scholarly journals Light Blue Walls and Tan Flooring: A Culture of Belonging in Engineering Making Spaces (or Not?)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idalis Villanueva Alarcón ◽  
Robert Jamaal Downey ◽  
Louis Nadelson ◽  
Jana Bouwma-Gearhart ◽  
YoonHa Choi
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Boundary Crossing ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Equity And Access ◽  
Management Staff

The motivation for this exploratory qualitative study is to understand what a culture of belonging may look like across six engineering education making spaces in institutions of higher education in the U.S. The research question for this study was: In what ways are the management, instructors, and staff operating engineering education making spaces influencing a culture of belonging (if any) for engineering students? We examined the transcripts of semi-structured interviews of 49 faculty members and 29 members of management/staff of making spaces, using thematic coding. From the data, we identified four themes that described the culture of belonging being created in these six engineering making spaces: (a) a ‘closed loop’ culture for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access; (b) a ‘transactional, dichotomous’ culture; (c) a ‘band-aid, masquerading’ culture; (d) a potential ‘boundary-crossing’ culture. Our primary conclusion was that created cultures in engineering making spaces are extensions of normative cultures found in traditional engineering classrooms. Additionally, while making spaces were attempting to change this culture in their physical infrastructures, it was deemed that the space leadership needs to expand hiring strategies, the nature of making activities, the ambient/physical appearance of the space, disciplines, and required expertise, to create a truly inclusive and equitable culture of belonging.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Algerian Manufacturing and Engineering Master’s Students’ Needs

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Nouria MESSAOUDI ◽  
Hafida HAMZAOUI- ELACHACHI
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
English Language Teachers

Needs analysis is considered as an effective tool to design a course of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) that best fits the students’ needs. Thus, the present paper responds to a main research question focuses on what the Algerian Manufacturing and Engineering Master’s students need English for. It aims at investigating the students’ language needs and identifying the stakeholders’ perceptions of the ESP course. For this purpose, this research is based on a case study design through which a target situation, a present situation, a learner factor and teaching content analyses were undertaken. In fact, this is done in order to help teachers and education leaders in Algeria to draw a clear policy to ensure successful implementation of ESP courses. Two questionnaires and two semi-structured interviews were addressed to Algerian Engineering Master’s students, English language teachers, subject-specialists and administrators. The results revealed that Engineering students were highly motivated to learn English. They also indicated that there is an absence of an adequate proficiency level of English from the part of the students as they are unable to practice effectively the four skills namely listening, speaking, and communication. This is why they need to learn English in order to write exam answer, read textbooks, course handouts, follow lectures, and listen to instructions and explanations. Finally, designing a more focused English language course, training teachers, and providing financial support are highly recommended.

scholarly journals Exploring the effectiveness and the transversal competency retention of a game-based learning activity one year after student participation

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-112
Author(s):  
Mariana Leandro Cruz ◽  
Gillian N. Saunders-Smits
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Teaching Interventions ◽  
One Year

Most studies in engineering education focus on the effectiveness of the teaching interventions and what transversal competencies engineering students gain from those interventions immediately after they take place. This study explores the effectiveness of an existing game-based learning activity and the competency retention of the participating students one year after its implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to nine students who participated in the activity at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. The findings showed that students remembered and benefited from the activity. This exploratory study indicated that this activity is valid to retain students transversal competencies because it provides active learning, engagement, rules, risk-taking, cooperation and competition, and it can be plugged-and-played in any engineering context. This study encourages researchers in the field of engineering education to conduct transversal competency retention studies, which are fundamental to understand how the teaching practices shape students’ competencies in the period after their participation.

Integrating social sustainability in engineering education at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Edvardsson Björnberg ◽  
Inga-Britt Skogh ◽  
Emma Strömberg
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Royal Institute ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institute Of Technology

