Search Results for
"Engineering education"

This study explores the integration of electronic testing kits (ETK) with preloaded program as an enhancement to Project Based Learning (PjBL) in engineering courses, focusing on hands-on learning and problem-solving. Investigating their impact on first-year undergraduate engineering students who have enrolled in engineering exploration course, the research involved dividing participants into three teams. Initially, PjBL activities were conducted without testing kits, followed by sessions with the inclusion of ETK. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were employed to gather and analyze data. Findings indicate a significant improvement in the learning experience when electronic testing kits are incorporated into PjBL courses. The ETK fostered problem-solving skills, allowing students to apply abstract concepts to real-world scenarios. The study suggests implications for teaching engineering, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating ETK in PjBL programs. Results underscore increased overall learning ability, reduced time investment and enhanced understanding of circuit working principles through the inclusion of ETK. © 2024 IEEE.

Serious games are instructional tools that harmonise different pedagogical approaches and pursue specific behavioural and learning outcomes. Characterised by flexibility and complexity, serious games can draw from a vast number of elements and game mechanics. We argue that such adaptability requires specific pedagogical competencies from designers to avoid using game elements counterproductively for user learning. The literature shows lack of studies based on this perspective: if the influence of single instructional techniques has been studied, the impact of pedagogical expertise is missing, and this represents the knowledge gap this study intends to bridge. This paper reports on an experimental study of a serious game that is part of a course in Industrial Systems engineering. Through collaborative efforts between an engineering professor and a pedagogical expert rooted in neuroeducation and syntheses of meta-analyses tied to learning achievement, the serious game was redesigned. This pre-test-post-test control and experimental group design study investigates how designers’ pedagogical competencies can impact learning outcomes, motivation, and decision-making processes. The pedagogically revised serious game outperforms the original one in motivation and, in specific subgroups, in learning performance, highlighting the importance of combining pedagogical and engineering insights. © 2024 SEFI.

Communication is a process that extends inclusive access to thoughts and actions. A graduating engineer when joining the workforce has to deal with both technical and non-technical professionals. While academic credentials alone are insufficient to provide employment, there is an increasing need to add value through communication skills to gain an edge in the job market. engineering graduates are expected to obtain a definite level of proficiency in all four domains of communication i.e. listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Employers look for proficiency in these skills, before selecting an engineer for a job. The present work reflects the perception of undergraduate engineering students for importance and adeptness in various competencies of communication skills. This was carried out through a self-assessment survey over twin regions in India. The population and sample size is indicative of the wider population group, which prevails across the world. The results indicate that engineering students perceive themselves to be less communicative and proficient in all four skills. Further, it was deduced that they consider themselves more skilled in listening and writing rather than speaking and reading. This indicates that the classroom teaching of students has certainly improved specific aspects of communication but the major part is still not ready for the professional work environment. Moreover, various job surveys confirm this self-perceived notion of technical graduates. This study highlights the existing lacunae in the delivery and acquisition of communication skills in technical education, which emphasizes theoretical learning and restricts personality development. © 2024 IEEE.

Industry 5.0 is one of the emerging stages of industrialization in which humans collaborate with cutting-edge technologies to enhance various workplace processes. The primary objective is to emphasize meeting the needs of people and provide enhanced resilience and understanding of sustainability. Industry 5.0 enables cooperation with such advanced technologies and the stakeholders in the education sector to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the teaching-learning process. The present study provides an exhaustive review of the role of Industry 5.0 in smart education. At the outset, a brief overview of the present scenario in the education sector and its associated challenges is presented. This sets the stage for establishing the need for education 1.0 and its progressive transition to education 4.0. Further, the motivation to integrate Industry 5.0 with education 4.0 and the related enabling technologies that support are discussed. The paper extensively provides a description of the application of Industry 5.0 in various educational sectors namely in medical education, further learning, distance education, engineering education, and shop floor training. The study also presents seven case studies highlighting the successful implementation of Industry 5.0 in versatile sectors and regions. Finally, the challenges of Industry 5.0 in education are discussed pointing to potential future directions of research. © 2013 IEEE.

The rising unemployment rates among fresh graduates have been attributed mainly to skill deficiency in the job market especially in this era of Industry 4.0. Thus, it is important to investigate the level of readiness of lecturers to teach Industry 4.0 technologies in the different types of universities and disciplines. Descriptive survey research was undertaken using 84 lecturers from private and public Malaysian urban universities. A questionnaire based on the 21 dimensions from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia (2018) Industry4WRD Readiness Criteria Model was constructed to measure lecturers' readiness to teach Industry 4.0. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were high. Results revealed that the lecturers had low level of readiness to teach Industry 4.0 skills, there were no significant differences in readiness to teach Industry 4.0 between private and public university lecturers on all dimensions, and there were also no significant differences in readiness to teach Industry 4.0 between engineering and Computer Science lecturers. Results from this study could be used to identify and rectify lecturers' lack of readiness to teach on specific Industry 4.0 dimensions. Future research should focus on replicating this study with a larger sample size and identify approaches to improve lecturers' readiness to teach Industry 4.0. © 2024 TEMPUS Publications.

