This article documents the time taken to assess two different types of final year engineering courses -- a more traditional course in which the purpose of assessment is mostly to measure performance, and a second, that uses a multi-stage assessment process to implement an assessment for learning perspective. The research question is to determine…

This paper discusses recent updates and developments of computing-based courses in the civil engineering discipline. Competency in computing is one of the most important capabilities for university graduates to obtain given the rapid development of computer technology in professional work. Civil engineering is no exception. In fact, many…

Contribution: The information described in this study provides a starting point for discussing an effective robotics curriculum offered by any engineering university or institute. Background: Robotics is a multidisciplinary field that includes mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, and computer science. Several universities…

The experience of earning an engineering degree can be hard to understand. All through undergraduate and graduate training, students are handed a steady stream of increasingly hard puzzles. Classes introduce new tricks to solve these puzzles, each with a correct answer and an accepted solution. Students develop a professional identity as being…

A primary goal of science and engineering (S&E) education is to produce good problem solvers, but how to best teach and measure the quality of problem solving remains unclear. The process is complex, multifaceted, and not fully characterized. Here, we present a detailed characterization of the S&E problem-solving process as a set of…

This paper addresses two aspects of integrating mathematics education with engineering education that may address persistence of engineering majors (and STEM majors more broadly): an emphasis on modeling as a vehicle for more authentic learning activity (Niss et al. 2007), and the need for measures that can support academic units' efforts to…

A central problem in undergraduate mathematics education for future engineers consists in the perceived and actual relevance of the mathematical content. One strategy to strengthen both is to let students experience how that content appears in posing and solving authentic problems from the field of engineering which the students have signed up to…

Improving code while preserving its functionality is a common task in the hi-tech industry. Yet students have difficulties improving an algorithm's run-time complexity by an order of magnitude. The paper focuses on assessing students' abilities in this area. We designed a Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy, using software…

This research discusses the characteristics of a global set of Classroom Observation Protocols (COPr) to uncover their design goals and assess the value propositions for Engineering Education (EE) in active learning environments. To achieve the research purpose, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method was chosen, based on a process-oriented…

Gamification has been applied in multiple different contexts for increasing motivation towards completion of activities such as company loyalty programs, exercise initiatives, and corporate training. Although gamification has been applied within engineering classrooms previously, very little results have been obtained on how gamification…

Science and engineering students in the second semester of a calculus-based physics sequence typically study and measure the on-axis magnetic field for a multiple, circular turn coil. There are four benefits to this approach: 1) an analytical solution is easily obtained, 2) the coil is easily constructed using tightly wound, high-gauge wire where…

Building information modeling (BIM)-based collaboration may be associated with peer pressure in educational settings. Peer pressure creates a challenge for educators to foster students' BIM skills and prepare them for a career in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. However, the effects of peer pressure on student…

This paper investigated the effect of grade dropping on students' performance, engagement, and satisfaction. In three different engineering courses that were taught by the author, an optional second midterm exam was offered near the end of the semester. The optional second midterm exam covered materials that were not covered by the first midterm…

Creativity is widely recognized as being invaluable for human development and a crucial 21st century talent. Preparing students for an uncertain and complex world requires that higher education promote students' imagination, originality, curiosity, and flexibility and build their capacity to take risks to try new approaches to problem-posing and…

The benefits of experiential education are well known and a popular discussion topic on college campuses. The value of participation in a co-op work experience is recognized by employers, but not necessarily by the students they are hoping to hire. This study sought to determine whether or not students who did participate in a co-op found their…