scholarly journals A Student Primer on How to Thrive in Engineering Education during and beyond COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junaid Qadir ◽  
Ala Al-Fuqaha

In this paper, we strive to provide a primer for students on how to thrive and learn effectively in engineering education in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) times following the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has disrupted the educational enterprise massively with universities physically closing in many parts of the world and students and faculty transitioning to remote learning. Although the immediate audience assumed in this paper comprises engineering students (such as those enrolled in electrical, electronics, or computer engineering programs) studying in an outcome-based education (OBE) environment—the global educational paradigm mandated by the Washington Accord that aims to standardize engineering competencies in terms of the attained student learning outcomes—the presented ideas are more general and broadly useful for learners of all types. We will describe seven evidence-based steps that the students can adopt to thrive in OBE settings in these challenging times. The main contribution of this paper is practical: we present a synthesis of the vast research literature on effective student learning in normal, online, and disrupted settings to present practical insights that students can leverage to substantially improve their learning. At the end of the paper, we also present a discussion of important issues related to remote teaching and online education such as ensuring equity and the handling of lab work for engineers in such settings (e.g., through simulators and virtual labs).

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junaid Qadir ◽  
Ala Al-Fuqaha

In this paper, we strive to provide a primer for students on how to thrive and learn effectively in engineering education in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) times following the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has disrupted the educational enterprise massively with universities physically closing in many parts of the world and students and faculty transitioning to remote learning. While our immediate focus in this paper is on engineering education functioning in an outcome-based education (OBE) environment, the global paradigm mandated by the Washington Accord that aims to standardize engineering competencies in terms of the attained student learning outcomes, our ideas are general and broadly useful for learners of all types. We will describe seven evidence-based steps that the students can adopt to thrive in OBE settings in these challenging times. The main contribution of this paper is practical: we present a synthesis of the vast research literature on effective student learning in normal, online, and disrupted settings to present practical insights that students can leverage to substantially improve their learning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-129
Author(s):  
Saima Shaheen

AbstractOutcome-Based education is a performance-based approach for the curriculum development, a future-oriented learner-centered ‘Empowerment Paradigm’ that empowers and endorses all learners with future success. It is an influential and tempting way of restructuring and reorganizing engineering education. Washington Accord, an International accreditation convention, an independent agreement between signatory organizations to provide an external accreditation to undergraduate engineering programs. The accredited engineering programs that qualify an engineer to enter into the practice of professional engineers are equally recognized and acknowledged by other signatory countries and responsible organizations Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) is a full signatory to the Washington Accord and a regulatory organization for the accreditation of engineering programs in Pakistan. To keep up the permanent membership status, it is the requirement of PEC to implement Outcome-Based in engineering degree awarding institutes in Pakistan. The main aim of Outcome-Based education in engineering education is to empower engineering students with the essential characteristics required to switch themselves into the engineering profession as a global and professional engineer. The focus of current research is to explore the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of Outcome-Based education. Moreover, to unveil the current challenges in the implementation of OBE framework in engineering education. 


Author(s):  
Vincent Chang

With a growing need to reform Chinese higher engineering education, University of Michigan—Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (JI) initiated multinational corporation-sponsored industrial-strength Capstone Design Projects (CDP) in 2011. Since 2011, JI has developed 96 corporate-sponsored CDPs since its inception, which include multinational corporation sponsors such as Covidien, Dover, GE, HP, Intel, NI, Philips, and Siemens. Of these projects, healthcare accounts for 27%, energy 24%, internet technology (IT) 22%, electronics 16%, and other industries 11%. This portfolio reflects the trends and needs in the industry, which provides opportunities for engineering students to develop their careers. An accumulated 480 JI students have been teamed up based on their individual backgrounds, specifically electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, and biomedical engineering. The corporate-sponsored rate grew from 0% in 2010 to 86% in 2014.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
M Tanseer Ali ◽  
Md. Abdur Rahman ◽  
Carmen Z. Lamagna

Outcome based engineering education is a paradigm shift from traditional knowledge-based education to modern skill-based education. After the Washington Accord, the engineering education all over the world has adopted the new pedagogy for Engineering Education. But last year, after the hit of COVID – 19 pandemics, most of the education system has to move online. The online education platform raised a new challenge for Outcome Based Education. In this paper, the effect of Online education on OBE implemented B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering program has been analyzed and the attainment performance of the Program Outcomes has been presented. With this empirical evidence it has been demonstrated that with careful implementation and encouragement OBE can achieve its potential even with Online education.


2012 ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Marlia Mohd Puteh ◽  
Kamsiah Ismail

A number of countries are focusing on innovation to advance their economies up the value chain. Hence, a large emphasis is given to engineering education as activities that engage scientific development generally originate from the engineering field (Ashford, 2004). A country’s innovation policy also determines educational reform as the education sector is a key player, holding holds the intellectual capacity and trained human resources to execute the transformation. In this regard, the engineering profession and accrediting engineering programs have repeatedly called for reform in the engineering education pedagogical approach. Despite debates over the effectiveness of outcome-based education, the prominent teaching methodology has always been attributed to the traditional approach of “chalk and talk” (Mills & Treagust, 2003). This study investigates the critical role of science, technology and innovation to a country’s economy. It will also examine the extent to which the educational approach, particularly in the engineering education field, is coherent with the national system of innovation, exposing students with real perspectives for future workplace environment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
Samuel Eneje ◽  
S. Scholar

