ENGINEERING EDUCATION: A TOTAL CONCEPT?

Engineering education is about intellectural and personal development in relation to some branch of engineering.

Engineering is a profession. Any profession is defined by its knowledge base and the inherent skills used with that knowledge base. Within any engineering course it is the quality of understanding of the knowledge base along with the quality of inherent skills which is being developed. As a total concept, engineering education is about the development of the quality of thinking of students.

This paper identifies some implications of seeking development in the quality of thinking of engineering students, and pursues these implications into the issues of assessment and evaluation.     

高职院校学生“产、学、创”与教师“产、教、研”对接研究——以软件技术专业为例

在产教融合背景下,分析我国高职院校学生"产、学、创"与教师"产、教、研"的现状与原因,也对软件技术专业的教师与学生专业技能进行了分析,发现专业工程实践能力是教师与学生的共同专业职业技能点,并通过多年来的"产教融合、校企合作"实践证明,以专业工程实践技能为对接点,以产业驱动为对接模式,通过专业课程体系企业化、课程标准化、学习内容项目化、企业实习常态化以及职业技能竞赛项目过程化等途径,可有效地满足软件工程产业对技能人才的需求,实现软件技术专业学生"产、学、创"与教师"产、教、研"能力对接。     

Examination-type preferences of secondary school students and their teachers in the science disciplines

A specially developed questionnaire was used: Types of Preferred Examinations (TOPE) to assess examination-type preferences of secondary school students in the Science disciplines according to school type affiliate and gender.Structured interviews were employed to assess both the rationale of students towards these preferences as well as teacher awareness about the preferences – in contrast to their actual examination practice.Our findings suggest that (a) secondary school students prefer written, unlimited time examinations which, according to their perception, stress learning with understanding rather than mechanical rote learning, and in which the use of supporting material (open book exams) is permitted; and (b) secondary school Science teachers are aware of student examination-type preferences, yet they continue to use the traditional written, time-limited – class examination which is definitely not preferred (disliked) by their students.In view of the special emphasis in current science education research on students' development of higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) and the need for consonance between the new curriculum goals and examination types used, it is proposed that provisions be made to facilitate teachers' compliance with students' examination-type preferences provided the latter are congruent with learning objectives and our educational aspirations.     

Promoting active student learning in strength of materials with the aid of CAI

The objective of this paper is to discuss how active student learning is possible with the aid of a CAI package for a subject such as Strength of Materials. Multimedia is the latest innovation that can be utilized to improve learning. In this study, multimedia components such as hypertext, sound, graphics, video, and animation are implemented in a CAI package. These capabilities can capture students' attention, and can also illustrate the application of knowledge to real world problems more effectively than traditional teaching methods. The other features of this package include guided examples, theory, and application tests. Guided examples show the students problem solving techniques, and provide feedback according to their responses. The theory and application tests enable the teacher to gauge the students' understanding of the subject matter. Students who do well in the theory test are eligible to attempt the application test, which poses real-world engineering problems. The lesson that can be concluded from this study is that students' problem solving skills can be improved with the aid of CAI which emphasizes anchored instructions. However, to achieve maximum benefit, students also need to possess independent learning skills.     

Redesigning problem-based learning in the knowledge creation paradigm for school science learning

The introduction of problem-based learning into K-12 science classrooms faces the challenge of achieving the dual goal of learning science content and developing problem-solving skills. To overcome this content-process tension in science classrooms, we employed the knowledge-creation approach as a boundary object between the two seemingly contradicting activities: learning of science content and developing problem-solving skills. As part of a design research, we studied a group of Grade 9 students who were solving a problem related to the Law of Conservation of Energy. Through the lens of the activity theory, we found that students’ understanding of the intended science knowledge deepened as they made sense of the disciplinary-content knowledge in the context of the problem and concurrently, the students successfully developed solutions for the problem. This study shows that developing problem-solving competencies and content learning need not be disparate activities. On the contrary, we can harness the interdependency of these two activities to achieve dual goals in learning.     

Instrumentalism as an educational concept

Experiences of teachers give evidence that the usal distinction between instrumental and relational understanding, as defined by the psychologist, is insufficient to interpret learning in an educational context. The learner often possesses relational understanding of some knowledge, for which he sees no use, outside its importance as schoolknowledge. The author analyzes a more general concept of instrumentalism. He defines it as a rationale for learning, connected to the role school has as an instrument for future schooling and employment. Examples of use of the project method are given, which can help to establish another rationale for learning.Bergen State College of EducationThe author of this article is a senior lecturer at the Bergen State College of Education. He has practised for several years as a teacher in the comprehensive school, where he has worked especially among the slow learners. In his native language he has written several books on mathematics education.     

