Reflections on the Adaptation of DIT’s RoboSumo Robot-Building Initiative within ITB’s Module on Professional Development for Engineers

This paper details a pilot initiative within the Engineering Department at Ireland’s Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) where a competitive, team-based robot-building activity has been embedded within the first year module Professional Development for Engineers. As part of the 2015 programmatic review process at ITB, an existing first year module Personal Development was significantly re-designed. The resulting module Professional Development for Engineers was delivered to Engineering students in semester 1 of year 1 of the 2015/16 academic year. A core aim of this initiative is to enhance the first year engineering student experience. The initiative is an adaptation of a robot-building activity run within the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) for the past twelve years. The two lead authors, as part of a larger ITB programme design team, partnered with DIT to deliver a series of workshops that equipped ITB staff to deliver RoboSumo to their students at ITB. Arising from this preparatory work, ITB have implemented a slimmed down version of RoboSumo within ITB’s Professional Development for Engineers module. This paper outlines the curriculum design approach taken and then discusses challenges that encountered before and during implementation. An action plan for improvement of the next iteration is identified; it has been informed by the evaluation and analysis of the initial pilot project discussed here

Learning Streams: A Case Study in Curriculum Integration

During 2004-2005, the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University in collaboration with educational colleagues in the Research Institute for Studies in Education piloted a new curricula model to improve student learning through vertical integration of educational activities using new program structures. We offered an experimental course sequence during Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, defined as a “learning stream.” A learning stream is a basic element of a novel program structure designed specifically to vertically integrate subject matter across courses. A learning stream merges and re-organizes material to more effectively present and reinforce key objectives. Concepts are covered in a more cohesive and timely manner compared to traditional topical organizations, letting students see relationships between concepts. A learning stream emphasizes fundamentals through their application. In some cases, it provides a basis to introduce cross-disciplinary ideas. Students gain proficiency with higher dimensional problem-solving from a conceptual and disciplinary perspective rather than a single subject. The design of a curriculum using learning streams addresses one of the most important questions in engineering education, that is, how to achieve balance between the fundamentals and applications, between theory and practice. In this paper, we describe the learning stream model, a pilot offering, its evaluation, and lessons learned

Threshold concepts: Impacts on teaching and learning at tertiary level

This project explored teaching and learning of hard-to-learn threshold concepts in first-year English, an electrical engineering course, leadership courses, and in doctoral writing. The project was envisioned to produce disciplinary case studies that lecturers could use to reflect on and refine their curriculum and pedagogy, thereby contributing to discussion about the relationship between theory and methodology in higher education research (Shay, Ashwin, & Case, 2009). A team of seven academics investigated lecturers’ awareness and emergent knowledge of threshold concepts and associated pedagogies and how such pedagogies can afford opportunities for learning. As part of this examination the lecturers also explored the role of threshold concept theory in designing curricula and sought to find the commonalities in threshold concepts and their teaching and learning across the four disciplines. The research highlights new ways of teaching threshold concepts to help students learn concepts that are fundamental to the disciplines they are studying and expand their educational experiences. Given that much of the international research in this field focuses on the identification of threshold concepts and debates their characteristics (Barradell, 2013; Flanagan, 2014; Knight, Callaghan, Baldock, & Meyer, 2013), our exploration of what happens when lecturers use threshold concept theory to re-envision their curriculum and teaching helps to address a gap within the field. By addressing an important theoretical and practical approach the project makes a considerable contribution to teaching and learning at the tertiary level in general and to each discipline in particular

Developing new electrical and information engineering related curricula to respond to the actual global challenges: the renewable energy curriculum

The Erasmus Lifelong Learning ProgrammeSALEIE (Strategic Alignment of Electrical and InformationEngineering in European Higher Education Institutions) projectbrings together a group of European universities experts aimingto provide higher education models in the EIE (Electrical andInformation Engineering) disciplines that can respond to the keyglobal technical challenges. One of the outcomes of the abovementioned project is related to a new Renewable Energycurriculum. In its early stage the SALEIE project identified theglobal technical challenges the EIE higher education may facenowadays. A survey of existing EIE programmes in the keychallenge areas has been released and their results have beendiscussed during the workshops. The industry feedback related tothe required EIE technical and non-technical skills has been fedwithin the project deliverables and finally two new proposedcurricula on Renewable Energy (RE) and Information andComputer Technology (ICT) Security saw the daylight. This paperpresents the main findings and steps which have been taken inorder to propose a new Renewable Energy curriculum aiming torespond to actual global technical challenges

Intersections of Design Thinking and Perceptions of Success for Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering Students

Engineering design thinking has become an important part of the educational discussion for both researchers and practitioners. Colleges and universities seek to graduate engineering students who can engage in the complex nature of combining both technical performance with design thinking skills. Prior research has shown that design thinking can be a solution for solving complicated technical and social issues in a holistic, adaptive way. However, little is known about how students make sense of their design thinking experiences and reconcile that into their perceptions of what it means to be a successful engineer. As part of a five-year National Science Foundation REvolutionizing Engineering and Computer Science Departments (NSF-RED) grant, this study highlights the experiences of students engaged in a course which has been redesigned to enhance student development through design thinking pedagogy. This case study sought to understand how electrical, computer, and software engineering students engage with design thinking and how that engagement shapes their perceptions of what success looks like. The case study was informed through observations of lecture and lab classroom contexts, interviews with students, and a review of relevant course documents. Participants met the following criteria: (a) were over the age of 18, (b) majoring in CES engineering, and (c) were currently enrolled in one of two courses currently undergoing redesign: a second-year electrical engineering course called Circuits or a second-year computer engineering course called Embedded Systems. Preliminary findings reveal that students engaged in the design thinking course described a disconnect between design thinking elements of the course and their perceptions of what it meant to be a successful electrical, computer, or software engineer. Although design thinking concepts focused on empathy-building and customer needs, it was often difficult for engineering students to see beyond the technical content of their course and conceptualize elements of design thinking as essential to their successful performance as engineers. This study bears significance to practitioners and researchers interested in (re)designing curriculum to meet the growing needs of innovation for today’s customer’s. Implications for policy and practice will be discussed to enhance the way that engineering programs, curricula, and workforce training are created

