Selecting the future

In the last years, the Integrated Master in Mechanical Engineering (MIEM) at FEUP revealed a very high capability for attracting young students. However, the true reasons that determine the interest of the students in the Mechanical Engineering cycle of studies (CS) are not well understood. This paper tries to shed light on this question. A survey was prepared and applied to the first year students enrolled on MIEM in 2020-2021. The responses were analyzed statistically and organized comprehensively. The results show that the opinions of others, the quality and availability of information, the versatility and employability rates of the CS, the quality of training and the reputation of the HEI/CS are crucial. The findings can be further explored by the FEUP/CS decision makers to delineate policies envisaging strengthening the ability of Mechanical Engineering to compete for the best potential candidates to higher education. Indeed, the higher education institutions are aware that they have to fight for students in the global recruitment market and be more proactive than they used in the past.

Remarks on 40+ Years of Mechanical Engineering Teaching

Having obtained my licenciatura in Mechanical Engineering in 1973, I started an MSc in Applied Mechanics at Imperial College London the year after the carnation revolution in Portugal. Later, I prepared my PhD at Cranfield Institute of Technology (now Cranfield University). After 5 years in the UK, I returned to Porto with my MSc and PhD degrees to start an appointment as assistant professor at FEUP in 1980. Portugal was then struggling with a radical change of circumstances: from a country with overseas colonies, impoverished by a dictatorship and wars against liberation movements in Africa, to a European country and democracy with a dramatic lack of infrastructure. Research was certainly not a priority! In 1986 Portugal joined the European Communities, and in 1999 was one of the initial member countries adopting the Euro. Among other setbacks, bad choices of priorities (an excessive emphasis on services with neglect of manufacturing, or heavy investment in motorways with complete neglect of railways) marked the path until todays’ situation. Nevertheless, attention dedicated to scientific and technical research grew steadily in the past decades; and 2020 started with the country displaying good prospects as regards financial stability and renewed interest for manufacturing and exports. Having moved from assistant professor to full professor, with sabbaticals and visiting professorships in several countries, and participation in juries for selection of academic staff in many institutions, I had the possibility of witnessing the transformations in the engineering education scene in Portugal and elsewhere. The communication will discuss lessons learned throughout my 40+ years academic career, put in the context of a highly diversified set of external circumstances.

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

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.

Teaching Vibration to university undergraduates

This paper provides a description of an undergraduate course on vibration, given to second and third year students at Bristol university in the UK. The course, and my teaching philosophy, were developed over more than 30 years. The lectures were given in two 20-hour courses which were supported by an equal number of examples classes. Students were provided with a series of question sheets which contained questions from previous examination papers. In addition, laboratory classes were provided to give the students “hands on” experience on how to excite, control, measure, and to interpret various vibrating systems. The first set of lectures began with the analysis of a single degree of freedom system, adding different forcing functions and more degrees of freedom. The second set of lectures introduced continuous systems, consisting of bars, beams, and plates. The limitations of reality, particularly boundary conditions, was emphasized. Wherever possible, some artifact was taken to the lecture amplify the mathematics. I have interleaved into the presentation some of my teaching philosophy and how it is important in a heavily mathematical subject such as vibration to teach rather than to try and impress the students as to how clever is their lecturer. Finally, if the lecturer does not enjoy giving the lectures, the students will not receive that “extra” which distinguishes a good lecture from a bad lecture, and also distinguishes a good lecture from reading a text book.

AdTech project

The technology of adhesive bonding is experiencing rapid growth in Europe and in other world markets, leading to products of improved quality. Therefore, a strong competitive advantage is gained if industries are able to master the knowledge, competencies and techniques needed for the implementation of vital manufacturing techniques. Harmonised training systems have become crucial to respond to the labour market needs and to link education to industrial environments. The AdTech project developed a European harmonized training system to support the industries that depend on the availability and knowledge of professionals to better leverage the adhesive practice. This project tackled this challenge by supporting the development of high-quality work-based vocational educational training for adhesive bonding, encompassing professional profiles that will cover the industries’ requirements regarding the application of adhesive technologies. With AdTech, it has been possible to address training needs, develop harmonised curricula and implement a sustainable consortium.

Editorial

This is the first issue of the Journal Teaching Engineering (JTE). The journal is published by the University of Porto and is dedicated to publishing novel, cutting-edge reports of broad interest to higher education, especially related to engineering. The journal provides a forum for scientists and engineers, physicists, and chemists to rapidly communicate on the most important topics in the field of teaching and education. Its comprehensive scope includes all articles related to the following topics: What is the nature of engineering thinking and knowledge; how people develop knowledge and competencies; institutional practices; engineering interdisciplinary and applied education; how society, in general, contributes to science and technology processes and products, and development and use of assessment methods, instruments, and metrics.