Communities of innovation: Individual,group, and organizational characteristics leading to greater potential for innovation

In this paper I will explain what I see as some of the core attributes of Communities of Innovation, or communities fostering collaborative creativity, and what we have learned from the research literature about each attribute. There is a critical need to design learning environments that foster creative thinking in students, particularly in the area of collaborative creativity. Many of the current problems and challenges graduates will face in society and industry are too large to be faced alone. However, the research and pedagogical understanding of how to develop skills in collaborative creativity is still underdeveloped. In seeking to understand what collaborative creativity would look like in education, I reviewed the literature on organizational and social creativity, along with social learning theory, to develop a framework of characteristics common to most environments that foster collaborative creativity in students (West, 2009). This framework describing Communities of Innovation explains some of the similar characteristics at the individual, group, and organizational levels of innovative communities.     

Breaking the habit: engineering students’ understanding of mathematical creativity

ABSTRACT

In higher education, engineering students have to be prepared for their future jobs, with knowledge but also with several soft skills, among them creativity. In this paper, we present a study carried on with 128 engineering undergraduate students on their understanding of mathematical creativity. The students were in the first year of different engineering first degrees in a north-eastern Portuguese university and we analysed the content of their texts for the question ‘What do you understand by mathematical creativity?’. Data collection was done in the first semester of the academic years 2014/2015 and 2016/2017 in a Linear Algebra course. The results showed that ‘problem solving’ category had the majority of the references in 2014/2015, but not in the academic year 2016/2017 were ‘involving mathematics’ category had the majority. This exploratory study pointed out for ‘problem solving’ and ‘involving mathematics’ categories and gave us hints for teaching mathematics courses in engineering degrees.     

面向工程能力培养的房屋结构设计课程教学改革与实践

对大学生工程能力的培养是高等工程教育的重要环节。结合CDIO工程教育理念,以房屋结构设计课程教学过程中注重培养学生的工程能力,提高学生创新能力为出发点,从改革课程体系、优化教学内容、改进教学方法、加强实践教学、重视教师工程能力的培养等方面探索了房屋结构设计课程建设的途径和方法。     

Integrating creativity training into Problem and Project-Based Learning curriculum in engineering education

In order to foster creative engineers, a creativity training programme was carried out in medialogy education in a Problem and Project-Based Learning (PBL) environment at Aalborg University, Denmark. This paper focuses on the question of how engineering students perceive the strategy of integrating creativity training into a PBL curriculum. A total of 20 medialogy students in the training programme were interviewed. The data shows that the training programme was thought useful and students get benefits such as gaining project work skills, creative concepts and confidence of being creative. However, limitations of the programme show that only five days of training did not fit the requirements of learning skills in PBL. So the supervisors are suggested to offer more creativity techniques and process engagement to move projects forward.     

Teaching global engineering in Canada,learning informality of the Global South

Globalisation has inspired a wide assortment of curricular initiatives within engineering education in the USA and Europe. This interest could be categorised in multiple directions – international exposure, service learning, or critical understanding and praxis. In Canada, however, there has been far less consideration for integrating globalisation within the engineering curriculum. The recent episode of reform initiated by the Canadian Board of Engineering Accreditation could usher in changes on this front. Situating the development of a course titled Development and Global Engineering within these broader conceptual and organisational impulses, this paper will illuminate a pathway towards understanding globalisation, especially within the Global South, through a comprehension of complexity and informality.     

工科专业测绘实践性教学的探讨

在高校工科专业测绘实验、实习、设计等实践性教学环节中，为使学生更好地巩固和加深所学的基本理论和知识，提高学生的基本技能、动手能力和组织能力，培养学生分析、解决问题能力和创新能力，以适应社会、增加就业机会，必须提出适应现代化高等教育发展的教改措施、方法和制度。文章结合我校的实际情况进行探讨，提出了一些改革措施。     

工科直博生培养体系的创新与思考——基于M大学工科直博生培养的调查分析简

以M大学为个案,对工科直博生的培养现状进行调查,分析目前工科直博生培养体系存在的主要问题,提出要基于创新人才的培养理念,建立以科研实践为主线的工科直博生创新能力培养体系,具体措施包括：注重选拔具有科研潜质的学生并提前培养,构建以科研学习为中心的课程体系,开展学科间交叉和渗透的科研实践,推行跨学科的导师组指导模式,强化德育教育、营造创新氛围等。     

基于项目的网络工程实践教学体系改革

针对传统网络工程教学模式的问题,结合教育部“卓越工程师教育培养计划”,在深入理解CDIO工程教育教学模式理念和方法的基础上提出了基于项目的网络工程实践教学改革的思路与方法.以项目为基础,让学生能真正了解整个网络工程的实施过程并学以致用,建立面向能力培养的网络工程实践教学体系.     

