scholarly journals Developing disciplinary discourse in a first-year engineering course: The DELNA initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 126-135
Author(s):  
Faye D'Silva ◽  
Penny Kinnear
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
First Year ◽  
Discursive Practices ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Disciplinary Discourse ◽  
Language Needs

First-year students in higher education settings tend to face ongoing challenges with variations in discursive practices and genres within their discipline. Within this context, a Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA) was administered to first-year engineering students to assess the strengths and needs of their ability to navigate academic language. The purpose of this paper is to report on our initiative to support student’s development of academic literacy, specifically their disciplinary language proficiency through the implementation of pedagogical support activities.   

scholarly journals 28. How Much Language Do They Need? The Dilemma English-Medium Universities Face When Enrolling English as an Additional Language Students

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Von Randow
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Subsequent Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Language Needs ◽  
Post Entry

Although international and domestic students applying to English-medium universities may well meet the minimum language entry requirement, recent research indicates that this level of language proficiency often does not provide students with the means to cope effectively with their academic studies (Barthel, 2007; Elder, 2003; Read & Hayes, 2003). To resolve this dilemma our major, multicultural New Zealand university is addressing the problem through implementation of the Diagnostic English Language Needs Assessment (DELNA), a post-entry programme administered to all first-year undergraduate students, regardless of their language background. We use the diagnostic outcomes to guide individual students with particular needs to appropriate forms of academic language enrichment. This paper outlines DELNA’s history and administration, student responses to the assessment and the subsequent development and uptake of language support options.

scholarly journals MALAYSIAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR INTERACTIONS IN UK SEMINARS

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-405
Author(s):  
Zurina Khairuddin ◽  
Zulaikha Khairuddin ◽  
Nadia Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
International Student ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
First Year ◽  
Verbal Interactions ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Academic Cultures ◽  
Malaysian Students

Background and Purpose: Coming from different social and academic cultures, students may exhibit perceptions which are in contrast to the convention of the targeted culture. Hence, this study aims to explore how first-year Malaysian students perceive their interactions in UK seminars.   Methodology: Employing qualitative research method, nine Malaysian students were chosen based on two criteria: they have to be first-year students and registered in content modules in UK university. The data were collected from interview and focus group discussion, and the audio-recordings were transcribed and analysed utilising thematic analysis.   Findings: The participants of this study perceive their interactions differently. Semek, Enot, Fatin, Ammar, Ming and Izlin mentioned that they responded during seminar discussion if they were nominated by the tutor and most agreed that they did not ask questions because information was provided to them or they could ask the tutor or their friends after the seminar. Fatin however disagreed and asserted that students should ask questions if they did not understand the academic content well. Qaisara, Puspa and Semek also shared that their lack of English language proficiency influenced their lack of contribution which was not the case for Fatin and Ming. Being marginalised as an international student was one of the reasons Semek did not contribute to the seminar discussions in contrast to Qaisara who felt the need to contribute.   Contributions: The findings of this study suggest that academic institutions should be flexible in encouraging students to be engaged in seminars as coming from different educational background, these students may require additional help to socialise in academic setting and consequently become expert members.   Keywords: Malaysian students, students’ perceptions, students’ interactions, UK seminars, verbal interactions.   Cite as: Khairuddin, Z., Khairuddin, Z., & Ibrahim, N. (2020). Malaysian students’ perceptions of their interactions in UK seminars.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(2), 384-405. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp384-405

scholarly journals Developing academic literacy through self-regulated online learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmaline Lear ◽  
Linda Li ◽  
Sue Prentice
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Learning Logs

This study explores the self-regulated learning (SRL) experiences of international students in developing English language academic literacy essential for successful transition to university. The participants in this study were a small, diverse group of first year undergraduate students who sought academic support from the Academic Skills Centre at an Australian university. They were given the opportunity to independently access an online program, Study Skills Success, over the duration of one semester to develop their academic literacy in English. Data for this study were collected from a pre- and post-program questionnaire, interviews, a focus group discussion, and reflective online learning logs. These sources gathered information regarding the participants’ motivation and attitudes, their online learning experiences and strategy use, and the perceived benefits of SRL online. The findings from this study have implications for supporting the transition of first year students to university by developing essential academic skills through independent online learning.

scholarly journals Validity and Reliability of a Test Used for Assessing University Students’ Academic Language Proficiency

EL LE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Mezzadri ◽  
Flora Sisti
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
Test Model ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Experimental Implementation ◽  
Academic Language Proficiency

This article presents a test model developed to assess university students’ academic language proficiency. The context is that of Italian universities, which are required by law to assess first year students’ initial preparation. Drawing on the literature regarding test construct, it explores the validity and reliability of the test through the analysis of the data collected during an experimental implementation phase carried out at the Universities of Genova, Parma and Urbino.

scholarly journals Addressing English language needs of Economic Development students in Indonesian context

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Mercya Christ Sita Dewi ◽  
Lilia Indriani
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
State Universities ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Need Analysis ◽  
Economics Students ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
Language Needs

The heart of the study is English for Economics purposes as a branch of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). This study is dedicated to addressing the immediate needs of economics students in English language courses. By employing an explanatory survey method, researchers distributed a self-administrated survey and interviewed five first-year students majoring in Economic Development in one of the state universities in Indonesia. In this study, the researchers attempted to analyze Economic Development students’ target situation, present situation, and learning situation in English courses to prepare them to face global competition. The results revealed that most students admitted that English is essential for their future careers. Thus, they expected English courses should include materials related to their discipline and emphasize more authentic activities. Following the discussion, this need analysis can be a consideration in designing English learning materials for economics students.