Technological advancements, global initiatives, and digitization have led to a sustained demand for highly qualified engineers. However, the current state of engineering education has drifted apart from real-world requirements. Thus, it is crucial to identify the specific skills lacking in engineering graduates. Additionally, this research results can be useful for curriculum development, fostering collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners, and improving students’ skills. This study aims to introduce a pioneering educational model that combines hybrid learning and ProjectBased Learning (PBL) to address the needs and preferences of college students in the fields of multimedia technology and animation. The paper presents the development and implementation of the method, including an assessment of learner characteristics, expert assessments, peer evaluations, and limited tests. The experts involved as validators comprised three individuals from the fields of education, animation, and industry practitioners. The product testing was conducted in two classes: a control class with 20 students and a limited experimental class with 15 students. Based on the paired sample t-test, p-values of 0.001 for the multimedia technology course and 0.002 for the animation course were obtained at a significance level of 0.05. This suggests that there is a significant difference in the classes that implement the Hybrid ProjectBased Learning (H-PBL) model. Additionally, instructional products were developed, including a model book, a learning materials book, a user guide for lecturers, a user guide for students, and teaching modules. Furthermore, this research also yielded an e-learning platform and online modules. © 2024 by the authors.

Modern engineering curricula often rely on approaches such as problem and project-based learning (PBL) as a core teaching and learning strategy. With a growing need to move these student-centred active learning curricula to online and blended learning environments, it is essential that practitioners understand the impact that these different modes of delivery may have on student collaboration. This paper aims to identify factors that affect students’ perceptions of PBL in an online learning environment. This case study was carried out in an Irish university over a seven-week period with first-year engineering students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilised a questionnaire (n = 94) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7) to collect participant data. Qualitative data were analysed using Braun and Clark’s thematic analysis. The analysis identified 6 themes and 18 sub-themes that are linked to students’ perceptions of problem and project-based learning (PBL) in an online environment. The identified themes and sub-themes in this study are uniquely reported findings within the context of online PBL in engineering education. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Among the numerous fields permeated by Virtual Reality (VR), this review focuses on education and specifically, engineering education. VR allows engineering students to safely and cost-efficiently experience realistic yet simulated environments otherwise inaccessible, costly and/or dangerous. The feelings of presence and immersion generated by VR help motivate and engage students both in the theoretic and the hands-on laboratory parts of their studies. In this systematic review, 104 journal publications are selected and analyzed to cover research questions along five major axes (VR popularity; VR technology; VR-based intervention features; educational methods and assessment of learning outcomes; open research issues). Results reveal an increasing interest in this field, with equal usage of 2D and 3D VR systems. Active and experiential learning methods dominate on the pedagogical axis and aim to develop cognitive and metacognitive skills. Positive effects of VR on student learning across multiple domains verify the potential of VR to improve engineering education. © 2024 SEFI.

This study explored the impact of an active project-based, aquaculture constructivist-learning program, as perceived by high school students. The purpose of this case study was to discover if participation in the program influenced students’ interest, engagement, and future educational and career aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) when integrating aquaculture in and outside the classroom. Likewise, the study also wanted to explore students’ knowledge about aquaculture and skill development after their participation in the program. The study employed a qualitative methods approach to explore students’ attitudes and experiences. Qualitative data were collected from post-student focus groups at three different public, rural high schools in Kentucky. Other qualitative data included teacher journal reflections (e.g., personal documents) and public newspaper articles (e.g., public documents). Four emergent themes were found: (1) Students show excitement and enthusiasm in the hands-on, aquaculture program; (2) students show attention to detail in the hands-on, aquaculture tasks, it sticks, and are more responsible; (3) students are collaboratively engaged with their peers; and (4) greater interest and confidence in STEM through practical application. Results demonstrated that the program engaged learners in real-world problem-solving and decision-making situations while working collaboratively in small works. It also appears that students gained an important life skill, responsibility, as well as self-confidence in STEM, after participating in the program. © 2024 International Council of Associations for Science education (ICASE). All rights reserved.

Purpose: A novel, Project- and Collaborative Learning-based educational method is proposed, implemented and evaluated in this paper. The aim is to exploit hands-on laboratory modules in Vocational education in order to experientially introduce students to green, eco-friendly practices and the principles of sustainability and circular economy. Besides their apparent individual and social benefits, such knowledge and skills are also expected to raise qualifications and employability of Vocational education graduates. Methods: The proposed method is tested through a quasi-experimental methodology, via an educational intervention with a class of Vocational Lyceum students, in the field of Electrical and Electronics engineering. The learning content focuses on the reclaiming and reuse of operational components from damaged electrical/electronic equipment at end-of-life stage. Through repeated Analysis and Synthesis phases, students learn to extract, measure, classify and reuse operational components either to repair similar equipment or to design and construct novel devices. Results: Evaluation is carried out via closed and open type activities as well as by observation sheets of the teacher. Learning outcomes are evaluated through knowledge post-tests of the closed type while social/emotional outcomes are evaluated through questionnaires. Evaluation results indicate that the proposed method does produce cognitive and social/emotional skills gains for the students. The development of metacognitive skills and the stimulation of imagination and innovative thinking in the students is also observed by the teacher, but not formally evaluated due to practical constraints. Conclusions: The proposed method is implemented and pilot-tested with positive results both as to the cognitive and as to the social/emotional domain – yet, these results are of an indicative value, due to the limited scale of the educational intervention. Future research is necessary in order to evaluate the proposed method in extent and possibly compare results across education grades or engineering fields, as the method is generic enough to be easily adaptable for different ages/grades and engineering/technical fields of study. © 2024 European Research Network Vocational education and Training. All rights reserved.