The impact of a living learning community on first-year engineering students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an engineering living and learning community (ELC) on first-year engineering students. A control group of non-ELC students was used to compare the experiences of the ELC participants. Analysis of survey data showed that there was significant differences between the ELC students and the non-ELC students in how they responded to questions regarding social support, academic support, connectedness to campus, and satisfaction with the College of Engineering and the institution as a whole. Particularly, there were significant differences between ELC and non-ELC students for questions related to feeling like part of an engineering community, having strong relationships with peers, belonging to a supportive peer network, studying with engineering peers, and spending time with classmates outside of class.     

A technical writing programme implemented in a first-year engineering course at KU Leuven

Technical communication and technical writing are important skills for the daily work-life of every engineer. In the first-year engineering programme at KU Leuven, a technical writing programme is implemented within the project-based course ‘Problem Solving and Engineering Design’. This paper describes a case study for implementing a writing programme based on active learning methods and situated learning in large classes. The programme consists of subsequent cycles of instructions, learning by doing and reflection on received feedback. In addition, a peer-review assignment, together with an interactive lecture using clicking devices, is incorporated within the assignments of the second semester. A checklist of desired writing abilities makes it easier to grade the large number of papers. Furthermore, this ensures that all staff involved in the evaluation process uses the same criteria to grade and for providing feedback.     

A case study of a college-wide first-year undergraduate engineering course

Introductory engineering courses are either programme specific or expose students to engineering as a broad discipline by including materials from various engineering programmes. A common introductory engineering course that spans different engineering programmes raises challenges, including the high cost of resources as well as the lack of background courses of first-year students. This paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a first-year common engineering course that uses low-cost materials to expose students to a structured engineering design process. The course is explicitly designed to satisfy the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria for engineering programmes. Our experience with the course shows that not only students are able to follow a structured design process successfully but we also believe that most of the ABET criteria are being delivered through the course.     

Explicitness of criteria in peer assessment processes for first-year engineering students

This article will outline the motives for the implementation of peer assessment as put into action at the first year of the Civil Engineering course of the University of Minho. The implementation of new assessment methods was a consequence of the successful implementation of peer assessment at other engineering courses. During the semester, three assessment moments took place, in which students assessed the work of their peers. Assessment criteria were defined in a negotiation process between students and teacher. The students subsequently graded the work of their colleagues and had to provide a clear justification for each given grade. The aim of this method is to involve students in the subject, enhance their motivation and deepen their learning. Advantages and disadvantages of peer assessment are discussed. The results that have been obtained so far draw attention to the nature of assessment criteria and the corresponding explicitness.     

A comparison of updating processes in children good or poor in arithmetic word problem-solving

This study examines the updating ability of poor or good problem solvers. Seventy-eight fourth-graders, 43 good and 35 poor arithmetic word problem-solvers, performed the Updating Test used in Palladino et al. [Palladino, P., Cornoldi, C., De Beni, R., and Pazzaglia F. (2002). Working memory and updating processes in reading comprehension. Memory and Cognition, 29, 344–354.]. The participants listened to wordlists, each comprising 12 words referring to objects or animals of different sizes. At the end of each list participants were asked to recall the 3 or 5 words denoting the smallest objects/animals in the list. Results show that poor problem-solvers recalled fewer correct words and made more intrusion errors (recall of non-target words) than good problem-solvers. Results support the hypothesis that the ability to select and update relevant, and suppress irrelevant information, is related to problem-solving, even when the influence of reading comprehension is controlled for. With reference to Baddeley's, and other recent WM models [Miyake, A., and Shah, P. (Eds.), (1999). Models of working memory: Mechanisms of active maintenance and executive control. New York: Cambridge University Press.], our results point to the idea that problem-solving relies on the central executive for processing and updating information contained in the problems.     

Non-linear improvement in generic problem-solving skills of university students: a longitudinal study

ABSTRACT

Problem solving has been characterized as one of the ‘employability skills’ due to the high demand for such abilities in a modern workplace. Most universities do not monitor progress of the generic problem-solving skills (PSS) of their students due to a lack of available assessment tools. We used previously reported 15-min tests to measure the generic PSS of students over the first three years of university. More than 600 students participated in this study, including 144 who wrote PSS tests in Year 1 and then again in Year 3 of their studies. Two versions of the PSS test were administered in September and December of both years. We observed a non-linear increase in PSS test scores with a significant growth during the first three months of Year 1, a similar increase over the next 21 months, then no change during the first three months of Year 3. Further studies are necessary to pinpoint the instructional techniques and situational factors facilitating the PSS development of students over the first three years of studies. Moreover, the plateau we observe in the third year indicates that proactive steps by universities and individual instructors are required to advance this important skill set in upper-year students.     

