Development of a Concept for Quality Management in Engineering Education

Due to the fact that the quality area has its roots firmly established primarily in the statistical research tradition, its rapid and extensive development mainly towards the management‐oriented area has created different kinds of problems. This paper discusses different consequences of this development. The paper further describes how quality issues are treated in various types of educational scenarios at the College of Applied Engineering and Maritime Studies at Chalmers University of Technology.     

Studying children's knowledge base of one-sided levers as force amplifiers

Attention to core concepts in science and engineering in early education has grown recently, and understanding levers as force amplifiers can be recognized as one of these. Previous studies focused on two-sided levers and do not provide sufficient information about children's knowledge of levers as force amplifiers, nor about their learning and its support from an education perspective. It is important to consider load distance and force distance separately, as may be done in one-sided levers, to understand children's knowledge of levers as “simple machines” thoroughly. Moreover, children's zone of proximal development and the possibilities to foster their knowledge should be explored to understand important features of teaching. We thus directed two studies with 6- to 7-year-old children. In study 1, we conducted a paper-and-pencil test in the context of wheelbarrows (N = 370; age M = 6.62). We investigated whether it is possible to empirically separate the features load, load distance, and force distance as well as to determine their level of difficulty. Our study showed that children's concepts of the three aspects load, load distance, and force distance are fragmented, with children finding it continuously more difficult to judge load, load distance, and force distance correctly. In study 2, we developed a 20-min intervention with a controlled 2 × 2 pre-post follow-up design for exploring the zone of proximal development of 304 6- to 7-year-old children in the domain of one-sided levers as force amplifiers, focusing on force distance and load distance. We implemented a structured learning environment that encouraged the children to manipulate wheelbarrows and supported them with pictures and/or verbal prompts. 6- to 7-year-old children had a higher learning gain when they were exposed to scaffolds that combined pictures and verbal prompts in the posttest as well as in the follow-up test four weeks later compared to the control group.     

Transformation and Closure for Anatomical Donor Families that Meet Medical Students

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has conducted an annual Anatomical Donor Luncheon where families of the anatomical donors met anatomy dissection groups of medical students. The luncheon presented an opportunity for donor family members to share the life story of their loved one with the medical students prior to the start of the anatomy course. This study was designed to understand the impact of the Anatomical Donor Luncheon on families of the donors. Seven families in two different focus groups were included to explore the reactions and attitudes of the donor families to meeting the medical students. Conversations were digitally recorded and transcribed. Qualitative analysis of textual data were coded by three investigators using the Constant Comparative Method. To provide evidence of validity, a form of member checking was utilized. For further triangulation, an analyst not involved in conducting the focus groups or analyzing the data, re-coded all data. This analyst used categories and themes identified by the original analysts, ensuring validity of the themes and any negative cases (data not supporting or contradictory of the established categories and themes). One meta-theme and three sub-themes were identified. The meta-theme was Donor Family Participants Experience Transformation and Closure, and sub-themes were Motivators for Participation, Optimal Venue Factors, and Optimal Medical Student–Anatomical Donor Family Interactions. Study findings indicated the Anatomical Donor Luncheon facilitated closure on the death of their loved one, and transformed their apprehension about the luncheon and body donation into an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.     

Is teacher attrition a poor estimate of the value of teacher education? A Swedish case

Far from all who complete teacher education end up working as teachers throughout their entire career. At first sight the value of teacher education, in terms of efficiency, seems to be a failure. In the present article we argue that teacher attrition, when defined as whether one is working as teacher or not, is a too blunt measure to gauge whether teacher education has been valuable. With a unique dataset, where we have detailed information on 87 Swedish teacher graduates’ working life across 23 years, we can consider whether activities and/or experiences point to an apparent use of teacher education. In conclusion, we find that in order to get informative estimates of its value it is important to consider it from different perspectives and to consider attrition related to the total working time spent in educational settings across a career rather than percentage leaving teaching after a set of years     

Comparing bioenergetic models for the optimisation of pacing strategy in road cycling