An evaluation of the use of continuous assessment in the teaching of physiology

The level of understanding achieved by a class of 160 1st-year medical students was assessed from their answers to exam questions related to a series of physiology lectures in which students were taught for conceptual understanding. Questionnaire data showed that about 90% of the class perceived the subject matter to be relevant.Information collected by interview from a sample of 30 students indicated that frequent summative assessment exerted a profound negative influence over their learning. Students adopted a surface reproductive approach aimed at passing the exams rather than at understanding the subject matter. Lectures failed to affect the way that students represented, structured and selected their knowledge, which remained encapsulated in the textbook context and was non-functional.Assessments comprised a high proportion of multiple-choice questions and emphasized low-level skills resulting in the establishment of a hidden curriculum. Furthermore, the curriculum failed to provide appropriate opportunities for students to consolidate and internalize information presented in lectures. The students had inadequate abstract reasoning and integration skills and so were unable to ignore the hidden curriculum.In the absence of high-level conceptual development students cannot apply theory to practice. It is argued that the early introduction of clinical experiences (in year-2) cannot promote effective integration between theory and practice and the development of an holistic attitude and heuristic thinking, when students lack prerequisite basic reasoning skills and do not know how to learn meaningfully.     

Making connections among multiple visual representations: how do sense-making skills and perceptual fluency relate to learning of chemistry knowledge?

To learn content knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math domains, students need to make connections among visual representations. This article considers two kinds of connection-making skills: (1) sense-making skills that allow students to verbally explain mappings among representations and (2) perceptual fluency in connection making that allows students to fast and effortlessly use perceptual features to make connections among representations. These different connection-making skills are acquired via different types of learning processes. Therefore, they require different types of instructional support: sense-making activities and fluency-building activities. Because separate lines of research have focused either on sense-making skills or on perceptual fluency, we know little about how these connection-making skills interact when students learn domain knowledge. This article describes two experiments that address this question in the context of undergraduate chemistry learning. In Experiment 1, 95 students were randomly assigned to four conditions that varied whether or not students received sense-making activities and fluency-building activities. In Experiment 2, 101 students were randomly assigned to five conditions that varied whether or not and in which sequence students received sense-making and fluency-building activities. Results show advantages for sense-making and fluency-building activities compared to the control condition only for students with high prior chemistry knowledge. These findings provide new insights into potential boundary conditions for the effectiveness of different types of instructional activities that support students in making connections among multiple visual representations.     

Graduate Experience in Science Education: the development of a science education course for biomedical science graduate students

The University of Rochester's Graduate Experience in Science Education (GESE) course familiarizes biomedical science graduate students interested in pursuing academic career tracks with a fundamental understanding of some of the theory, principles, and concepts of science education. This one-semester elective course provides graduate students with practical teaching and communication skills to help them better relate science content to, and increase their confidence in, their own teaching abilities. The 2-h weekly sessions include an introduction to cognitive hierarchies, learning styles, and multiple intelligences; modeling and coaching some practical aspects of science education pedagogy; lesson-planning skills; an introduction to instructional methods such as case studies and problem-based learning; and use of computer-based instructional technologies. It is hoped that the early development of knowledge and skills about teaching and learning will encourage graduate students to continue their growth as educators throughout their careers. This article summarizes the GESE course and presents evidence on the effectiveness of this course in providing graduate students with information about teaching and learning that they will use throughout their careers.     

Examining the potential of web-based multimedia to support complex fine motor skill learning: An empirical study

Research on the utilization of the Web for complex fine motor skill learning that involves whole body movements is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the introduction of a multimedia web-based learning environment, which was targeted at a rhythmic gymnastics routine consisting of eight fine motor skills, into an undergraduate course in a physical education department, as a complementary tool to campus-based instruction. The impact was evaluated in terms of: acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills by students, improvement of students’ ability to execute the routine, and students’ responses to the environment. The study followed a pretest/posttest experimental design and involved 76 students randomly split into two groups: The Multimedia Web-based Learning Group (MWLG) students (N?=?38), who attended campus-based instruction on the routine and also used the environment in their own space and time, and the Traditional On-site Instruction Group (TOIG) students (N?=?38), who only attended campus-based instruction. The research data were gathered through student questionnaires and ratings of students’ performances. It was found that the use of the environment as a supplement to campus-based instruction increased the effectiveness of this instruction as regards the cognitive component of motor skill learning (i.e. acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills) and was well-accepted by the students, although it did not have any significant contribution to the physical component of motor skill learning (i.e. performance of the routine skills). These findings partially support the future wider adoption of multimedia web-based learning environments within physical education and other academic disciplines that involve complex fine motor skill learning. Relevant implications are discussed.     