A new approach to high-order cognitive skills in linguistics: problem-solving inference in similarity to computer science

A central issue in the design of curricula for all school levels is the development of the learners’ high-order thinking skills and metacognitive skills. Among such required skills is the ability to solve problems. The literature dealing with the development of problem-solving skills is vast and primarily addresses the scientific disciplines, even though the importance of integrating such skills into all disciplines is widely mentioned. The current study aims to compare problem-solving questions used in two seemingly different disciplines: linguistics and computer science. Our premise was that the basis for imparting problem-solving skills is asking problem-solving questions. We analysed problem-solving questions posed in various teaching and learning school scenarios for keywords, and identified nine categories of problem-solving question keywords common to both disciplines. We present those categories and extend our study of two categories to demonstrating the ability to follow the problem-solving process in linguistics is similar to the exact sciences.     

A comparative study on first-time and experienced project-based learning students in an engineering design module

This study aims to compare and evaluate the learning ability and performance differences between two groups of students undergoing project-based learning (PjBL), with one group having prior PjBL experience, while the other group is being freshly exposed to PjBL. More specifically, it examines if there are significant differences in knowledge score, problem-solving ability, and eventual project-deliverable outcomes between the two sets of students. Performances were compared via qualitative and quantitative analyses. Key findings have indicated a significant increase in fundamental formative knowledge; enhanced problem-solving abilities; and production of better performing artefacts with regard to the set of design skills between experienced and first-time PjBL groups. This study also highlighted that experienced PjBL students have less conflicts within their groups, and are more receptive to PjBL compared to first-time PjBL students. Results from this study provide a starting point for educators to seek new learning/facilitating strategies that are relevant based on the experience and learning styles of students.     

First-year engineering students' views of the nature of engineering: implications for engineering programmes

A study was conducted on the views of the nature of engineering held by 114 first-year engineering majors; the study built on prior work on views of the nature of science held by students, their instructors, and the general public. Open-coding analysis of responses to a 12-item questionnaire suggested that the participants held tacit beliefs that engineering (1) involves problem solving; (2) is a form of applied science; (3) involves the design of artefacts or systems; (4) is subject to various constraints; and (5) requires teamwork. These beliefs, however, were often unsophisticated, and significant aspects of the field of engineering as described in the literature on engineering practices were missing from the student responses. The results of this study are important because students' beliefs have a strong influence on what they value in a classroom situation, what they attend to in class, and how they choose to study for a course.     

PFGS比特平面编码的新研究

提出了一个新的比特平面编码方案,将原来的一个8×8的DCT残差系数块分成正、负系数两个块,然后依次对其进行比特平面编码.由于每个比特平面的非零系数的个数在新旧方案中是一样的,因而每个比特平面中(RUN,EOP)符号总的个数也是不变的.为了区分正、负比特平面系数,只需在正、负比特平面之间加上一个比特的标识符就行.这样就减少了原来每一个残差值所需要的符号比特数,从而减少了整个编码比特数,提高了编码效率.解码时从比特流中得到正、负各个比特平面,解码恢复出正、负DCT残差系数块,然后对应元素相减得到解码后重构的DCT残差块.     

A parallel memory architecture for video coding

To efficiently exploit the performance of single instruction multiple data （SIMD） architectures for video coding, a parallel memory architecture with power-of-two memory modules is proposed. It employs two novel skewing schemes to provide conflict-free access to adjacent elements （8-bit and 16-bit data types） or with power-of-two intervals in both horizontal and vertical directions, which were not possible in previous parallel memory architectures. Area consumptions and delay estimations are given respectively with 4, 8 and 16 memory modules. Under a 0.18-pm CMOS technology, the synthesis results show that the proposed system can achieve 230 MHz clock frequency with 16 memory modules at the cost of 19k gates when read and write latencies are 3 and 2 clock cycles, respectively. We implement the proposed parallel memory architecture on a video signal processor （VSP）. The results show that VSP enhanced with the proposed architecture achieves 1.28× speedups for H.264 real-time decoding.     