Perceived English Language Needs of Cebuano Speaking Freshmen and their Teachers: Implication to Language Teaching

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
DON VICENTE C. REAL ◽  
BELLADONA A. CORTEZ ◽  
VIRGINIA E. LACUESTA ◽  
CRAIG N. REFUGIO
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Private Life ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Year ◽  
State University ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Needs

THis study focused on investigating how students and teachers from a non-english speaking country like the Philippines perceive the need for learning the english language. Six hundred first year students of Negros Oriental State University, Bais Campuses 1 and 2 were assessed using a structured survey questionnaire to determine their english language needs in the four macro skills such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing as applied to their academic studies, future profession and social/private life. Eight teachers were considered in the study. Percentages and weighted means were utilized in data analysis. Findings revealed that most students identified reading as “most needed” in their academic studies while speaking was “most needed” in their future profession. All the other skills were considered only as “needed.” On the other hand, teachers considered all the four macro skills as “most needed” in all the three areas. It was only in reading that both teachers and students gave similar rating of “most needed” in academic studies. Thus, there exists disparity in the way learners and teachers view the importance of learning the language. To address this issue, there is a need to redesign existing syllabus by integrating learning tasks that address the students’ needs.Keywords: Language, macro skills, descriptive design, Philippines, Asia

REVERSE ENGINEERING: TENSION RATCHET DISSECTION PROJECT

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah Vanderlaan ◽  
Josh Richert ◽  
James Morrison ◽  
Thomas Doyle
Keyword(s):  
Reverse Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
First Year ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Final Project ◽  
Undergraduate Study ◽  
Solid Edge ◽  
Part Modeling

We are a group of engineering students, in our first year of undergraduate study. We have been selected from one thousand first year students and have competed and won the PACE competition. All engineers share a common general first year, but we have been accepted into Civil and Mechanical engineering. This project was assigned as the final project in the Design and Graphics course. The project we are tasked with, called the Cornerstone Design Project, is to first dissect a product, discover how it works, dimension each part and create a fully assembled model using CAD software (Solid Edge V20 in our case). As part of discovering how it works we must benchmark it so the device can be compared with competing products. The goal of the project is to develop a full understanding of part modeling and assembly in Solid Edge, learn proper measurement techniques, and learn the process of reverse engineering and product dissection. All of these tasks were stepping stones to help us fully understand how the device, and all its components, work.

scholarly journals What Can Students’ Bibliographies Tell Us?- Evidence Based Information Skills Teaching for Engineering Students

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Yu ◽  
Jan Sullivan ◽  
Leith Woodall
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
First Year ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Internet Resources ◽  
Information Skills ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Department Faculty

Objective - This project sought to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in locating, retrieving, and citing information in order to deliver information skills workshops more effectively. Methods - Bibliographies submitted from first-year engineering and second- and fourth-year chemical engineering students’ project reports were analysed for the number of items cited, the variety of items cited, and the correct use of citation style. The topics of the project reports were also reviewed to see the relationships between the topics and the items cited. Results - The results show that upper level students cited more items in total than did lower level students in their bibliographies. Second- and fourth-year engineering students cited more books and journal articles than first-year students cited. Web sites were used extensively by all three groups of students, and for some first-year students these were the most frequently used sources. Students from all three groups had difficulties with citation style. Conclusion - There was a clear difference in citation frequency between upper and lower level engineering students. Different strategies of information skills instruction are needed for different levels of students. Librarians and department faculty members need to include good quality Internet resources in their teaching and to change the emphasis from finding information to finding, interpreting, and citing accurately.

Education for sustainable development in Spanish higher education: an assessment of sustainability competencies in engineering and education degrees

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo ◽  
Daniel Romero-Portillo ◽  
Bàrbara Sureda Carbonell ◽  
Francisco Manuel Moreno-Pino
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spanish Higher Education ◽  
Percentage Measure ◽  
University Degree

Purpose This paper aims to present a methodology for analysing the extent to which students of a university degree perceive that they have received a good education for sustainable development (ESD). The methodology enables us to quantify this perception, which, in turn, allows us to determine: to what extent the objectives related to ESD are achieved in the degree, and to compare the learning in ESD perceived by students of different degrees. The methodology is applied to nine engineering degrees and nine education degrees in the Spanish university system. Design/methodology/approach ESD is analysed from the students’ learning perception. This perception is measured by comparing the responses of first- and fourth-year students to a questionnaire about their sustainability competencies. Two indicators have been designed to analyse the results. The first indicator, learning increase, measures the declared learning difference between fourth- and first-year students. The second indicator, learning percentage, measure the amount of learning as reported by fourth-year students compared to how much they could have learned. Findings The results show that the average learning percentage perceived by students is higher in engineering degrees (33%) than in education degrees (27%), despite the fact that the average learning increase declared by students at the end of their studies in both areas of knowledge is similar (66%). Engineering students report having achieved higher learning than education students in all sustainability competencies, with the exception of ethics. Originality/value This paper analyses ESD from the student’s perspective. Furthermore, to the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study that compares the perception of ESD between engineering and education students. This comparison allows us to determine the different approaches that university Professors take to ESD according to the discipline they teach.

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.

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