scholarly journals Flipped Learning in Engineering Modules Is More Than Watching Videos: The Development of Personal and Professional Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 12290
Author(s):  
Fernando Suárez ◽  
Juan Carlos Mosquera-Feijóo ◽  
Isabel Chiyón ◽  
Marcos García Alberti
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Literacy Outcomes ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Character Building

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has highlighted two key outcomes for students of all accredited engineering programs: the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences and the capacity to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. Likewise, in recent years, written exams, assignments, and oral presentations show transmission-skill deficiencies among engineering students. Flipped teaching serves to boost students to meet these outcomes and other competencies: comprehension reading, communication skills, character building, collaborative work, critical thinking, or creativity. So, flipped learning is more than watching videos. This research proposes two evidence-based transferable learning strategies built on a flipped-teaching model and was applied by the authors in engineering courses during the second year of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19: problem-based learning and teamwork assignments. The study comprised two phases. First, a systematic review of reports, writings, and exams delivered by students. It included some video-watching analytics to detect misuse. In the second stage, the authors ascertained trends of these outcomes. Student perceptions and other achievement indicators illustrate the possibilities for encouraging learners to achieve transmission, communication, and literacy outcomes. Results indicate that these learner-centered approaches may help students learn better, comprehend, apply, and transmit knowledge. But they require an institutional commitment to implementing proactive instruction techniques that emphasize the importance of student communication skills.

Teaching a Technical Writing and Research Course to Engineering Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-38
Author(s):  
Anna-Maria Andreou
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Technical Writing ◽  
Course Development ◽  
Engineering Profession ◽  
Engineering Programs

Training in communication skills is considered extremely important in the engineering profession. However, educational organisations and most specifically engineering programs and departments have often been criticised for failing to adequately prepare engineering students for the situations they will face in the workplace. This chapter describes a technical writing and research course that is offered as a required course to engineering students and analyses the advantages and limitations of the course pointing to changes in the course development that will enable students to perform successfully as communicators in the workplace.

Undergraduate Project in Compressor Rig Design, Fabrication, and Testing for Complete Engineering Training

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huu Duc Vo ◽  
Jean-Yves Trépanier
Keyword(s):  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Plastic Material ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Compressor Aerodynamics ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Two Phases

An ambitious project in propulsion was introduced as part of the final-year integrator project offerings of the mechanical and aerospace engineering programs at École Polytechnique de Montréal in 2011–2012. It has been running successfully for the past three academic years. The project consists in the design, fabrication, and placement into service of a functional instrumented multistage compressor test rig, including the compressor, for research in compressor aerodynamics. A team of 15–17 senior-year undergraduate engineering students is given a set of design and performance specifications and measurement requirements, an electric motor and drive, a data acquisition system, and some measurement probes. They must complete the project in two semesters with a budget on the order of Can$15,000. The compressor is made from rapid prototyping to keep production cost and time reasonable. However, the required rotation speed of 7200 rpm stretches the limits of the plastic material and presents the same structural challenges as industrial compressors running at higher speeds. The students are split into subteams according to the required disciplines, namely, compressor aerodynamics, general aerodynamics, structures, dynamics, mechanical design and integration, instrumentation, and project management. For the initial phase, which covers the first two months, the students receive short seminars from experts in academia and industry in each discipline and use the knowledge from fundamental engineering courses to analytically model the different components to come up with a preliminary design. In the second phase, covering three to six, the students are trained at commercial simulation tools and use them for detailed analysis to refine and finalize the design. In each of the first two phases, the students present their work in design reviews with a jury made up of engineers from industry and supervising professors. During the final phase, the compressor is built and tested with data acquisition and motor control programs written by the students. Finally, the students present their results with comparison of measured performance with numerical and analytical predictions from the first two phases and hand over their compressor rig with design and test reports as well as a user manual and an assembly/maintenance manual. This complete project allows the students to put into practice virtually all the courses of their undergraduate engineering curriculum while giving them an extensive taste of the rich and intellectually challenging environment of gas turbine and turbomachinery engineering.

