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Prospective inclination of research and engineering education

  • Authors: Agbenyeku, Emmanuel Emem-Obong , Muzenda, Edison , Msibi, Innocent Mandla
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Sustainability , Engineering education , Sociotechnical systems
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/123934 , uj:20853 , Citation: Agbenyeku, E.E., Muzenda, E & Msibi, I.M. 2016. Prospective inclination of research and engineering education.
  • Description: Abstract: The roles of Engineers are generally vital as their knowledge and expertise play a pivotal part in societal improvement, offer empowering ideas, innovations and initiatives that motivate financial and economic progress, enrich social and physical infrastructures, and also stimulate transformations that advance quality and standard of living. Concurrently, there are enormous challenges weighing on all facets of research and development (R&D), industry and manufacturing owing to globalization and circulated manufacturing. On this note, the corporate and commercial setting of manufacturing enterprises are categorized by incessant modification and growing intricacies. Most companies are in dire need of dynamic technical solutions as well as handling composite socio-technical systems geared towards substantially contributing to the sustainable growth and development of manufacturing and the environment. For this reason, in the ever changing industrial and business world of Engineering, Health delivery, Environment, Transportation, Logistics and Supply chain amongst others, researchers and graduates are profusely required once they display the ability to comprehend both composite technological processes and the resourceful arts and social skills. Thus, through the proficient technical and communication skills of engineering managers, various team-based activities are successfully supervised and executed. As such, aiming at the crucial role of engineering in solving simple to compound global problems make the career attractive to all gender of students.
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The gap between matric pass requirements and entrance to Engineering education

  • Authors: Baloyi, Amukelani , Goodwel, Muyengwa
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Matric , Engineering education , University enrolment requirement
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/464551 , uj:41506 , Citation: Baloyi, A., Goodwel, M. 2020. The gap between matric pass requirements and entrance to Engineering education.
  • Description: Abstract: The existing disparity between Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Department Basic of Education (DBE) cannot be neglected. The purpose of the study was to investigate the requirements for passing matric in secondary schools and enrolling to engineering bachelor’s degree in higher education. A sample of 400 learners/students was used to provide their perception on the requirements for passing matric and requirements for enrolling to a bachelor’s degree. The data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The study provides research information on the entities (High school, college, and University) and it therefore quantified the extent to which the gap exists. From the survey, Majority of learners are aware of different certificates awarded after meeting the requirements for passing matric. However, these learners are not aware that entrance requirements to bachelor’s degree in different universities are not the same. Learners are also not aware that a bachelor pass in matric does not guarantee them an entrance into a degree course. Many students from rural areas want to pursue engineering education but they don’t have enough information about different degrees requirements and duration. The study indicates there is a need for information transfer between universities and secondary school. There should be coherence between DHET and DBE policy in order not to mislead learners.
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South African engineering faculties as professional facilitators in the future

  • Authors: Case, Michael James
  • Date: 2008-11-12T08:45:59Z
  • Subjects: Engineering faculties , Engineering students , Engineering profession , Engineering education
  • Type: Inaugural
  • Identifier: uj:14926 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1634
  • Description: Inaugural lecture--Department of Electrical Engineering, Rand Afrikaans University, 23 April 1997 , Recent years have seen radical changes in the South African education system, and as a result the number of school-leavers aspiring to tertiary education has increased dramatically. These school-leavers have needs, aspirations and attitudes derived from back grounds assumed to be very different to what has gone before. The result is that a different type of engineering student could be emerging on the university campuses. On the other hand, the engineering profession requires certain skil1s, attitudes and knowledge that are derived from the nature of technology, and are not subject to any human factors. The university therefore needs to match these possibly widely disparate entities. This paper sets out to examine the needs of the Engineering Profession, describe the nature of the South African University and attempts to analyze the mismatch between the Profession, the Universities and the emerging generation of school-leavers. Some radical proposals which would reconcile the various components of this system are put forward.
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On capacity and quality issues in engineering studies across Sub-Saharan Africa : a review

Laying down the “T” and “E” in STEM education : design as the basis of an integrated STEM philosophy

