Teaching First Year design by mechanical dissection

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2004-2005, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor, student questionnaires and focus group. This case study describes how the process of mechanical dissection was integrated into theoretical lectures for first year students studying for M.Eng and B.Eng degrees at the University of Strathclyde

A blended module design to engage new students

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2007-2008, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor, student questionnaires and focus group. This case study evaluates a blend of approaches used in teaching a first year, first semester module on systems modelling

Blended learning for Foundation engineering students

This case study has been developed from data gathered through observations of the teaching component, interviews with the tutor and a student focus group. This report describes the use of a combination of online diagnostic assessments, video-captured worked examples and face-to-face problem workshops to support an electricity and electronics module. The module is taken by approximately 150 students as part of a foundation year of a four-year course leading to bachelor-level degrees in physics, geophysics and engineering. The reasons why the students are taking the foundation year are varied

Microcontroller engineering themed teaching

This case study has been developed from data gathered through observations of the teaching component, interviews with the tutor and a student focus group. The approach to teaching microcontroller engineering described here is distinctive because it has been conceived as a coherent theme spanning four modules over two years rather than a series of linked but essentially independent modules. The lecturer in charge set some aims for where he wanted students to be at the end of year two and designed the theme to lead up to these. The aims were that the students should be able to design a small embedded system with control, actuation and communication functions; they should be able to program it using relevant tools; and this system should stand up to scrutiny from the School's Industrial Advisory Group as being something of relevance to industry

Assessment of lecturer's ‘Coursework’ by students

This case study has been developed as part of the LTSN Engineering Teaching Awards 2003-2004, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor and a student focus group. This design module is taken by students in the first year of two degree programmes, BEng. in Automotive Engineering and BEng. in Automotive Design Engineering; the main aim of the module is to ensure that students are able to draw to BS 8888 and communicate design ideas. The lecturer had found that the same basic mistakes were being made in her students' drawings year after year. In order to address this issue a novel approach was taken

Problem based learning approach to drilling engineering

This case study has been developed as part of the LTSN Engineering Teaching Awards 2003-2004, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor and a student focus group. The report covers the use of problem based learning, supported with mind-mapping and online document sharing, in an MSc module on drilling engineering. The approach offered students the opportunity to acquire and develop skills relating to resourcefulness, problem solving, group work, knowledge sharing, time management, knowledge organisation through mind mapping, and requires them to be responsible for their own learning

Animated visual models to enhance student understanding of complex processes

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2007-2008, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor, student questionnaires and focus group. This case study describes use by a tutor of computer simulations to provide animated demonstrations of complex concepts and processes during lectures

Implementation of optical fibre communications module in a Virtual Learning Environment

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2004-2005, from data gathered through a demonstration of the teaching and learning materials available, interviews with the tutor, student questionnaires and focus group. This case study describes the use of the BlackBoard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to deliver course content and assements to students of Electrical and Electronic Engineering or Communication Engineering

A novel approach to the use of spreadsheets in structural design

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2010, from data gathered through observations of the teaching component; interviews with the tutor and a student focus group. The Software for Engineering Module in the second year of the Civil Engineering BEng and MEng courses at Dundee University invites students to tackle a real-world, open-ended structural modelling problem in the design of complex, non-standard structures. The aim is to enhance students' problem solving, team work, planning and IT skills, including introducing them to a novel approach for the parametric generation of data sets for use in structural modelling packages using Excel spreadsheets

The ultimate problem based learning: run your own business

This case study has been developed as part of the Engineering Subject Centre Teaching Awards 2009, from data gathered through observations of the teaching component; interviews with the tutor; a questionnaire to students and a student focus group. This study concerns a module in which students, working in groups, set up and run their own business for seven months. In doing so they learn about enterprise and entrepreneurship, and develop organizational, team working, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. The students are second year undergraduates in either computer and networking engineering courses or an enterprise engineering course