Using Multiple Methods in Assessing Oral Communication Skills in the Final Year Project Design Course of an Undergraduate Engineering Program

2012 ◽  
pp. 263-287
Author(s):  
Rohani Othman ◽  
Zubaidah Awang
Keyword(s):  
Communication Skills ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Electrical Engineering ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Course Assessment ◽  
Communication Assessment ◽  
Multi Method Approach

Engineering education researcher Rogers (2006) proposed that an assessment of engineering programs should use a multi-method approach to maximize validity and reduce the biasness of any one approach. Based on this reason, this study used two methods in the direct assessment of oral communication skills performance outcome of an undergraduate electrical engineering students’ Final Year Project (FYP) design experience. In the first method, the Oral Communication Assessment Rubrics adapted from Norback et al. (2008) was tested for its reliability, consistency in the scores and ease of use. This was to ensure that the results were descriptive of the expected students’ performance (Miller & Olds, 1999). Once faculty rater reliability was achieved and verified, the rubrics were refined and redrafted to obtain inter-rater scores for the assessment of the oral communication skills during the FYPII seminar presentation. Descriptive statistics were used to draw inferences from the inter-rater scores. In the second method, the researcher used the final grades of these students which were obtained from the faculty end-of-course assessment of their FYPII seminar presentation through the use of the faculty Seminar Evaluation Form (SEF). The scores obtained from SEF were reported in the Course Assessment Summary Report (CASR) in the form of the achieved Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of the students in each department in the Electrical Engineering Faculty (FKE).

scholarly journals Nurturing Entrepreneurship Skills, Creativity and Communication Skills: An Exploratory Study on Omani Arab EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samia Naqvi
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Assignment Model

To prepare students to face the world of work, universities should ensure that engineers graduating from their campuses demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and the ability to understand market forces alongside domain knowledge. This exploratory study focused on the design, application, and evaluation of a research-based coursework assignment in a business communication course offered to undergraduate level engineering students at a university college in Oman. The assignment aimed at developing students’ entrepreneurship skills, basic business concepts, creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and research skills. Student perceptions on the role of assignment in developing the above-mentioned skills and in influencing their affective domain were gathered using a survey questionnaire carrying closed and open-ended questions. The data were analyzed using SPSS and frequency tables were generated. The results of the survey revealed that the students enjoyed working on the assignment and showed strong agreement for most of the items on the role of assignment in developing their skills and knowledge. The assignment model used in this study can support teachers in designing assessments that target the development of entrepreneurial skills alongside other meta-skills and can help solve the problem of unemployment in due course.

Pelaksanaan dan Persepsi Pelajar Terhadap Strategi Pembelajaran dan Kemahiran Insaniah dalam Kursus Tamadun Islam dan Tamadun Asia (TITAS) di Universiti Malaya

Sains Insani ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-82
Author(s):  
Faridah Che Husain ◽  
Faezah Kassim ◽  
Noor Ain Mat Noor ◽  
Muhammad Shamshinor Abdul Azzis ◽  
Mohd. Syariefudin Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Course Content ◽  
The University ◽  
Positive Effect

