The challenge of implementing a student-centred learning approach in large engineering classes

The renovation of teaching and learning methodologies, promoted by the onset of the Bologna Declaration, is leading to shifting perceptions of roles and responsibilities of both teachers and students. Particularly in large engineering classes, certain subjects benefit from more active approaches to learning, namely those associated with team work and tutorial practices, rather than traditional lecture/teacher-driven presentations. Project-led education (PLE) and Project/problem-based learning (PBL) are successful studentcentred teaching strategies by directing team work towards independent learning. These new approaches transfer the teacher’s role from a mere transmitter of knowledge to that of advisor and facilitator of the learning process, by providing guidance and suggestions designed to encourage students to find their own solutions for proposed problems. This paper describes a methodology for promoting and encouraging independent team work using tutorial techniques for the practical sessions of the Environmental Impact Assessment course (mandatory and elective) included in the Civil Engineering programme at the University of Minho. The authors were faced with a multifaceted problem: managing and motivating a large class of civil engineering students in a transdisciplinary and non-traditional civil engineering setting. So, they decided to implement a project-based strategy aiming to foster the development and enhancement of student ´skills and aptitudes. The learning objectives were welldefined, as well as a set of pre-scheduled tutorial meetings for team work monitoring and assessment. The overall project goal was to conduct a critical analysis of one or more cases concerning environmental impact assessment, in view of the concepts apprehended in lecture and through literature review of pertinent documents and applicable regulations. The students were pleased with the requirement to use and critically analyse procedural documents and regulations, favouring a broader understanding of the subject. The opportunity to study and analyse real cases was referred as a particularly positive aspect of this methodology, which allowed for another learning dimension towards the development of professional competencies. At the end of the semester and upon submitting the final written report, each student was required to conduct a simple exercise of self and peer-assessment. The results of the Teaching/Learning Evaluation institutional survey were used to determine how successful the implementation of the new EIA course design had been, and, overall, both instructors and students considered the implemented methodology to be positive and suitable. The ability to conduct independent work and the freedom to manage their own work schedules were particularly appreciated, especially by students with heavier workloads from other courses. The experience described represents a significant move towards innovative approaches for handling and motivating large engineering classes in a transdisciplinary context, by encouraging active and collaborative learning activities, and by leading with real-world problems

Curriculum Innovation: Incorporating the Kern Engineering Entrepreneurial Network (KEEN) Framework into Online Discussions

The purpose of this study was to respond to the following research question: How does the Kern Engineering Entrepreneurial Network (KEEN) framework build interest in technical topic areas, impact student learning outcomes, and develop the entrepreneurial mindset when applied to the engineering classroom? The KEEN framework was developed to combine the entrepreneurial mindset with engineering education to produce a more valuable, strategically prepared engineer, rather than simply an “obedient engineer”. The framework proposes that the entrepreneurial mindset of students is increased by promoting curiosity, encouraging connections, and creating value. The results from this work provide insight into the impact and implications resulting from applying the KEEN framework to the engineering classroom via online discussions

Engineers for the future; accounting for diversity

tailoring engineering and STEM education to meet the needs of all stakeholders. (External Industry requirement) a. Educational institutions must consider an increasingly diverse group of stakeholders, including students, staff, industry, and the wider community. How can educational activities expand our horizons beyond classroom and industry experience

Digital Dissemination Platform of Transportation Engineering Education Materials Founded in Adoption Research

INE/AUTC 14.0

Developing Project Managers’ Transversal Competences Using Building Information Modeling

The emergence of building information modeling (BIM) methodology requires the training of professionals with both specific and transversal skills. In this paper, a project-based learning experience carried out in the context of a project management course at the University of Extremadura is analyzed. To that end, a questionnaire was designed and given to students who participated in the initiative. Results suggest that BIM can be considered a virtual learning environment, from which students value the competences developed. The emotional performance observed was quite flat. Similarly, students valued the usefulness of the initiative. Students expressed a desire for the methodological change of the university classes, and thought that BIM methodology could be useful for other courses. The results obtained show a line of work to be done to improve the training of students and university teaching

An Introduction to the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection Framework (I-CELER)

Cultivating ethical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics researchers and practitioners requires movement beyond reducing ethical instruction to the rational exploration of moral quandaries via case studies and into the complexity of the ethical issues that students will encounter within their careers. We designed the Integrated Community-Engaged Learning and Ethical Reflection (I-CELER) framework as a means to promote the ethical becoming of future STEM practitioners. This paper provides a synthesis of and rationale for I-CELER for promoting ethical becoming based on scholarly literature from various social science fields, including social anthropology, moral development, and psychology. This paper proceeds in five parts. First, we introduce the state of the art of engineering ethics instruction; argue for the need of a lens that we describe as ethical becoming; and then detail the Specific Aims of the I-CELER approach. Second, we outline the three interrelated components of the project intervention. Third, we detail our convergent mixed methods research design, including its qualitative and quantitative counterparts. Fourth, we provide a brief description of what a course modified to the I-CELER approach might look like. Finally, we close by detailing the potential impact of this study in light of existing ethics education research within STEM

Paving The Way: Recruiting Students into the Transportation Professions, MTI Report 08-03

The transportation industry faces a growing shortage of professional engineers and planners. One key strategy in solving this problem will be to encourage more civil engineering and urban planning students to specialize in transportation while completing their degrees, so that employers have a larger pool of likely recruits. However, very little is known about how these students choose a specialization. To help fill that gap, this report examines the factors that lead civil engineering undergraduates and urban planning masters students to specialize in transportation, as opposed to other sub-disciplines within the two fields. The primary data collection methods were web-based surveys of 1,852 civil engineering undergraduates and 869 planning masters students. The study results suggest steps the transportation community can take to increase the number of civil engineering and planning students who choose to specialize in transportation

Conceptual Framework for the Use of Building Information Modeling in Engineering Education

The objective of this paper is to present a critical literature review of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodologyandtoanalyzewhetherBIMcanbeconsideredaVirtualLearningEnvironment.Aconceptualframeworkis proposed for using BIM in a university context. A search of documents was carried out in the Core Collection of Web of Science; it was restricted to the last five years (2013–2017). A total of 95 documents were analyzed; all documents were written in English and peer reviewed. BIM meets all the characteristics of Virtual Learning Environments. The proposed framework has three dimensions (competencies, pedagogical approach and level of integration).It allows for the planning and analysis of future experiences of teaching BIM in a university context.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain and AEI/FEDER, UE Projects EDU2016-77007-RRegional Government of Extremadura (Spain) IB 16068Regional Government of Extremadura (Spain) GR1800

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity

This report seeks to expand conversations around educational opportunity by taking a comprehensive look at the barriers African American girls face and the educational and economic outcomes that result. One important barrier is the prevalence of stereotypes that adversely impact the educational experiences of African American girls. Structural and institutional barriers examined in this report -- such as under-resourced schools, disparate discipline practices, gender-based violence and harassment, and lack of support for pregnant and parenting students -- further compromise educational outcomes for African American girls. This report fills an important gap in existing data on educational achievement and its attendant economic consequences. Although there is plentiful data on American children and education, the lack of data broken down by race and gender together has fueled the assumption that all girls are doing fine in school. But in fact, although girls overall graduate from high school at higher rates than boys, girls of color are graduating at far lower rates than white girls and boys. In almost all states with available data, the high school graduation rate for African American girls is below the national average for girls overall, resulting in severe economic consequences for African American women and their families