  • Authors: Hallström, Jonas , Ankiewicz, Piet
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Technology education , Engineering education , STEM education
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/402143 , uj:33640 , Citation: Hallström, J. & Ankiewicz, P. 2019. Laying down the “T” and “E” in STEM education : design as the basis of an integrated STEM philosophy.
  • Description: Abstract: STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – has become ubiquitous in education. How STEM and STEM education are to be defined is still a matter of debate, however, and it is only just recently that STEM education has been probed from a philosophical point of view. The need for a philosophical basis for STEM education is therefore fundamental. The aim of this study is thus to investigate specifically the role of the “T” and “E” in STEM, and how they not only may be fruitfully integrated with the “S” and “M”, as part of a philosophy of STEM education, but also potentially form a methodological backbone of such a philosophy when it comes to design. The research question that underpinned the study is: What are the affordances of Mitcham’s (1994) fourfold philosophical framework of technology for unifying the STEM subjects, with particular consideration of the “T” and “E”? The research methodology consisted of a qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature regarding the philosophy of technology and engineering, technology education, and the current issues of integrating the various STEM subjects. We conclude that from a methodological point of view – Mitcham’s “activity” – the design in technology (“T”) and engineering (“E”) holds the most promising affordances for unifying the four STEM subjects. Design as part of particular design projects may require the “design” of applicable scientific experiments as well as the design of applicable mathematics expressions and formulae specifically when modelling in “E” (and “T”).
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Understanding the impact of engineering through appropriate technology development

A reverse order life cycle approach to enhance systems engineering education at undergraduate level

  • Authors: Meyer, J. , Von Solms, S.
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Engineering education , Industry 4.0 , Reverse Life Cycle
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/404177 , uj:33885 , Citation: Meyer, J. & Von Solms, S. 2019. A reverse order life cycle approach to enhance systems engineering education at undergraduate level.
  • Description: Abstract: The advances of Industry 4.0 lead the transition into the era of complex systems, requiring systems solutions for complex problems, increasing the interest in the development of systems engineers. However, traditional systems thinking may lose its effectiveness in this new context, which leads to a challenge in systems engineering education. This research aims to better prepare systems engineers of the future by addressing the disconnect which exist between systems engineering education at undergraduate level, and the real-life complex systems seen in society today though the implementation of a reverse order life cycle approach. By following the reverse order life cycle approach with a familiar electrical appliance, such as the electric kettle, in the classroom, undergraduate systems engineering students were able to gain the necessary insight and understanding regarding the dynamics of complex systems the underlying systems engineering concepts.
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A systems thinking approach to collaborations for capacity building and sustainability in engineering education

Talk that counts : participation in practicums and student success in civil engineering

  • Authors: Simpson, Z. , Bester, J.
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Student success , Engineering education , Engineering - Study and teaching
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:5137 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14104
  • Description: Engineering courses across the globe include practical components generally undertaken in small groups. This study aims to determine whether the quantity and quality of students’ participation in these group-based practicums could be correlated with their academic performance. A first year course in Concrete Technology was selected, and groups of students were filmed as they undertook a practicum that required them to mix, test, cast and crush concrete cubes as per the guidelines of two established procedures. Approximately four hours of film was then time-coded according to student activity. The resulting transcripts were analysed quantitatively in terms of total time spent on specific activities, and qualitatively in terms of the nature of student engagement with those activities. The results show that group discussion may have a greater impact on student learning than time spent on the task itself. However, this depends on the specific nature of this talk. Implications of the study include the fact that attention needs to be given to designing group tasks in such a way that they facilitate group interaction, and the fact that tutors and lecturers should promote group discussion and be aware of interactional dynamics that act to the detriment of student learning.
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Display cases, catalogues and clock faces : multimodal social semiotic analysis of information graphics in civil engineering

Capstone design : a vehicle to explore landscapes of practice in engineering education