Investigating invisible writing practices in the engineering curriculum using practice architectures

ABSTRACT

Writing practices are seen to be essential for professional engineers, yet many engineering students and academics struggle with written communication, despite years of interventions to improve student writing. Much has been written about the importance of getting engineering students to write, but there has been a little investigation of engineering academics’ perceptions of writing practices in the curriculum, and the extent to which these practices are visible to their students and to the academics. This paper draws on research from an ongoing study into the invisibility of writing practices in the engineering curriculum using a practice architectures lens. The paper uses examples from the sites of practice of two participants in the study to argue that prevailing practices in engineering education constrain more than enable the development and practice of writing in the engineering curriculum.     

Student Peer Teaching: An Innovative Approach to Instruction in Science and Engineering Education

This paper reports the results of a pilot-study in a senior paper science and engineering class, of an innovative instructional method designed to foster student problem-solving and in-depth learning of material, namely, student peer teaching. We review related literature focusing on active learning methods in science and engineering education, describe the method of student peer teaching used in this pilot-study, present the evaluation method and results, and discuss implications for further development of this method of instruction. Results suggest that students were able to effectively teach significant curricular content. In addition, the method of student peer teaching served important purposes in helping students develop in-depth understanding and expertise in the issues related to their teaching session, as well as teaching and presentation skills which will be useful in their professional practice. However, students expressed concern that, while achieving in-depth learning of the content of their teaching session, they tended to focus on the content area of their teaching session at the expense of other content areas and may not have learned as well from other students as from the Professor. We recommend a modified structure for student peer teaching which incorporates cooperative learning methods; increased Professor involvement in class sessions, in the role of the mentor; and modifications in performance evaluation methods to ensure ongoing student monitoring of progress and self-assessment. The method of student peer teaching, in science and engineering education, combined with cooperative learning methods, is viewed as a major extension of cooperative learning methods, used in the service of preparation for professional careers.     

卓越工程师培养目标下给水排水工程专业的机遇与挑战

"卓越工程师教育培养计划"是我国工程教育的一项重要改革措施,这为给水排水工程专业的发展提供了机遇,也带来了挑战。根据该计划对工程型人才培养的新要求,从实践基地建设、学生工程能力培养、教师队伍工程素质塑造几个方面,对给水排水工程学科目前面临的主要问题以及发展策略进行了讨论。     

细胞工程实验课程拓展型教学体系的建立

细胞工程实验由于课时少,难度大,如何让学生充分利用现有的实验条件和实验时间,掌握更多的实验技术和方法;拓展细胞工程实验课程,给学生提供自主设计实验并开展相关实验研究的机会和平台,培养学生的动手能力以及创新能力。文章在细胞工程实验课程教学过程中建立的拓展型教学体系为培养高校创新型人才提供了一种新的尝试。     

A triangular approach to integrate research,education and practice in higher engineering education

Separate approaches in engineering education, research and practice are not very useful when preparing students for working life; instead, integration of education, research and industrial practices is needed. A triangular approach (TA) as a method to accomplish this integration and as a method to provide students with integrated expertise is proposed. The results from the application of TA, both at the course and programme level, indicate that the approach is suitable for developing engineering education. The student pass rate for courses where TA has been used has been higher than for previous approaches, and the student feedback has been very positive. Although TA aims to take both theoretical and practical aspects of engineering as well as research and education into account, the approach concentrates mainly on activities and therefore leaves the goals of these activities as well as the values behind these goals uncovered.     