Mode 2 knowledge and institutional life: Taking Gibbons on a walk through a South African university

This paper examines the response of a blackuniversity in South Africa to the challengesposed by the mode 2 knowledge thesis of MichaelGibbon. The case material is based on theFaculty of Engineering at the University ofDurban Westville, which in the period 1999–2000grappled with the implications of Gibbonsthesis for knowledge, inquiry and professionalidentity in a proposed university-industrypartnership. The author argues that entrenchedinstitutional rules and behaviours threaten toundermine any attempt to rethink the researchand practice of engineering education even whensuch restructuring appears to work in the bestinterest of students.     

Teaching–research relations,cross-disciplinary collegiality and student learning

University students experience of cross-disciplinary collegiality and interaction with research-active teachers are explored using the results from two separate, but related, studies. In the first study, variation in students understanding of collegiality and how it is experienced is investigated. The second (quantitative) study explores the relations between students perceptions of collegiality in their learning environment and their learning outcomes and satisfaction. Within the collegiate system of the University of Oxford, students describe collegiality as encompassing a sense of allegiance and as a set of interactions with important others. Interactions were common between students in one disciplinary area and those in other disciplines. They are also found between students in one subject and other students in the same discipline, in the same and a different year of study and, in terms of learning, most effectively between students and research-active teaching staff. Where engagements of these sorts are described as beneficial to learning, students self-report that they adopt deeper approaches to learning, with the strongest correlations being between approach to learning and feelings of benefit derived from being in contact with active researchers. This result, from a student perspective, is a significant contribution to the debate on teaching–research relations in higher education within and beyond Oxford University as it bypasses teaching and focuses on the more important relations between university research and student learning.     

(Re)framing a philosophical and epistemological framework for teaching and learning in STEM: Emerging pedagogies for complexity

Today’s learners are engaging in study where access to knowledge is easier than it ever has been in human history. Rapid advancement of technology and the increasing ease with which communication and interaction can occur has dramatically changed the landscape in which teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) operate. The contemporary skills that students are required to possess include inter alia problem solving, creativity, teamwork abilities, communication skills and emotional intelligence. Despite the universal acceptance of their importance, these skills are commonly cited as underdeveloped and in addition, are still accompanied by outmoded ‘traditional’ forms of teaching and assessment. While the approaches of twentieth-century education were successful in developing knowledge stores, the ubiquity of access to knowledge—coupled with the constantly changing nature of the world today—requires alternative conceptions of teaching and learning. This article focuses primarily on an exploration of learning metaphors and teaching with the overall lens of creating self-regulated and furthermore, self-determined learners. The article begins with an exploration of learning in STEM education and a critique of the pedagogical perspective, discussing why this epistemology may be insufficient for contemporary STEM learning. The article then considers an alternative and potentially more contemporary notion; the emergent pedagogic space. The article presents a theoretical model to conceptualise learning in STEM education, with the goal of informing both practice and research. The realisation of this proposed emergent pedagogical space is explored through an applied case study from a design and technology context.     

Student workshops and neighborhood revitalization

This paper describes an effort to integrate neighborhood technical assistance and student field training through a student workshop. In the spring of 1978, ten students in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provided technical assistance to the South Austin Realty Association (SARA), a leading neighborhood organization in Chicago. Working in close collaboration with neighborhood leaders, the students produced a report which concluded that South Austin was an excellent location for neighborhood revitalization and that housing rehabilitation was the recommended approach for a demonstration block. The students received academic credit, a positive educational experience, and $72.87 for production costs of the finished report. Neighborhood leaders used the report to help develop plans for a project on the block, then used these plans in a proposal which resulted in a $120,062 contract from the Office of Neighborhood Development of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This paper examines the way in which students provided a neighborhood organization with a written plan, assistance in raising funds, and working relations with a university. It also examines the way in which students received substantive knowledge and skills, credentials for future education and careers, and valuable new experiences. It concludes with analysis of the major lessons learned and of the practical problems and questions for educators.This paper is based in part on work done under contract with the South Austin Realty Association to the Bureau of Urban and Regional Planning Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The views reported are solely those of the authors, not the South Austin Realty Asociation or the University of Illinois.     