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate what are perceived to be the main challenges associated with the integration of social sustainability into engineering education at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with programme leaders and teachers from four engineering programmes. The paper focuses on how the concept of social sustainability is defined and operationalised in the selected engineering programmes, how social sustainability is integrated and taught, and what resources are required to support teachers and programme leaders as social sustainability educators. Findings – The findings show that programme leaders and teachers at KTH struggle to understand the concept of social sustainability. The vague and value-laden nature of the concept is considered a challenge when operationalising educational policy goals on social sustainability into effective learning outcomes and activities. A consequence is that the responsibility for lesson content ultimately falls on the individual teacher. Study visits and role-play are seen as the most effective tools when integrating social sustainability into the engineering curriculum. Allocation of specific resources including supplementary sustainability training for teachers and economic incentives are considered crucial to successful integration of social sustainability. The findings indicate that social sustainability education needs to be built on a theoretical foundation. It is therefore suggested that a literature canon be established that clarifies the contours of social sustainability. Practical implications – The findings of the paper can be used as a basis for discussion regarding measures for improving social sustainability training in engineering education, a subject which has attracted relatively little attention, to date. Originality/value – There is a noticeable lack of empirical research on how technical universities integrate social sustainability into engineering education. The paper provides an account of how actors directly involved in this work – programme leaders and teachers – define and operationalise the social dimension of sustainable development in their engineering curricula, the pedagogical tools they consider effective when teaching social sustainability issues to engineering students, and the resources they believe are needed to strengthen those efforts.

Roughing It: Evaluating a Novel Experiential Design Course on Resiliency, Self-Leadership, and Engineering Design Self-Efficacy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Krishnakumar ◽  
Gabriella Sallai ◽  
Catherine Berdanier ◽  
Meg Handley ◽  
Dena Lang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Appalachian Trail ◽  
Women In Engineering ◽  
Experiential Design ◽  
Mastery Experiences

Abstract Despite continuous calls in literature for an increase in women in engineering, U.S. numbers hover around 20% women graduating with undergraduate degrees in engineering. Although diversity, inclusion, and engineering education researchers have made great strides in understanding the development of engineering identity and capturing the experiences of struggling women and underrepresented students, many women students still experience “chilly” climates in daily interactions in engineering education environments. Women need mentorship, peer support, and mastery experiences that build Self-leadership, resilience, and engineering self-efficacy beliefs to persevere and flourish in such environments. The current work explores the effectiveness of a novel experiential design intervention on these factors for women engineering students. Specifically, we assess the value of a unique experiential design course where women engineering students hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail guided by women engineering faculty members, and then participated in a follow-on design thinking project. Results suggest such interventions may be effective methods to improve student outcomes.

scholarly journals Exploring Relationships of Positive and Negative Organizational Behaviors (OB) with the Productivity of Engineering Students

2020 ◽  
Vol V (I) ◽  
pp. 269-282
Author(s):  
Humayun Sattar ◽  
Tasweer Hussain Syed
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Students ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Behaviors ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

This study explores the relationships between positive and negative Organizational Behaviors and Workaholism; and the relationship of these OBs with productivity and gender of engineering students in Pakistan. Most of the researchers have studied OBs among faculty or administrative staff in universities. The study of these behaviors among students is a new area. An eight-stage innovative qualitative codebook thematic analysis was used to analyze semi-structured interviews from 22 faculty members to explore the relationships of OBs with productivity and gender of engineering students. A comprehensive model of relationships between OCB, DB, WA, and the productivity of engineering students has been built which was previously missing from contemporary literature. Gender has also been found to have a relationship with various behaviors. The findings here are important for practitioners and scholars for a better understanding of the relationship of OBs with the productivity of engineering students, to enhance their productivity through the promotion of desired behaviors.

scholarly journals FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE MINDSETS IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1597-1606
Author(s):  
Kamila Kunrath ◽  
Devarajan Ramanujan
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Sustainable Society ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Current Production ◽  
Main Components

AbstractTransitioning to a more sustainable society requires that universities produce an increasing number of engineering professionals capable of redesigning current production and consumption systems. This calls for restructuring engineering curricula towards sustainability becoming an integral part of engineering education and professional practice. To this end, this paper investigates the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational aspects of professional identity that contribute to consolidating sustainable mindsets in engineering, considering education as its main route. Specifically, we focus on identifying significant personal and education-related factors that contribute to fostering sustainable decision-making and affect the development of sustainable mindsets in engineering students. In order to identify such factors, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a diverse set of students and professionals (N=12). A thematic analysis of survey transcripts present three main components that support the development of sustainable mindsets throughout engineering education: i) Personal commitment, ii) Learning opportunities, and iii) Internalization time.

scholarly journals Makerspace: Innovation in Mechanical Engineering Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-213
Author(s):  
elif bengü
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Graduate Assistants ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Full Effect ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Crucial Part

