This research report presents a new teaching and learning model in engineering classes. The proposed learning model is called the CCAILM (constructionist computer aided instructional learning model). This new model was derived from the constructionist learning theory, the media-affects-learning hypothesis and the multiple representation principle.…

This paper attempts to critically review theories of learning from the perspective of engineering education in order to align relevant assessment methods with each respective learning theory, considering theoretical aspects and practical observations and reflections. The role of formative assessment, taxonomies, peer learning and educational…

In Mr. Wood's technology class, students learned about many aspects of engineering, including design of a product, teamwork, testing hypotheses, and testing the final product. In this article, the author describes how his class, particularly his team, applied everything they learned about the process to their kayak design challenge using the IDEAL…

With the pressing energy needs that the global population is facing, renewable energies are rapidly becoming prominent science and engineering challenges throughout the world. Where will the young scientific and engineering minds come from to meet these demands? With some creative, open-minded thinking, it could be from one's very own classrooms.…

People around the world are concerned about affordable energy. It is needed to power the global economy. Petroleum-based transportation and coal-fired power plants are economic prime movers fueling the global economy, but coal and gasoline are also the leading sources of air pollution. Both of these sources produce greenhouse gases and toxins.…

Electrical engineering (EE) is one of the largest engineering disciplines. Computer engineering (CpE) has a similar curriculum, but different demographics and student outcomes. Using a dataset from universities in the U.S. that includes over 70,000 students who majored in engineering, this paper describes the outcomes for students matriculating in…

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the design and implementation of an e-laboratory for enhanced science, technology and engineering education studies. Design/methodology/approach: The paper assesses a computer-based e-laboratory, designed for new entrants to science, technology and engineering programmes of study in further and higher…

This study explores the perceptions of teachers with regard to professional skills in project-led engineering education experiences for first year engineering students at the University of Minho, Portugal. Their perception on which professional skills to include, how to develop these skills and how to assess them is studied through six…

This paper focuses on the issue of how engineering programmes demand and/or promote argumentative reasoning, which is a subsequent aspect of curricular development. This was the main objective of the project on which this paper reports. This is to say that the focus is on assessment as a way to establish to what extent argumentative reasoning is…

As sensors and computers become smaller and smaller, it becomes possible to add intelligence or smartness to common items. This is already seen in smart appliances, cars that diagnose their own maintenance problems, and military hardware that is something straight out of a science fiction book. In this article, the author looks at a design…

High school science teachers, of course, want to motivate their students to consider studying science and engineering (S&E) in college. However, many high school students are not familiar with what science and engineering actually entail. They may know science as little more than "systematic discovery" and engineering as nothing but…

This study investigated the views of the nature of engineering held by 6th-grade students to provide a baseline upon which activities or curriculum materials might be developed to introduce middle-school students to the work of engineers and the process of engineering design. A phenomenographic framework was used to guide the analysis of data…

The purpose of this paper is to find out whether there is any change in the attitude of students towards English Language Learning (ELL) when they come for college education after completing the school education. The transformation in the attitude of students from school to college was examined in terms of marks, interest towards English language,…

Mathematics and science knowledge/skills are most commonly associated with engineering's pre-requisite knowledge. Our goals in this paper are to argue for a more systematic inclusion of social science and humanities knowledge in the introduction of engineering to K-12 students. As part of this argument, we present a construct for framing the…

This project studied the effect of individualized, voluntary learning contracts for 18 students who performed poorly in the first part of the semester. Contracts were hypothesized to increase commitment and motivation, and lead to changes in behaviors and course performance. Self-reported prioritization and learning-related behaviors (completion…