A Conceptual Change Teaching Strategy to Facilitate High School Students' Understanding of Electrochemistry

Recent research in chemistry education has shown an increasing interest in the facilitation of conceptual change in student understanding of chemical concepts. Most of the studies have tried to show the difference in student performance on algorithmic and conceptual problems. The objective of this study is to go beyond and design a teaching strategy based on two teaching experiments that could facilitate students' conceptual understanding of electrochemistry. The study is based on two sections (control, n = 29; experimental, n = 28) of 10th grade high school students at a public school in Venezuela. Experimental group participated in two teaching experiments designed to generate situations/experiences in which students are forced to grapple with alternative responses leading to cognitive conflicts/contradictions. Results obtained show that learning electrochemistry involves both algorithmic and conceptual problems. On Posttest 1, 93% of the experimental group students responded correctly, in contrast to 39% of the control group. On Posttest 2, 39% of the experimental group responded correctly, in contrast to 0% of the Control group. The difference in performance on both posttests is statistically significant (p < 0.001). It is concluded that the teaching experiments facilitated students' understanding (progressive transitions) of electrochemistry.     

From digital literacy to digital competence: the teacher digital competency (TDC) framework

Over the years, a variety of frameworks, models and literacies have been developed to guide teacher educators in their efforts to build digital capabilities in their students, that will support them to use new and emerging technologies in their future classrooms. Generally, these focus on advancing students’ skills in using ‘educational’ applications and digitally-sourced information, or understanding effective blends of pedagogical, content and technological knowledge seen as supporting the integration of digital resources into teaching, to enhance subject learning outcomes. Within teacher education institutions courses developing these capabilities are commonly delivered as standalone entities, or there is an assumption that they will be generated by technology’s integration in other disciplines or through mandated assessment. However, significant research exists suggesting the current narrow focus on subject-related technical and information skills does not prepare students adequately with the breadth of knowledge and capabilities needed in today’s classrooms, and beyond. This article presents a conceptual framework introducing an expanded view of teacher digital competence (TDC). It moves beyond prevailing technical and literacies conceptualisations, arguing for more holistic and broader-based understandings that recognise the increasingly complex knowledge and skills young people need to function ethically, safely and productively in diverse, digitally-mediated environments. The implications of the framework are discussed, with specific reference to its interdisciplinary nature and the requirement of all faculty to engage purposefully and deliberately in delivering its objectives. Practical suggestions on how the framework might be used by faculty, are presented.

     

Conditions for the Effectiveness of Multiple Visual Representations in Enhancing STEM Learning

Visual representations play a critical role in enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. Educational psychology research shows that adding visual representations to text can enhance students’ learning of content knowledge, compared to text-only. But should students learn with a single type of visual representation or with multiple different types of visual representations? This article addresses this question from the perspective of the representation dilemma, namely that students often learn content they do not yet understand from representations they do not yet understand. To benefit from visual representations, students therefore need representational competencies, that is, knowledge about how visual representations depict information about the content. This article reviews literature on representational competencies involved in students’ learning of content knowledge. Building on this review, this article analyzes how the number of visual representations affects the role these representational competencies play during students’ learning of content knowledge. To this end, the article compares two common scenarios: text plus a single type of visual representations (T+SV) and text plus multiple types of visual representations (T+MV). The comparison yields seven hypotheses that describe under which conditions T+MV scenarios are more effective than T+SV scenarios. Finally, the article reviews empirical evidence for each hypothesis and discusses open questions about the representation dilemma.     

Exploring the Development of Student Teachers’ PCK of the Multiple Meanings of Chemistry Topics

In chemical education, many secondary school students experience difficulties in understanding three mutual related meanings of topics, that is, the macroscopic meaning, the microscopic meaning, and the symbolic meaning. As a consequence, student teachers should be prepared carefully to learn how to teach this difficult issue. This article presents a naturalistic case study of the development of eight student teachers pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of the multiple meanings of chemistry topics. The student teachers (all M.Sc.) participated in a teacher education program of which the initial phase focused on learning from teaching instead of learning of teaching. They were asked individually to choose and teach a chemistry curriculum topic with a focus on the macro-micro-symbolic issue. Research data were obtained by interviewing the student teachers individually before and after the lessons. The outcomes indicated a development of student teachers knowledge of teaching difficulties, for instance, too fast and mainly implicit reasoning between macro- and micro-meaning, and a dominant orientation towards the micro-meaning of topics. A development of knowledge of students difficulties was also indicated, for instance, difficulties in understanding the macro- and micro-meaning of reaction equations. Implications for the follow-up phases of the program are presented.     

Memory in mathematical understanding

Whatever cognitive processes are involved in understanding mathematics, it is clear that one of them is learning. No one is born with an understanding of measure theory, abstract algebra or general topology; the very name mathematics means that which is to be learned (Boyer, 1968). One of the outcomes of learning is remembered knowledge. Indeed it is our contention that memory plays an essential role in the understanding of mathematics, However, what it is that is remembered by students who understand mathematics in contrast to those who do not is by no means a trivial question. In fact, we would like to suggest that there is a gap in this connection between recent developments in memory research and the theory and practice of mathematics education. A second purpose of the present article is to survey briefly the orgins of this gap.