge the theory of tuned vibration absorbers (TVA) with the practice of implementing TVAs in systems. Often, the practice of implementing TVAs in systems is a far departure from the theory expressed in many textbooks. These departures are often required in practice to account for the less than ideal conditions that the TVAs will be operating under. Many retrofitted TVAs use “smart” or active materials along with various control techniques to improve the performance of the traditional TVA proposed in textbooks. The intent of the current paper is to demonstrate several of these modern methods of implementing retrofitted TVAs to undergraduate students. The first author introduced the methods in a junior level vibrations course, and is developing a laboratory experiment. Teaching these advanced TVAs to undergraduate engineering students will help them understand how theories learned in class are used in real world problems, and motivate them to explore new fields of research. After introducing a “textbook” vibration absorber theory, this paper describes principles and operations of a new class of vibration absorbers. In reviewing conventional TVAs, students are introduced to many of the engineering challenges encountered in the implementation of TVAs. One such challenge is inevitable off-tuning caused by system parameter changes with time. After identifying many of the challenges associated with the implementation of TVAs, the students are introduced to many modern solutions to these problems. Many of these solutions involve the use of smart materials, such as piezoceramics, magnetorheological fluids, magnetorheological elastomers, shape memory alloys, etc. Through this experience, students are introduced to many smart materials and have the opportunity to see how these smart materials can provide solutions to many engineering challenges and improve existing technologies.

scholarly journals Awakening the Learner Within: Purposeful Prompts and Lifelong Learning Measures in a First-Year Composition Course

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 67-82
Author(s):  
Tara Moore ◽  
Suzanne C. Shaffer
Keyword(s):  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
College Education ◽  
Student Growth ◽  
Control Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Lifelong Learners ◽  
First Year Composition ◽  
Composition Course

Lifelong learning skills have been shown to benefit students during and after college. This paper discusses the use of the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) in a first-year composition course. Reflective writing assignments and pre- and post-semester ELLI data were used to assess student growth as lifelong learners over the course of a semester. Statistically significant gains in lifelong learning dimensions were made by students in the study as compared to those in a control group who received no direct instruction. The authors reflect on the outcomes of the project for students and instructors and question the general assumptions often made about the outcomes of a college education, namely, whether students gain lifelong learning skills simply by virtue of attending college, or is more instruction on these “intangible” qualities needed?

scholarly journals Understanding Barriers to Student Success: What Students Have to Say

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kuley ◽  
Sean Maw ◽  
Terry Fonstad
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
First Year ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
College Of Engineering ◽  
The University

This paper focuses on feedback received from a set of qualitative questions that were administered to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, as part of a larger mixed methods study. The larger study aims to identify what characteristics, if any, can predict or are related to student success; The “start-stop-continue” method was utilized to assess student perceptions about  their success in the college as a whole. The students were asked: Are there any specific things that you can think of that act/acted as barriers to your success in engineering (stop)? What could the college do/change to make first year more successful for engineering students (start)? Is there anything in your engineering degree so far that you feel is done well and helps students succeed (continue)? Students identified the quality of instruction early in their program as well as adjustment to college workloads and self-directed learning as the most significant barriers tostudent success.

scholarly journals COURSE SCHEDULING ACCORDING TO STUDENT STRESS

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Ma ◽  
Ali Akgunduz ◽  
Yong Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
First Year ◽  
Scheduling Problem ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Student Stress ◽  
Course Scheduling ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Course Difficulty

As many as one in three first-year undergraduate students cannot make it back for the sophomore year. The low retention rate for students, especially engineering students, is a widespread problem. In this paper, the quantification of course difficulty and student stress is discussed, followed by a student stress model which can integrate student stress into the course scheduling problem. Some future work is presented in the conclusion.

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