Academic and Student Perceptions on the Intergation of HIV and AIDS education in an Electrical Engineering Curriculum at a South African University of Technology

[EN] South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV and AIDS in the world. A concerted effort is needed to address this epidemic, lest a socioeconomic crisis may cripple the country. Education may be the most powerful weapon in this regard, with universities playing a critical role in addressing this concern. In 2015, a funding program was initiated by Universities South Africa to facilitate this integration. Subsequently, the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering at a South African University of Technology set out to re-design their curricula to include vital aspects relating to HIV and AIDS. A responsive driven curriculum design was adopted whereby the perceptions and expectations of facilitators and students in this department towards HIV and AIDS education were sought. An online open-ended questionnaire was used to gather both qualitative and quantitative results. This paper presents the initial findings of this study. A key recommendation of this study is to develop a digital online module addressing advanced HIV and AIDS education with special focus on its application in the workplace.Luwes, N.; Meda, L.; Swart, J. (2016). Academic and Student Perceptions on the Intergation of HIV and AIDS education in an Electrical Engineering Curriculum at a South African University of Technology. En 2nd. International conference on higher education advances (HEAD'16). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 160-168. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD16.2015.2618OCS16016

Engineering Students' Generic Skills After Industrial Training: Employers' Perception

This study aims to examine the employers' perception on the generic skills of the MTU engineering students after their industrial training. The related generic skills in this study are problem-solving skills, leadership skills, communication skills, management skills, entrepreneurial skills, critical thinking skills, decision making skills, teamwork skills and   interpersonal skill. The sample of this study consists of 144 employers from EEE (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) field industries that has been chosen from whole Malaysia using random sampling. The design of the study uses quantitative survey approach specifically descriptive analysis where data analysis is done in the form of mean, frequencies and percentages. (The results show that employers' perceptions on the level for students' leadership skills is at a moderate low of 2.77.On the other hand, the students' communication skills is at a moderate low level of 2.83, management skills at a moderate high level of 3.34, interpersonal skills at a moderate high level of 3.37, problem-solving skills at a moderate high level of 3.70, critical thinking skills at a moderate high level of 3.47, decision-making skills at moderate high of 4.13 and teamwork skills at moderate high of 3.64 and entrepreneurial skills at moderate low of 2.59. ) Referring to the findings that it can help the university to re-evaluate the industry training curriculum to improve the quality of the student's generic skills. Therefore, it is hoped that these research findings can be used by related authorities (Ministry Higher Education and Industry) to improve the students' overall generic skills and consequently produce quality graduates not only in technical skills but also in generic skills. This findings will be used as a guideline in the improvement of the industry training curriculum by looking at the weakest level of generic skills based on the employer's perception

Engineering - young people want to be informed

Young people in developed nations recognise the contribution that science and technology make to society and acknowledge their importance now and in the future, yet few view their study as leading to interesting careers. Some countries are taking action to raise interest in science, technologies, engineering and mathematics and increase the number of students studying these subjects. One of the barriers to young people pursuing engineering is their limited or distorted perception of it - they associate it only with building and fixing things. Young people rarely encounter engineers, unlike other professionals, engineering has little or no advocacy in the media and there are few opportunities to experience engineering. Many of the pupils surveyed at the start of Engineering the Future, a three year EPSRC-funded project, wrote “don’t know what engineering is” and/or “would like more information”. This paper reports on work with researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Scotland to develop a sustainable model of activities and interactions that develops pupils’ understanding of the nature of engineering, embeds experiences of engineering within the school classroom and curriculum and promotes engineering as a career. After learning about engineering through the activities the pupils’ perceptions had improved. Almost all considered it important that young people know about engineering, because it is an essential part of everyday life and, in the words of one pupil - “If we know more about it, our minds wouldn’t stay closed to it. We would maybe take it up.

Higher Education on Buildings: Case Study in the North Dakota Region

Because of the growing demand for local skilled professionals to improve the health, energy efficiency, and sustainability of residential and commercial buildings in North Dakota, this case study reports the current situation of higher education relating to buildings in the state’s vicinity, including Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. In this region, 116 programs relating to buildings were found in 41 postsecondary institutions, and both their majors and courses were then studied with frequency lists. The frequency information was analyzed over nine sets of curriculum areas at both graduate and undergraduate levels for the four states. After the current state of buildings in North Dakota was investigated, strategies were then proposed to rectify current issues regarding higher education on buildings, including but not limited to forming a comprehensive and interdisciplinary program on buildings (e.g., architectural engineering), providing more graduate programs, developing more courses in areas that lack adequate coursework, and increasing student enrollment. These strategies will greatly promote the health, energy efficiency, and sustainability for new and existing buildings in the four-state region of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota