REES/AAEE Special Focus On Ethics: Introduction By Guest Editor, Shannon Chance

Today, more than ever, we see the significance of ethics in developing and sustaining the built, social, and natural environments around us. We also recognise the need to develop engineering students’ knowledge, skills, and values regarding engineering, innovation, design, production, and the like. Engineers’ actions can have intended as well as unintended consequences, and we as a community need to become more aware of the outcomes and implications of our work. In response to the many topics presented at the REES 2019, the REEN Board selected ethics as the focus for this special issue and joined with AAEE to publish in the Association’s journal

Preliminary Findings of a Phenomenological Study of Middle Eastern Women’s Experiences Studying Engineering in Ireland

This paper reports analysis of phenomenological interviews conducted with eight women studying engineering, all Arabic speakers and practicing Muslims, and all from the countries of Oman and Kuwait. Data were collected as part of a larger study of women’s experiences learning engineering in institutions of higher education in Poland, Portugal, and Ireland. The eight women contributing data for the analysis for this paper were all enrolled on engineering degree programs in Dublin, Ireland, where they studied together. The larger study involves conducting longitudinal data via interviews with 47 women around Europe to understand what their undergraduate experiences in STEM have been like. Analysis of the first round of interviews (n=47) collected from women in Poland (n=12), Portugal (n=11), and Ireland (n=24) indicated that women from the Middle East (n=8) were having a different experiences than the other women. The latter group included women born in the country where they enrolled for higher education (n=32) as well as international students who had experienced the secondary school system in the country where they later registered for higher education (n=6). Table 1 provides information about all participants. The eight participants whose interviews were analysed for this study are shown in boldface. Table 1: Participants in overall sample (participants in this study designated in bold) Interview location Studying in home country International with schooling in host country International without schooling in host country Total Number Ireland 10 6 8 24 Poland 12 0 0 12 Portugal 10 0 1 11 Total 32 6 9 47 For this paper, we explore experiences described by women from the Middle East. We collected their first interviews, reviewed them, and considered the content using interpretive phenomenological methods. Then we designed this study and conducted follow-up interviews with them during their third year of study. We use these interviews to report here. Alongside the activity of analysing and reporting findings of that subset of data, we continued collecting interviews with them during their (current) fourth year

Comparing the meaning of ‘thesis’ and ‘final year project’ in architecture and engineering education

Architectural education shares much in common with engineering, including the use of a culminating capstone experience in the final year. The form of this experience varies, with the research-based thesis and final-year project being most common. This paper explores the literature on traditions of enquiry and the meaning of research in various fields and the evolution of the ‘thesis’ and ‘final year project’ approaches over time. It then briefly summarises empirical research conducted on a case study institution struggling to bridge gaps in understandings of these distinct forms of learning and teaching. Throughout, the paper presents a comprehensive set of diagrams to explain various paradigms and positions on research and design education. These diagrams depict processes used in architecture, engineering, and natural sciences to conduct research and generate designs. A new model is proffered to help unify competing conceptions of the final year project and thesis, for the case study institution and beyond

Preliminary Mapping Of Bachelors’ Research To Enhance Digital Construction In Ireland

This paper presents preliminary analyses to assess the content of student research conducted through a digital construction course offered to engineers and built environment professionals in Ireland since 2020. The course aims to upskill employed, mature students with a one-year intensive study period in Building Information Modelling (BIM/Digital Construction), and ultimately enable them to earn an honors-level Bachelor of Science degree. Obtaining this degree requires the student to produce a research dissertation, and the course helps students use research and research-thinking to answer pressing questions they encounter in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) context. The paper briefly discusses context of Technological University Dublin’s BIM courses, the rationale behind offering these courses, and how they address the shortage of BIM knowledge in Ireland. Work reported in this paper involved the collection of the full text of all BIM BSc dissertations and preliminary, systematic content mapping—using titles and keywords provided by the student authors—to identify themes across the body of 59 BIM BSc dissertations submitted to date. This foundation will support subsequent work to assess the quality and usefulness of research from the BSc as well as MSc BIM courses, and BIM research published by university staff

A Model for Spurring Organizational Change Based on Faculty Experiences Working Together to Implement Problem-Based Learning

This research paper provides a case study of experiences of engineering faculty members at a large public university in Ireland working together to transform their teaching methods. We investigate eight teachers’ experiences of a faculty-led learning community designed to help individuals transform their courses. This small collection of faculty met regularly to discuss ways to facilitate and assess students working in groups. Outside the group’s meetings, participants brought important issues to the forefront of formal and informal discussion with colleagues. Participation in the learning group encouraged, supported, and helped sustain change. This case study seeks to provide insight and a conceptual model for implementing changes. In analyzing the mechanisms that fostered change in one particular program and then interpreting the findings, we draw conclusions that can help faculty members, program administrators, strategists, and policy makers facilitate change in their other educational settings. To understand how key players experienced and achieved change, we conducted in-depth semistructured interviews with individual faculty members. We used a grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1994) along with template analysis (King, 2004) to study interview transcripts. All members described having an active champion, an experienced and informed advisor, various forms of institutional support, and a group of colleagues interested in discussing pedagogy and implementing new approaches. From this, we distilled a model for encouraging transformation that holds promise for use elsewhere

Infusing Research Know-How into the Construction Sector: Pedagogies to Support Digital Construction in Ireland

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and BIM Management (BIMM) support digital construction and have the potential to revolutionize the construction industry. In countries where BIM has been most readily adopted, and national supports and mandates put into place, the use of these digital construction methodologies is yielding results. National governments work in various ways to encourage and support the use of BIM, and research is an important part of moving ahead the knowledge base, usability, and uptake of BIM. This paper focuses on the use of BIM in Ireland, the role of education in the shift toward digital construction, and the value of research conducted in one higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. This HEI, the Technological University of Dublin, has become a leader in BIM education and research. With hundreds of academic research papers having been produced at TU Dublin at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels, the authors believe it is time to review the storehouse of publications to assess its range, quality, and value to the Irish construction sector. This paper explains existing strategies for the implementation of BIM at national levels, and pedagogies that can be used to support this shift toward digital construction. The paper starts by discussing BIM adoption globally, the increasing use of BIM in Ireland, and the need for BIM education in Ireland. It then explains why research is needed to move the adoption of BIM forward and how student research can support implementation of BIM in industry. It proceeds to describe TU Dublin’s stepped and scaffolded approach for supporting student researchers, and then propose a plan for a study that will systematically map, critically analyze, and systematically review the results of BIM-related research generated at TU Dublin since 2020. The paper concludes with implications for future research

Here You Have To Be Mixing: Collaborative learning on an engineering program in Ireland as experienced by a group of young Middle Eastern women

This research project uses grounded theory to analyze interviews conducted with eight women from Oman and Kuwait. Members of the sample group were studying together at an institute of technology in Dublin, Ireland. The paper reports patterns in 15 interviews collected in the years 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 to provide a longitudinal overview of the experience of the learners. During the coding process, three major themes emerged having to do with the experience of learning with others and/or learning in groups. The first theme involved communication within the group and the group\u27s approaches to working together. The second identified specific emotions experienced during group work and motivations participants described having felt. The third centred on learning to navigate diversity, particularly with regard to ethnicity and gender. These three themes underpin recommendations from the authors, intended to assist educators in effectively communicating with diverse student groups

A Phenomenological Study of Irish and Portuguese Women’s Experiences of Receiving Family Support When Studying STEM Subjects at Technical Institutes

This paper reports a research study of women’s experiences of receiving family support when studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects at technical institutes in Ireland and Portugal. Specifically, it reports phenomenological analysis of 19 interviews conducted during the 2014-­2015 academic years with female students studying engineering subjects at technical institutes in Ireland and Portugal. It identifies forms of positive support received from family as well as problematic family dynamics and concerns. Parents, uncles, and aunts provide many positive forces, as do surrogates (i.e., adopted family and close mentors). Cousins and brothers also provide role models and information. For our participants, meeting family obligations and being first-­generation college students presents some challenges and stress