The TITAS course has been implemented at the University of Malaya and is offered to all first-degree students in public universities since academic session of 1998/1999 through various approaches. The TITAS course has its own uniqueness based on course content and is compulsory to all students regardless of their field of study. This course is important to foster and nurture the spirit of understanding, respect, and harmony between races, cultures, religions and beliefs in Malaysia. To ensure the values and understanding between cultures can be applied to the students, the learning strategy has been diversified to the needs of this course. This paper therefore aims to explain TITAS's learning strategies in University of Malaya and student perceptions on learning strategies that embody the Soft Skills (KI) elements and their achievements in achieving the KI. This study focuses on two elements of KI that is teamwork skills and communication skills. This study uses library study method to explain the implementation of the TITAS course at the University of Malaya. A survey was conducted with distribution of questionnaires to 120 students to determine their KI achievement. Results are analysed descriptively in percentage and frequency form. It is found that students' perceptions of learning strategies and assessment methods were significant and had a positive effect on their courseworks and KI achievements. Students are not faced with problems in carrying out group assignments that involved various ethnic backgrounds. They are also less interested in carrying out written report tasks than fun-filled tasks, especially involving out-of-class activities.Keywords: Islamic and Asian Civilization Course; learning strategies; soft skills; students Abstrak: Kursus TITAS telah dilaksanakan di Universiti Malaya dan ditawarkan kepada semua pelajar Ijazah Pertama Universiti Awam (UA) sejak sesi akademik 1998/1999 melalui pelbagai pendekatan. Kursus TITAS mempunyai keunikan tersendiri berdasarkan isi kandungan kursus dan diwajibkan kepada semua pelajar tanpa mengira bidang pengajian mereka. Kursus TITAS juga merupakan satu kursus yang penting untuk memupuk dan menyuburkan semangat persefahaman, hormat-menghormati dan hidup yang harmonis antara kaum, budaya, agama dan kepercayaan di Malaysia. Bagi memastikan nilai-nilai dan persefahaman antara budaya dapat diterapkan dalam diri pelajar, strategi pembelajaran telah dipelbagaikan bersesuaian dengan keperluan kursus ini. Justeru, kertas kerja ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan strategi pembelajaran kursus TITAS di Universiti Malaya dan persepsi pelajar terhadap strategi pembelajaran yang menerapkan elemen Kemahiran Insaniah (KI) serta pencapaian mereka bagi memperoleh KI tersebut. Kajian ini memfokuskan dua elemen KI iaitu kemahiran kerja berpasukan dan kemahiran berkomunikasi. Kaedah kajian perpustakaan digunakan bagi menjelaskan pelaksanaan kursus TITAS di Universiti Malaya. Manakala kajian lapangan dilakukan melalui pengedaran borang soal selidik kepada 120 pelajar bagi meninjau pencapaian KI mereka. Hasil analis data dihuraikan secara deskriptif iaitu dalam bentuk peratusan dan kekerapan atau frekuensi. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa persepsi pelajar terhadap strategi pembelajaran dan kaedah penilaian adalah signifikan dan memberi kesan yang positif kepada pencapaian yang diperoleh dalam penilaian kerja kursus dan pencapaian KI. Pelajar tidak menghadapi masalah dalam melaksanakan tugasan secara berkumpulan yang terdiri daripada pelbagai etnik dan latar belakang. Mereka juga kurang berminat untuk melaksanakan tugasan berbentuk laporan bertulis berbanding tugasan yang dilihat lebih menyeronokkan terutamanya melibatkan aktiviti luar kelas.Kata kunci: Kursus Tamadun Islam dan Asia (TITAS), strategi pembelajaran, kemahiran insaniah, pelajar

scholarly journals Nurturing Entrepreneurship Skills, Creativity and Communication Skills: An Exploratory Study on Omani Arab EFL Learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 150-168
Author(s):  
Samia Naqvi
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
Assignment Model

To prepare students to face the world of work, universities should ensure that engineers graduating from their campuses demonstrate entrepreneurial skills and the ability to understand market forces alongside domain knowledge. This exploratory study focused on the design, application, and evaluation of a research-based coursework assignment in a business communication course offered to undergraduate level engineering students at a university college in Oman. The assignment aimed at developing students’ entrepreneurship skills, basic business concepts, creativity, critical thinking, communication skills, and research skills. Student perceptions on the role of assignment in developing the above-mentioned skills and in influencing their affective domain were gathered using a survey questionnaire carrying closed and open-ended questions. The data were analyzed using SPSS and frequency tables were generated. The results of the survey revealed that the students enjoyed working on the assignment and showed strong agreement for most of the items on the role of assignment in developing their skills and knowledge. The assignment model used in this study can support teachers in designing assessments that target the development of entrepreneurial skills alongside other meta-skills and can help solve the problem of unemployment in due course.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Undergraduate Engineering Students about Learning Objectives of Undergraduate Laboratories

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimia Moozeh ◽  
Deborah Tihanyi ◽  
Jennifer Farmer ◽  
Greg Evans
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Chemical Engineering ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Affective Domains

