Search Results for
"Engineering education"

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) live in the American imagination as promising tools for solving pressing global challenges and enhancing quality of life. Despite the importance of the STEM disciplines in the landscape of U.S. political, economic, and social priorities, STEM learning opportunities are unevenly distributed, and the experiences an individual has in STEM education are likely to vary tremendously based on their race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, and a myriad of other factors. Equity in K-12 STEM education: Framing Decisions for the Future approaches equity in STEM education not as a singular goal but as an ongoing process that requires intentional decision-making and action toward addressing and disrupting existing inequities and envisioning a more just future. Stakeholders at all levels of the education system - including state, district, and school leaders and classroom teachers - have roles as decision-makers who can advance equity. This consensus study report provides five equity frames as a guide to help decision-makers articulate short- and long-term goals for equity and make decisions about policy and practice. © 2025 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

We explored the role of workplace learning and mentoring in the relationship between future work self and career calling among students. The nationwide sample comprised 741 Science and engineering students from six higher vocational colleges in China (female = 46.56%; mean age = 19.23 years, SD = 1.05 years). The students completed the Future Work Self Scale, the Internship-Related Learning Outcomes Scale, the Mentoring Functions Questionnaire, and the Chinese Calling Scale. The future work self was significantly associated with higher career calling. Workplace learning played a partial mediating role between future work self and career calling among students, resulting in higher career calling. Mentoring played a moderating role in the process of workplace learning on career calling, and the interaction between mentoring and workplace learning strongly influenced career calling, with a higher mentoring making it stronger. These findings suggest a need for mentored workplace learning interventions to support career calling among college students. © 2025 Africa Scholarship Development Enterprize.

This chapter aims to demonstrate how educational robotics can be integrated with entrepreneurship within classroom settings. In this context, implementation steps that encompass the integration of entrepreneurship and educational robotics have been developed. The formulation of these steps is based on the engineering design process and the sub-dimensions of entrepreneurship. Additionally, each step has been supported by literature reviews. “Fischer Technik” LEGO set and the “Robo Pro” interface have been incorporated into the design of this educational robotics framework. Due to its user-friendliness and lack of complex programming languages, the LEGO set was chosen for younger age groups. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Diagnosing students’ misconceptions in engineering education is a crucial task for designing targeted instructional interventions. This study presents a new approach to the development and validation of Four-Tier Diagnostic Test as an instructional tool for assessing engineering students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions. The study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the developed instrument and to identify the level of engineering students’ conceptual understanding and misconceptions in microwave engineering courses. A cohort of 141 undergraduate engineering students who took part in the course were administered with the developed 28-item Four-tier Diagnostic Test. Results of the study indicated that 24.7% of students demonstrated scientific knowledge, while 20.3% exhibited misconceptions. Regression analysis revealed a logarithmic relationship between students’ misconceptions and their overall performance, with misconceptions being present even among higher-performing students. Item response analysis using the mirt package showed that test items were effective in discriminating between students with different levels of conceptual understanding. While satisfactory KR-20 reliability coefficients for scientific knowledge (KR- 20=0.739 ) and misconceptions (KR- 20=0.749 ) were achieved respectively, the overall scale marginal conditional reliability (ρ > 0.907 ) indicates high precision of the instrument in measuring students’ conceptual attributes. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how multi-tiered diagnostic assessment coupled with advanced psychometric approaches can enhance the precision of educational diagnostics test. © 2013 IEEE.

This position paper examines the implementation of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in Information Technology (IT) education, focusing specifically on a first-year database unit. Traditional pedagogical approaches, which predominantly rely on lectures and textbooks, often hinder student engagement and motivation. The paper identifies the challenges inherent in current IT educational practices and proposes IBL as an effective pedagogical alternative. IBL fosters active learning and critical thinking, thereby enhancing students' grasp of real-world applications. The proposed trial of IBL in an introductory database course aims to assess both student outcomes and instructor experiences. The benefits of IBL, including increased student engagement and improved knowledge retention, are examined, as well as challenges related to time management, group dynamics, and technical issues. The paper concludes with a call for extended exploration and broader adoption of IBL methods in first-year IT courses, promoting a necessary shift in educational practices to address student needs better. © © 2025 by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda.