This study used a mixed methodology to investigates the possibility of using blended assessment for engineering education in a challenging learning environment. It discussed the outcome of the evaluation, which is problematized by the influences of an encumbered learning environment. It used the blended engineering models to investigate the circumstances of assessments and its outcomes in a university situated in the sub-Sahara African region. It revealed the experiences of post-internship engineering students using a single blended course. The survey showed that students` knowledge of factors impeding thorough assessment for productivity in the region and advocated ways of improvement. It disclosed past and present assessment percentage shares in addition to suggesting a preferred assessment percentage share required for graduating skilled engineers. The result uncovered where assessment might be situated so that there is a satisfactory learning outcome for engineering programs. Keywords: Blended engineering learning, Challenged educational environments, Assessment outcomes.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Starkey ◽  
Cailyn Spencer ◽  
Kevin Lesniak ◽  
Conrad Tucker ◽  
Scarlett R. Miller

Recent shifts into larger class sizes and online learning have caused engineering educators to rethink the way they integrate inductive, or active learning activities into their courses. One way engineering educators have done this is through the integration of new technological environments. However, little is known about how the type of technological environment utilized in active learning exercises impacts student learning and satisfaction. Thus, as a first step to understanding the impact of technological advancements on student learning and satisfaction, a study was conducted with 18 senior level undergraduate engineering students who were asked to perform product dissection, or the systematic disassembly of a product, using three technological interfaces (computer, iPad, immersive virtual reality). Variations in the complexity of the product dissected were also explored. The results of this study indicate that variations in technological interfaces did not impact student learning as assessed by a Student Learning Assessment (SLA). However, the complexity of the product dissected did impact learning, with students scoring significantly lower on the SLA when dissecting the most complex product. The results also indicated that students perceived learning and satisfaction were highest when using the immersive virtual reality system. These results suggest that the costs of investing in more technological advanced systems for product dissection may not yet outweigh the educational benefits. However, the increase in student satisfaction with VR environments has the potential to positively impact student retention in engineering programs.


Author(s):  
Gérard J. Poitras ◽  
Gabriel Cormier ◽  
Eric G. Poitras

With online learning moving into the long term, the mental and academic impacts on students arelikely to be challenging. Preliminary results obtained from three different student surveys are presented and analyzed for different cohorts of undergraduate engineering students enrolled in an engineering program at the Université de Moncton. The first survey was administered during the last week of the Winter semester, before the final exams period. This survey was administered by the Engineering Faculty and created to get an overview of students experience during their online learning sessions. Specifically, the goal of this survey was to get information on which technical tools work best for distance learning during their online sessions and to improve future online learning sessions. Another survey was completed at the end of the Fall 2020 online learning semester. About half of all engineering students completed the surveys and a preliminary analysis was conducted. Finally, a third survey was administered during the Winter 2021 online learning semester. The aim of this study is to evaluate and analyze the results of these surveys using educational data mining. This work will provide an overview of the online learning experience during the end of the Winter 2020 semester and the academic year 2020-2021 and establish relations between classroom and online learning environments. New data analysis may help to accelerate and improve future hybrid classroom-online learning pedagogy since permanent changes are expected in the near future for many engineering programs. This study shows that students vary in their abilities to adapt to this new reality. Most prefer recorded audio clipsof PowerPoint presentations beforehand combined with online synchronous learning using video conferencing software. This suggests that effective online learning requires extra time from educators to better prepare class sessions. Furthermore, there is an important correlation between the level of student motivation and their appreciation level of online learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal A. Abdelfattah ◽  
Omar S. Obeidat ◽  
Yousef A. Salahat ◽  
Maha B. BinBakr ◽  
Adam A. Al Sultan

PurposeThis study examined predictors of cumulative grade point average (GPA) from entrance scores and successive performance during students' academic work in university engineering programs.Design/methodology/approachScores from high school coursework, the General Ability Test and the Achievement Test were examined to determine if these factors and annual successive GPAs were predictors of long-term GPA. The sample consisted of 2,031 students registered in university engineering programs during the 2013–2019 period.FindingsCorrelations were significant between entrance scores and the preparatory year GPA but not with cumulative GPA. Also, correlations were significant between year-1 GPA to year-3 GPA and the graduation GPA. Adjacent year GPA is the better predictor of later GPA. More importantly, GPA at the time of graduation is well predicted by GPAs throughout years of study within engineering programs after controlling for entrance scores. Girls outperform boys in their entrance scores and GPAs. Hence, girls are likely to obtain higher cumulative GPAs.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of the study findings could help university faculty and administrators to understand the role of current entrance scores in predicting academic achievement of engineering students. In addition, the results could serve as a foundation to review weights of entrance scores for future developments and revisions. The findings of the study are limited to admission data for engineering students during the 2013–2019 period. Other disciplines may show a different pattern of relationships among the studied variables.Practical implicationsThe study findings have useful practical implications for admitting and monitoring student progress at engineering education programs. Results may help program curriculum development specialists and committees in designing admission criteria.Social implicationsAdministrators and faculty members are advised to consider entrance scores when providing counseling and monitoring throughout students' program-year progress. More attention should be devoted to university performance when interest is focused on later or graduation CGPA, with less emphasis on entrance scores.Originality/valueThe existed previous studies explored factors that influence the student performance in engineering programs. This study documents the role of admission criteria and successive GPAs in predicting the student graduation CGPA in engineering programs. Relationships between factors are crucial for engineering program revisions and policymaking.


Author(s):  
Nancy Nelson ◽  
Robert Brennan

Although all accredited engineering programs in Canada are assessed by the same governing body, each institution has its own set of expectations regarding its distribution of effort, the types of research conducted by its faculty, and the way it delivers its curriculum. Individual departments and programs each have their own strengths and challenges, but collectively they share the responsibility of educating tomorrow’s engineers.This paper presents a summary of the results of a descriptive study examining three aspects of engineering education in Canada: the balance and types of research, teaching, and service that engineering educators are doing, the level to which engineering educators are engaging with engineering education research, and the look and feel of the learning environment that undergraduate engineering students experience in accredited engineering programs in Canada.


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