scholarly journals Student Perceptions of and Learning in Maker Spaces Embedded in Their Undergraduate Engineering Preparation Programs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Nadelson ◽  
Idalis Villanueva ◽  
Jana Bouwma-Gearhart ◽  
Estefany Soto ◽  
Cindy Lenhart ◽  
...  
2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nebojsa Jaksic

AbstractA novel nanotechnology laboratory experiment for a required junior/senior undergraduate engineering course, Engineering of Manufacturing Processes, is described and implemented. The experiment demonstrates a process of manufacturing carbon nanotubes using a method representing a variation on arc discharge. Carbon nanotubes are synthesized in oil by electric discharge machining using two graphite electrodes. The results are compared to a known empirical formula for material removal rate in electric discharge machining. A cost analysis of the process, determining the cost of as produced carbon nanotubes is performed. This 2-h experiment is complemented with a single 2-h lecture on nanotechnology creating a lecture-experiment nanotechnology module. Student learning outcomes for the module are developed, assessed, and analyzed. The results show a significant improvement in students’ knowledge. Student perceptions about nanotechnology, carbon nanotube manufacturing, and the need for life-long learning are assessed. Pedagogical justifications and sustainability of the nanotechnology lecture-experiment module within an undergraduate engineering curriculum are addressed.


Author(s):  
Gu¨l E. Okudan ◽  
Susan Mohammed

Disassemble/Analyze/Assemble (DAA) activities involve the disassembly, analysis, and assembly of an artifact. Such activities are frequently made a part of the undergraduate engineering curricula in the United States (and elsewhere) as they provide useful ‘hands-on’ active learning components that can be easily integrated into various courses. DAA activities are central to product dissection and reverse engineering, terms which have been used interchangeably in the engineering design education literature and course titles. In some cases these activities are coupled with redesign activities, paving the way for a good context and providing a background for a meaningful engineering design. Despite this fact, however, based on our review of the literature it is not clear how do these DAA activities help with the redesign activity, if at all. Accordingly, in this paper we present results of our data collection that aimed at uncovering students’ perception regarding if DAA activities help with redesign (e.g., is it easier to redesign after dissection?). Overall, students had positive perceptions toward dissection, specifically with regards to its impact on redesign. We also report on the relation of student perceptions to design task, team functioning, and tolerance for ambiguity.


Author(s):  
Ryan Clemmer ◽  
Karen Gordon ◽  
Julie Vale

In engineering, it is important for students to develop strong problem analysis skills; however, this skill development may be hindered by a reliance on memorization. In this study, a survey was used to investigate undergraduate engineering student perspectives towards their curriculum and memorization and their styles using Bigg’s revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F).The majority of the participants are characterized as students having good study habits, a deep motivation, and deep strategies when approaching their education. They generally recognize the decreasing importance of memorization as they progress in the engineering curriculum. There is also a fairly large subset of students that are classified as deep motivation but surface strategy. Most students believe that at least 50% of an exam should contain questions similar sample problems or assignment questions and surface learners tend to perceive exams to be unfair if too many questions are dissimilar. There was no observed correlation between grades and the R-SPQ-2F results in the courses examined. These results tend to support the hypothesis that surface strategies, including memorization, are being employed by undergraduate students as a means of obtaining adequate performance in lieu of problem analysis skill development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen Katz-Buonincontro ◽  
Orin Davis ◽  
Abi Aghayere ◽  
Dave Rosen

We report on the findings from an exploratory pilot study using the experience-sampling method (ESM) and interviews to examine learning in two undergraduate engineering technology courses designed to promote creativity. Results of the ESM analysis showed that students’ positive experience decreased slightly in the first course and increased slightly in the latter course. Surprisingly, both instructors’ presence caused students to report lower levels of willingness to express a creative idea and feel like other students were really listening. Interviews revealed student perceptions about the importance of creativity as essential to the engineering industry and beliefs about being creative in the classroom during the stages of the design process, which relies heavily on group work. Discussion builds on these themes for facilitating creative classrooms emphasizing work with peers as an integral part of curricular and instructional design.


Author(s):  
Mark Symes ◽  
Anna Carew ◽  
Dev Ranmuthugala

Intra-team peer assessments have become the norm for performance and attribute assessment in problem and project based learning activities. However, research on the effects of interpersonal variables on these assessment practices is limited. This study examined the relationship between interpersonal variables and student perceptions on the validity of peer assessment. In order to understand the relationship between social interaction and its effects on peer assessment, four interpersonal variables were identified in this study: psychological safety, value diversity, interdependence, and trust. Fifty five undergraduate engineering students working in teams of 5 to 6 participated in a survey after having completed their first formative peer assessment. Preliminary findings from this study and evidence from other studies support the view that interpersonal variables have the potential to affect peer assessment and influence the learning outcomes.


Author(s):  
Heather L. Lai ◽  
Tara Eaton

Abstract While qualitative data analysis (QDA) is an established method in education research, QDA is less common in engineering research and may be a challenge for engineering faculty not formally trained in qualitative methods to apply it in engineering education. The following describes the collaborative effort between an engineering design instructor and an anthropologist who used QDA to evaluate the implementation of design ethnography training in a third-year biomedical engineering design course. In their partnership, the study investigators examined student perspectives regarding design ethnography training and how such training in an engineering curriculum may prepare students for careers in biomedical design. Data for the study consisted of reflective essays (N = 42) that the students completed following two primary exercises dedicated to design ethnography skills training. Investigators input typed and anonymized text files of the student essays into ATLAS.ti X7, a qualitative data analysis software program, for qualitative content analysis. QDA was conducted using the constant comparison method to inductively identify pertinent themes. Throughout the QDA process, the investigators routinely met to discuss, merge and interpret themes as needed. Upon the finalization of themes, researchers re-reviewed the data using the finalized codebook (a list of themes and their definitions) for coding reliability. This regular contact was invaluable for the engineering instructor, providing instruction on the process necessary for proper application of QDA. The unique partnership between investigators offered the engineering design instructor the opportunity to evaluate engineering student perceptions of a new curriculum implementation in an in-depth manner not commonly attempted in engineering education. Results from the QDA showed that the incorporation of design ethnography skills training into an engineering design curriculum increased student awareness of the value of ethnography in understanding user environments while offering engineering students the opportunity to develop better observation skills. This study was successful not only in demonstrating efficacy of design ethnography training among undergraduate engineering students, but it also serves as an example of how QDA may be applied by engineering instructors for the evaluation of student experience and work in engineering education.


Author(s):  
Kimia Moozeh ◽  
Deborah Tihanyi ◽  
Jennifer Farmer ◽  
Greg Evans

Abstract –The paper presents student perceptions about learning objectives of laboratories. Three focus group sessions were conducted with chemical engineering undergraduate students at UofT as part of a larger project to enhance the learning outcomes of laboratories. In this study, thirteen laboratory learning objectives developed at the ABET colloquy in 2002, were used as a framework to determine the strengths and limitations of the laboratories. These learning objectives cover cognition, psychomotor and affective domains of knowledge. The results indicate that improvements are needed with respect to providing opportunities for students to be creative, devise their own procedures, repeat experiments and improve communication skills. In addition, ethics in the lab and safety need more emphasis.  


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