International Exchange Program With China: The First Year Experience Of Engineering Technology Students

This article explains why the next-generation engineers will need interpersonal and management skills to operate effectively. Engineers must communicate well enough—orally, electronically, and in writing—to sell clients, bosses, or a diverse group of teammates on an idea. They have to lead, make tough decisions, and frame questions in a way that fosters creative solutions to such global “grand challenges” as climate change. A strong moral compass, ethics, cultural awareness, and ability to apply engineering concepts across the disciplinary spectrum are important, too. Many engineering schools and engineering technology programs are revamping curricula to include team-based competitions and other opportunities for students to develop or hone their professional abilities. Some, including pioneers such as the University of Colorado, Boulder, have incorporated team-based design labs into the first-year experience. Teams are carefully assembled to assure a range of interests, social styles, and abilities, and students not only must incorporate several engineering disciplines into their final product, they learn time-management, budgeting, and interpersonal skills. Some projects have even attracted potential investors.

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Applying Learning Community Pedagogy To First Year Computer Engineering Technology Students: A Pilot Program

10.18260/1-2--49 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

James Hurny ◽

Gina Hurny

Keyword(s):

Learning Community ◽

First Year ◽

Pilot Program ◽

Computer Engineering ◽

Engineering Technology ◽

Technology Students ◽

Community Pedagogy

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Teaching A Common Engineering Design Course To First Year Engineering And Engineering Technology Students: A Case Study

10.18260/1-2--1030 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sohail Anwar ◽

Janice McClure

Keyword(s):

Engineering Design ◽

First Year ◽

Engineering Technology ◽

Technology Students

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Use of Single Stage Model Rockets to Teach Some Engineering Principles and Practices to First Year Engineering and Engineering Technology Students

10.18260/p.24980 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hüseyin Sarper ◽

Linda Vahala

Keyword(s):

Single Stage ◽

First Year ◽

Stage Model ◽

Engineering Technology ◽

Technology Students

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TEACHING TEAMWORK TO ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-REFLECTION AND ACKNOWLEDGING DIVERSITY IN TEAMS

Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA) ◽

10.24908/pceea.v0i0.9486 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Long ◽

Amin Reza Rajabzadeh ◽

Allan MacKenzie

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Group Work ◽

First Year ◽

Engineering Technology ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Self Reflection ◽

Transferable Skills ◽

Technology Students ◽

Group Members

Abstract – In their quest to find work-ready graduates, employers are increasingly prioritizing graduates with so-called transferable skills. These transferable skills include critical thinking and problem-solving skills, communication skills, and the ability to work in diverse teams. With the plethora of engineering education literature on the topic of developing undergraduates’ teamwork abilities, there are numerous suggestions and little consensus on the best way to develop these skills in engineering classrooms. This paper adds to this literature and provides an overview of group work workshops for first-year undergraduates. The hope for these workshops was to better equip students for future group work activities by providing them easy-to-remember teamwork tools that were first learned and practiced in low-stakes workshop environments. Following their participation in these workshops, students participated in focus groups and feedback demonstrated an appreciation for these workshops as well as the opportunity to self-reflect on their role as a team member. Further, there appeared to be a shift in the awareness and tolerance of the diversity found among group members, which demonstrates a potential area for further investigation. The authors conclude with a call for more research in order to better understand the role of teamwork as a means for developing tolerance toward diversity among first-year undergraduate students.

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