工科学生英语听说能力培养方法的建构

21世纪人类生存与发展的基本技能为外语和计算机操作能力。对于工科学生来说,应用英语进行基本交流已不能满足其就业需求,教师在进行课程设计、建立课程目标时,要注意所选内容的时代性、职业性和实用性,教师应建立规范的教学体系并选择丰富的课程资源,最大限度的调动学生的学习积极性,提高学生的英语综合应用能力,注重培养学生的职业英语交流能力,在强调英语的趣味性和情节性的同时,更侧重于其实用性和职业性。本文旨在对工科学生英语听说能力的培养方法进行研究与探讨。     

Long-term retention of basic mathematical knowledge and skills with engineering students

This study focuses on the long-term retention of basic mathematical techniques in a first-year calculus course, involving a sample group of engineering students at the University of Pretoria. The study investigates which and how much of the basic mathematical knowledge and rote skills acquired in the first year of study is retained after a further two years of study. A quantitative and qualitative investigations show that, in general, there is a significant decline in performance over a two-year period. There are, however, areas in which students still performed reasonably well after the elapsed period or even showed improvement. The research is of diagnostic value in that it assists course designers in determining what basic mathematical skills and knowledge are retained after a period of two years in their teaching approach to and emphasis of different topics.     

Impact of interdisciplinary learning on the development of engineering students’ skills

ABSTRACT

This paper intends to present an interdisciplinary project carried out in a School of Engineering, and to refer to its effects in the development of students’ skills. This project’s main goal was to present students with an intellectually demanding challenge which implied overcoming the disciplinary barriers thus integrating knowledge to solve the problems they were challenged with. After the project had been concluded, a study was carried out using a qualitative methodology by conducting two focus groups (n?=?16). The main goal of this procedure was to get a better perception of (1) how students understood the project; (2) what kind of skills students considered to have developed throughout the project, and (3) the importance they have attributed to this kind of project. The results demonstrate that students are aware of the relevance of the project not only for their education process but also for the development of their skills. The results of the study also reveal that the students involved in the project have been capable of identifying the specific skills that the project work had intended to address and develop.     

The potential of supplemental instruction in engineering education: creating additional peer-guided learning opportunities in difficult compulsory courses for first-year students

Supplemental Instruction (SI) can be an efficient way of improving student success in difficult courses. Here, a study is made on SI attached to difficult first-year engineering courses. The results show that both the percentage of students passing a difficult first-year engineering course, and scores on the course exams are considerably higher for students attending SI, compared to students not attending. The study also shows that a higher percentage of female students attend SI, compared to male students. However, both genders seem to benefit to the same degree as a result of attending SI meetings. Also all students, independent of prior academic ability, benefit from attending SI. A qualitative study suggests that SI meetings provide elements important for understanding course material, which are missing from other scheduled learning opportunities in the courses.     

电子工程故障检测模块组合式方案研究

针对目前电子工程故障检测技术的现状和高校工科类实验室电子设备的使用情况,研究并构建了一套由传统故障检测技术模块和智能故障检测技术模块组合而成的电子工程故障检测方案.方案给出了每个模块的具体结构和实施方案的具体办法,同时给出了相应实例.     

机械类大学生综合技能培养模式研究与实践

针对我校及应用型本科院校机械类普遍存在的实训教学内容传统而单一,实训课程中缺少高新、复合技术等实训内容,大学生综合技能水平较低;大学生解决生产实际问题的能力较差等实训教学共性问题,我校对实训教学进行了广泛深入的研究,总结长期实训教学的经验,对实训教学体系及内容不断进行改革和完善,进行了大学生综合技能培养模式研究与实践。     

A case study: Problem-based learning for civil engineering students in transportation courses

This paper describes two case studies where problem-based learning (PBL) has been introduced to undergraduate civil engineering students in University College Dublin. PBL has recently been put in place in the penultimate and final year transport engineering classes in the civil engineering degree in University College Dublin. In this case study, the paper describes how PBL was introduced, the impacts of its introduction and the feedback received by students regarding PBL. PBL was introduced in these years to help students to become deep and active learners and to help them in the transition from passive note taker to researcher and lifelong learner.