Abstract –The paper presents student perceptions about learning objectives of laboratories. Three focus group sessions were conducted with chemical engineering undergraduate students at UofT as part of a larger project to enhance the learning outcomes of laboratories. In this study, thirteen laboratory learning objectives developed at the ABET colloquy in 2002, were used as a framework to determine the strengths and limitations of the laboratories. These learning objectives cover cognition, psychomotor and affective domains of knowledge. The results indicate that improvements are needed with respect to providing opportunities for students to be creative, devise their own procedures, repeat experiments and improve communication skills. In addition, ethics in the lab and safety need more emphasis.  

scholarly journals SURVEYING FOURTH YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF GRADUATE ATTRIBUTE COMPETENCIES

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Paul Labossiere ◽  
Danny Mann
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Exit Survey ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Valid Instrument ◽  
University Of Manitoba ◽  
The University

As the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba begins to emphasize outcome based teaching and assessment along with the traditional input-based teaching and assessment, data are being collected in a variety of forms. Some of the indirect data being gathered comes from students in the form of the Student Exit Survey. This survey was developed to measure students’ perception of how well their program prepared them with regards to the CEAB twelve graduate attributes. The survey asked students to consider a large number of indicators for each of the graduate attributes.The indicator list was originally constructed with the intention of sufficiently defining each attribute for the five engineering programs in the faculty while providing variety and choice. Therefore, the list was fairly extensive, and at times iterative and unwieldy. When revisiting the original Student Exit Survey, two factors ascended in importance: student feedback on their personal attribute competencies as developed within their program, and how to define attribute competency levels.To establish competency levels and make indicators more manageable for faculty and students, the indicators for each attribute were revised to reflect the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Cognitive Domain: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. This new attribute/indicator format was then developed into theStudent Exit Survey and given to fourth year Mechanical engineering students in Fall 2012. This paper describes that effort and analyzes the initial data from this first pass. This data will be used to inform the continued revision of the Student Exit Survey until it is a reliable and valid instrument for providing feedback at instructor, program and faculty levels as the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Engineering forges ahead with its continual cycle of improvement.

First-Year Engineering Computing Courses in Canadian Engineering Programs

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Maw ◽  
Janice Miller Young ◽  
Alexis Morris
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Expected Value ◽  
Knowledge Development ◽  
First Year ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Engineering Programs ◽  
Digital Computation ◽  
Pedagogical Philosophies ◽  
Introductory Computing

Most Canadian engineering students take a computing course in their first year that introduces them to digital computation. The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board does not specify the language(s) that can or should be used for instruction. As a result, a variety of languages are used across Canada. This study examines which languages are used in degree-granting institutions, currently and in the recent past. It also examines why institutions have chosen the languages that they currently use. In addition to the language used in instruction, the types and hours of instruction are also analyzed. Methods of instruction and evaluation are compared, as well as the pedagogical philosophies of the different programs with respect to introductory computing. Finally, a comparison of the expected value of this course to graduates is also presented. We found a more diverse landscape for introductory computing courses than anticipated, in most respects. The guiding ethos at most institutions is skill and knowledge development, especially around problem solving in an engineering context. The methods to achieve this are quite varied, and so are the languages employed in such courses. Most programs currently use C/C++, Matlab, VB and/or Python.

Lessons learned from designing flipped lessons for fourth grade students: implications for school librarians

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniella Smith
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
School Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Literacy Skills

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine student perceptions of flipped learning lessons designed to teach information literacy skills. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method design was implemented using a paper-based survey and an online focus group. The survey asked questions about the participants’ perceptions of the flipped lessons. The focus group was used to clarify the participants’ responses to the survey questions. Findings A majority of the students enjoyed completing the lessons. Responses also indicated that a majority of the students felt that the lessons helped them prepare for class. However, issues with computers and internet connectivity at home resulted in some of the students completing the lessons before or after school. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to a class of 21 students enrolled in a public school in North Texas. Originality/value There is limited research supporting the value of flipped learning in relation to the technology implementation role of school librarians. This study provides insights into how school librarians can develop flipped learning lessons in collaboration with classroom teachers to improve the information literacy skills of students.

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