提高工科院校学生的音乐素质势在必行

围绕提高工科院校学生音乐素质这一问题,阐述了音乐教育对培养学生想象力、创造力、判断推进能力、团结协作等方面能力的作用,结合工作实践,论证了音乐教育对高等工科院校学生培养的重要性。     

Development of mechanical engineering curricula at the University of Minho

The implementation of the Bologna protocol in the European Union has set new goals for the whole higher education system as: (a) a quality assessment for university courses; (b) a framework for the exchange of students and academics; and (c) an opportunity for changing the teaching/learning procedures and methodologies. Within the context, the mechanical engineering curricula at the University of Minho have been comprehensively formulated in order to meet these and future challenges and expectations. The whole process has been based upon various cornerstones: the legal framework for the higher education system; the introduction of new learning methodologies and an accurate survey and understanding of the existing strong and week points of the previous experience. For this purpose, a comprehensive evaluation has been carried out with former students and a detailed map has been formulated regarding their professional careers and experiences. Furthermore, a discussion has been carried out in order to define the mission of the graduate in mechanical engineering. In brief, such mission may be referred by his ability to participate in the wealth creation through technology based innovation. Within this context, the curriculum has been structured in order to meet such goals. In addition to strong foundations in physics and mathematics, new subjects are introduced into the curriculum. The whole education is based upon project development which stimulates the students' initiative, responsibility and their ability to integrate knowledge. Throughout the curriculum, students are enrolled into research projects developed in the department and it is expected that a few selected projects may be taken into a quasi industrial stage.     

How academic teachers perceive and facilitate creativity

We will present a case study result from a cross-disciplinary education called Medialogy, which is taught in the Technical and Science Faculty at Aalborg University. The aim of Medialogy is to facilitate creativity within technical solutions. The intention of this paper is to answer the following: how do the Medialogy teachers perceive creativity and how do they facilitate it? Many of the answers point to the pedagogical approach used in problem-based learning, which are perceived as an important element for the creative process. In this paper we will also argue the importance of including the social context (both at a macro and at a micro level) in the definition and use of creativity in engineering education.     

Supporting active learning in an undergraduate geotechnical engineering course using group-based audience response systems quizzes

The use of audience response systems (ARSs) or ‘clickers’ in higher education has increased over the recent years, predominantly owing to their ability to actively engage students, for promoting individual and group learning, and for providing instantaneous feedback to students and teachers. This paper describes how group-based ARS quizzes have been integrated into an undergraduate civil engineering course on foundation design. Overall, the ARS summary quizzes were very well received by the students. Feedback obtained from the students indicates that the majority believed the group-based quizzes were useful activities, which helped to improve their understanding of course materials, encouraged self-assessment, and assisted preparation for their summative examination. Providing students with clickers does not, however, necessarily guarantee the class will be engaged with the activity. If an ARS activity is to be successful, careful planning and design must be carried out and modifications adopted where necessary, which should be informed by the literature and relevant student feedback.     

大工程观教育理念下的研究生教育探讨

大工程观教育理念已经引起我国高等教育界的广泛关注和思考,它要求教育提供综合的知识背景,强调教学的实践性和培养学生的创造性。通过将大工程观思想引入到研究生教育中进行分析,找出了我国研究生教育在知识系统性、实践能力和创新性等方面存在的一些问题。然后从改革研究生招生制度、丰富培养模式和提高创新能力等角度,探讨了培养基础扎实、知识面宽、能力强、素质高、富有创新精神的研究生的具体思路。     

工科院校人文社科课程设置比较

本文通过对世界上几所著名工科院校(专业)培养目标、课程设置和学时比例的比较分析，结合我国高等工科教育的现状，对我国高等工科教育中人文社科课程的课程门类和学时比例提出了具体意见。     

How education background affects design outcome: teaching product development to mechanical engineers,industrial designers and managers

ABSTRACT

Product design and development (PDD) is a current topic of academic and industrial research. Emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as design thinking and creativity has been recently pulled together into the teaching and research on PDD. This paper looks into a multidisciplinary setting made up of three similar but independent PDD masters courses taught at three higher education institutions, having the same assessment, syllabus, assignments and outcomes. As expected, students’ projects foci are different. The outcomes of this experience were confronted with an ex-post literature review, which generated thorough guidelines that supported an innovative proposal for PDD education, to be implemented into an interdisciplinary Summer School. Significant generalisable contributions for educating modern engineers, designers and business entrepreneurs are expected, instead of just teaching methods of engineering, design and entrepreneurship at the case universities. The limitation of the used inductive reasoning concerns ‘truth’ being suggested but not assured.