The complexity of industrial developments requires engineering students to have hands on experience as well as theoretical engineering knowledge. There is a need for a change of classical engineering curriculums. Makerspaces can be a crucial part of this change. They are introduced as physical locations where engineering student’s curiosity is fed and solutions to problems are found through teamwork. Their use in higher education can also provide an opportunity for students to engage in experiential learning. They can develop a large range of soft skills that traditional undergraduate curriculum is unable to provide, such as planning, teamwork, critical thinking and communication. There are still limited studies about the full effect and impact of these spaces in teaching and learning, from the pedagogical perspective. The aim of this study is to determine students’ experiences with such spaces and examine how makerspaces are contributing to their learning. Descriptive research method (one-on-one interviews and normative survey) were used to evaluate students, graduate assistants and a faculty members’ perception of the space and depict the situation. The results of this study showed that students want more than theoretical knowledge from their engineering education. They want to be able to gain hands on experience while they are learning theory. While designing a makerspace for that purpose, the sustainability and the functioning of these spaces should be taken into consideration. The findings of this study can provide guidance for the institutions that are planning to build a makerspace in their campuses.

Bridging Psychology and Engineering: Undergraduate Conceptions of Human Systems Engineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 510-514
Author(s):  
Rod D. Roscoe ◽  
Samuel T. Arnold ◽  
Ashley T. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Introductory Courses ◽  
Knowledge And Beliefs ◽  
The People ◽  
Human Systems

Instruction and coursework that link engineering and psychology may enable future engineers to better understand the people they are engineering for (e.g., users and clients) and themselves as engineers (e.g., teammates). In addition, human-centered engineering education may empower engineering students to better solve problems at the intersection of technology and people. In this study, we surveyed students’ conceptions and attitudes toward human systems engineering. We aggregate responses across three survey iterations to discuss students’ knowledge and beliefs, and to consider instructional opportunities for introductory courses.

Why Does He Do It? What Explanations Resonate During Counseling for Women in Understanding Their Partner’s Abuse?

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052198985
Author(s):  
Sally Marsden ◽  
Cathy Humphreys ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Partner Violence ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Clinical Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Ipv Perpetration ◽  
Insight Into

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and multifaceted problem gaining increasing attention within mental health research and practice. IPV explanations focus on both individual and systemic levels; however, it is increasingly acknowledged that a single level explanation may not be sufficient. The practices of clinical disciplines may, however, still privilege an explanation at one level over another, which will influence how they work with clients. It is likely that one such clinical group, psychologists, may play a critical role in helping victim-survivors to understand and explain their experiences of IPV. However, we were unable to find any studies focusing on women’s perceptions of psychologists’ role in this. Additionally, we know little about women victim-survivors’ perceptions of why their partners use IPV. To address these gaps, the research question for this study was: What explanations resonate during counseling for women in understanding their partner’s abuse? To explore this question, 20 women who had seen psychologists after experiencing IPV participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and three themes constructed from the data. The first two themes, narcissist description was helpful and not all bad all the time, showed that the women found it powerful in their healing processes when psychologists offered the opportunity to discuss their partners individual characteristics as explanations for their use of IPV. The third theme, structural explanations, showed that some of the women also reflected on wider structural contexts. Implications for clinical practice include the potential healing effect when practitioners can move along a continuum of explanation levels, covering both the inner and outer worlds. Implications for research into IPV perpetration are that women hold expertise and insight into individual perpetrators and could make valuable contributions to this field.

Today in Light of Yesterday: An Exploration of Workers’ Childhood Memories in the Context of Child Protection Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean A R St. Jean ◽  
Brian Rasmussen ◽  
Judy Gillespie ◽  
Daniel Salhani
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood Memories ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Child Protection Workers ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Explorative Study ◽  
Parents And Children

Abstract Child protection workers are routinely faced with emotionally intense work, both personally and vicariously through the traumatic narratives and experiences of parents and children. What remains largely unknown is how child protection workers’ own childhood memories might influence the manner in which they experience and are affected by those narratives. The aim of this explorative study was to use Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as a research methodology to answer the research question, ‘In what ways do social workers experience, and make sense of, their own childhood memories in the context of their child protection practice?’ Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight child protection workers, aiming to understand their personal and professional experiences with regard to this question. The study found a relationship between various forms of childhood adversity and the presence of negative present-day triggers when participants were faced with practice scenarios that bore similarity to those experiences. Implications with regard to child protection worker well-being, countertransference and risk decision-making are discussed.

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