Road cycling performance is dependent on race tactics and pacing strategy. To optimise the pacing strategy for any race performed with no drafting, a numerical model was introduced, one that solves equations of motion while minimising the finishing time by varying the power output along the course. The power output was constrained by two different hydraulic models: the simpler critical power model for intermittent exercise (CPIE) and the more sophisticated Margaria–Morton model (M–M). These were compared with a constant power strategy (CPS). The simulation of the three different models was carried out on a fictional 75 kg cyclist, riding a 2,000 m course. This resulted in finishing times of 162.4, 155.8 and 159.3 s and speed variances of 0.58, 0.26 and 0.29 % for the CPS, CPIE and M–M simulations, respectively. Furthermore, the average power output was 469.7, 469.7 and 469.1 W for the CPS, CPIE and M–M simulations, respectively. The M–M model takes more physiological phenomena into consideration compared to the CPIE model and, therefore, contributes to an optimised pacing strategy that is more realistic. Therefore, the M–M model might be more suitable for future studies on optimal pacing strategy, despite the relatively slower finishing time.     

Mathematische Bildung im Kontext der Familie über einen interkulturellen Vergleich elterlicher Bildungsorientierungen

In diesem Beitrag wird ’kulturelle Diversit?t‘ im Kontext unterschiedlicher mathematikbezogener Bildungsorientierungen von Eltern beleuchtet. Es wird von Ergebnissen einer qualitativen Untersuchung berichtet, die aus der Sicht türkischsprachiger, russischsprachiger sowie einheimisch deutscher Eltern danach fragt, wie mathematische Bildung in Familien gestaltet ist und unter welchen Rahmenbedingungen sie stattfindet. Es wird der Frage nachgegangen, auf welche Weise sich Unterschiede in den Vorstellungen der Eltern manifestieren, und mithilfe welcher Kategorien sie sich begrifflich fassen lassen. In zwei Fallbeispielen werden jeweils spezifische Auspr?gungen mathematikbezogener Vorstellungen im Kontext ihrer sozialen und kulturellen Entstehungsbedingungen vertieft betrachtet. Zuletzt wird mit Bezug auf die türkisch- und russischsprachigen V?ter und Mütter diskutiert, welchen Erkl?rungswert ihre sprachlich-kulturelle Herkunft auf der einen Seite und ihre soziale Lage auf der anderen Seite für ihre jeweiligen Bildungsorientierungen haben.     

Evaluating students’ perceptions and attitudes toward computer-mediated project-based learning environment: A case study

This research investigated 68 secondary school students’ perceptions of their computer-mediated project-based learning environment and their attitudes towards Project Work (PW) using two instruments—Project Work Classroom Learning Environment Questionnaire (PWCLEQ) and Project Work Related Attitudes Instrument (PWRAI). In this project-based learning environment, students experienced a face-to-face classroom setting and e-learning by using a synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool called ‘iCollaborate’ for online communication and project collaboration with peers from other countries. The PWCLEQ and PWRAI instruments were used to evaluate the computer-mediated project-based learning environment using students’ perceptions of the learning environment and to further investigate how their perceptions might affect their attitudes towards PW lessons. Students perceived the computer-mediated project-based learning environment favourably but they preferred to experience more Material Environment and more Open-Endedness and Social Presence. Simple correlation analysis revealed that all environment dimensions were significantly and positively related to the students’ attitudes towards PW, while multiple regression analysis indicated that two scales, Instructor Support and Social Presence, were the strongest predictors of attitudes towards PW lessons.     

The conflict between on-task and off-task actions in the classroom and its consequences for motivation and achievement

The relations between students’ value orientations, decisions in conflicts between on-task and off-task actions in the classroom, and experiences of motivational interference following these conflicts were investigated. It was expected that well-being value orientation was positively linked and achievement value orientation was negatively linked to decision for off-task behavior in such conflicts and that the higher students’ well-being value orientation, the higher their motivational impairment when deciding for the on-task behavior and the lower when deciding for the off-task behavior. For achievement orientation, the relationships were predicted to be reversed. The experience of motivational interference while performing on-task behavior was, in turn, expected to be related to worse grades. Data from 817 students (mean age 13.44) from 35 classrooms were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed in a series of hierarchical linear models. Analyses showed the relationships as predicted. All relationships found were comparable to the relationships found for a conflict between school and leisure actions after class. Results point out that even if students resist the off-task temptation in class, the mere possibility of off-task behavior can impair motivation and achievement.