With the rapid development of information technology, digital project-based learning (DPBL), as a new teaching method, is gradually changing the traditional education mode. This paper aims to explore the application strategy and effect of digital project-based learning in the construction of new excellent classrooms. First, this paper clarifies the definition and characteristics of digital project-based learning and emphasizes its importance in cultivating students’ innovative thinking, teamwork and problem-solving ability. This paper proposes a strategy for applying digital project-based learning in the construction of new excellent classrooms, including defining learning objectives, selecting appropriate digital tools and resources, designing challenging projects, promoting interdisciplinary integration, establishing collaboration and communication mechanisms, providing real-time feedback and guidance, evaluating and reflecting, cultivating digital literacy, integrating into real-world problems and continuously updating and optimizing. Finally, through case analysis, this paper shows the application effect of digital project-based learning in practical teaching and proves its important role in promoting the construction of new excellent classrooms. Research shows that digital project-based learning helps improve students’ learning experience, improve teaching effectiveness, and lay a solid foundation for students’ future development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

This paper proposed a study about applying the modern apprenticeship system on the higher IT education institutions for the high-quality training model of IT professional. This study is based on the authors’ previous works in the Changzhou College of Information Technology in the recent years. Based on the study, the authors proposed some comments: to build a modular curriculum system based on the concept of industry-school cooperation, with the aim of cultivating high-quality IT professional through collaborative efforts between schools and enterprises; to construct a trinity teaching model of “role-playing, learning guidance with the job, and group training,” forming a classroom teaching and practical teaching that combines engineering and learning and combines knowledge and action; and to implement the “Five in One” teaching evaluation model and form a scientific and reasonable diversified evaluation system. By constructing modular curriculum systems, optimizing teaching modes, and innovating teaching evaluation systems and other IT professional cultivation paths, we aim to enhance students’ comprehensive quality and abilities and cultivate high-quality IT professionals. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

The primary objective of this study is to explore and implement an innovative learning model that integrates a Case-driven Flipped Classroom with the online communication platform Discord, aimed at enhancing students’ computational thinking and problem-solving skills in higher education. This research addresses the gap in utilizing online communication technology in case-based learning to improve student competencies. The research methodology employs a systematic and detailed approach, including needs analysis, curriculum analysis, and student characteristics, to develop and validate the model. The study participants consist of 126 students enrolled in the Algorithms and Programming course in the Informatics engineering education program. A sample of 65 students was selected using a proportional random sampling technique. Researchers collected data through learning outcome measurements, classroom observations, questionnaires, and student feedback. They measured learning outcomes using the same pre-test and post-test instrument administered in the 12th week. They assessed student engagement and understanding through classroom observations and student feedback, indicating a qualitative approach in this research. The main findings of this study demonstrate that the learning model significantly enhances students’ understanding of computational concepts and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, this research provides a strong foundation for further implementing similar models in educational settings, integrating online communication technology with relevant instructional approaches, thereby contributing to the literature on learning innovation in higher education. © 2025 by the authors.

The demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution require a focus on conceptual understanding and new literacies in education, especially in physics learning. However, in reality, students’ understanding and new literacy skills are still low. Overcoming this challenge can be done by using electronic teaching materials integrated with Science, Technology, engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The purpose of this study was to promote students’ conceptual understanding and new literacy by using STEM integrated electronic teaching materials. The research conducted included quasi-experimental research with a post-test only-design research design. The sampling method used cluster random sampling. Instruments in data collection using multiple-choice tests and performance assessments. The results showed that students’ conceptual understanding and new literacy skills increased after using STEM integrated electronic teaching materials. Based on these findings, STEM integrated electronic teaching materials have a positive impact in promoting students’ conceptual understanding and new literacy skills. © 2025 by the authors.

This book delves into the pervasive commercialisation of public schooling, tracing its roots and examining its current manifestations. From the evolution of textbook publishing to the digital transformation led by global edu-businesses, it sheds light on how commercial interests have reshaped education policy, curriculum design, and teaching practices worldwide. Through a series of in-depth case studies this book explores the intensification of commercial influences in schools. It examines the historical rise of education corporatisation, the integration of commercial curriculum resources in classrooms and the ethical dilemmas posed by public school sponsorship. The work also analyses teachers’ agency in navigating prescriptive curriculum materials, the impacts of EdTech during the pandemic, and addresses how public schools themselves have become market players, branding and monetising their operations. Drawing on Australian and international contexts, this book highlights the complex interplay between commercialisation, teacher professionalism, and equitable education access. A must-read for educators, policymakers, and researchers, this book provides insights into the implications of school commercialisation. It offers practical strategies to navigate this landscape while advocating for reforms that prioritise educational integrity over profit, ensuring that public schools remain spaces of equitable and holistic learning. © 2025 Anna Hogan.