  • Authors: Simpson, Zach , Janse van Rensburg, Nickey
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Engineering education , Landscapes of practice , Communities of practice
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/267586 , uj:28390 , Citation: Simpson, Z. & Janse van Rensburg, N. 2018. Capstone design : a vehicle to explore landscapes of practice in engineering education.
  • Description: Abstract: Engineering design as capstone course creates an opportunity for practitioners to demonstrate their familiarity with the particular landscape of practice of their chosen field. This research follows a team of seven final-year Mechanical Engineering students as they complete a capstone design project to design and build an energy efficient vehicle to be entered into an international race. A qualitative, ethnographic study was conducted, collecting data through observation, reflection, and interviews with each of the student-participants and their academic supervisor. Landscapes of practice are defined through patterns of interaction within and between the various communities occupying the landscape. How we design the landscape of practice determines the opportunities we create for student development. The research demonstrates how the institutional and technological backdrop of capstone design introduces pressures that can both hinder student learning and create space and opportunity for deep learning to occur. It is concluded that the engineering curricula should include a series of design projects which allows for conceptualization to operation of the final product, challenging students learning both with respect to technical and social skills.
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Development of ‘soft skills’ through extra- curricular project work : The case of the Jozi digital ambassadors project in Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Authors: Simpson, Zach , Janse van Rensburg, Nickey , Benecke, Dalien René
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Engineering education , Project-based learning , Curriculum
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/267590 , uj:28391 , Citation: Simpson, Z., Janse van Rensburg, N. & Benecke, D.R. 2018. Development of ‘soft skills’ through extra- curricular project work : The case of the Jozi digital ambassadors project in Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • Description: Abstract: The primary focus of engineering curricula is technical competence. However, literature suggests that a common shortcoming of engineering graduates pertains to so-called ‘softer’ skills such as leadership, team work, time management and communication. Although not core to engineering activity, these competencies are important in the workplace and included in the exit level outcomes of accredited degrees. Development of these competencies can occur by giving engineering students the opportunity of involvement in extra-curricular projects that develop such complementary competencies. This paper discusses the Jozi Digital Ambassadors Project as one such opportunity. The project was launched by the City of Johannesburg, and aimed to roll-out free Wi-Fi to 700 000 Johannesburg residents who previously had no access to free public internet. A further aim was to provide training to these residents regarding how to access the free Wi-Fi and the online services offered by the City. ‘Digital Ambassadors’, unemployed young people who reside in the areas concerned, were appointed to undertake this training on behalf of the City. The University of Johannesburg, tasked with providing mentorship to these ambassadors, identified engineering students who were appointed as mentors. Structured interviews with the mentors were conducted at different stages of the project. The focus of the interviews was on the students’ motivation to participate in the project and their skills development. The development of complementary competencies was one of the factors that motivated the students to join the project and their involvement in the Digital Ambassadors project gave them opportunities to develop leadership and communication skills in a way that the formal university curriculum did not.
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Engineering students’ visual metaphors for mentorship : implications for the candidacy period

Reframing resources in engineering teaching and learning

  • Authors: Simpson, Zach , Inglis, Helen , Sandrock, Carl
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Engineering education , Higher education studies , Teaching and learning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/412164 , uj:34670 , Citation: Simpson, Z., Inglis, H. & Sandrock, C. 2020. Reframing resources in engineering teaching and learning.
  • Description: Abstract: The notion of ‘resources’ is often framed in an economic sense: money, time, equipment and the like. We reconceptualise this notion, situating resources as embedded in curricular frameworks, teacher practice and student experience. This leads us to define resources as the potential to participate in socio-cultural action. We illustrate this through a series of reflections on the part of the authors, all within the context of engineering education. First, we demonstrate that curriculum can be productively thought of as a route marker for the development of resources that students need in order to enact their role as professional engineers. Thereafter, we show that lecturers bring tacit resources of trust, care, creativity and credibility to the teaching and learning space, and that these are necessary to overcome the inertia that often resists the transformation of teaching and learning practice. Finally, we reflect on how students’ prior learning experiences can be harnessed as a resource for teaching and learning. In so doing, we present resources as tied to sociocultural practices and personal and institutional histories, and encourage others to take up these ideas so as to consider how resources, viewed in our sense, are valued within (engineering) education.
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The transition from high school mathematics to engineering mathematics

  • Authors: Steenkamp, H. , Muyengwa, G.
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Mathematics Knowledge gap , Engineering education , Engineering mathematics
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceeding
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/289179 , uj:31371 , Citation: Steenkamp, H. & Muyengwa, G. 2018. The transition from high school mathematics to engineering mathematics. 11th South African Conference on Computational and Applied Mechanics, 17-19 Sept 2018.
  • Description: Abstract: Mathematics is an essential course in the study of engineering. It can be argued that mathematics is the backbone of engineering. It is important for educators to have an understanding of the varying backgrounds of students and the way in which this affects their learning. This information will have an impact on teaching methods in the classroom which will ensure that they are inclusive and not exclusive. This is especially true in South Africa where we have a range of schools with different standards even though the final examination is the same. There seems to be a gap that exists between high school and first year engineering mathematics programs. First year engineering mathematics programs seem to present school learners joining the program with significant problems. This article attempted to identify whether there is a mathematics knowledge gap in South Africa. What the impact of this gap on engineering students was and who was responsible to address this problem. This study evaluated the differences between matric mathematics and university engineering mathematics 1. BTech and first year students interviewed and their opinion solicited with regard to the existence of a knowledge gap between matric mathematics and engineering mathematics 1. The pass rate for engineering mathematics 1 was compared over the past four years (2014 to 2017) to determine influence of CAPS on the engineering mathematics 1 results.
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Conceptual framework for enhancing engineering education in Ghana’s polytechnicsConceptual framework for enhancing engineering education in Ghana’s polytechnics

  • Authors: Tengan, Callistus , Aigbavboa, Clinton
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Engineering education , Polytechnics , Conceptual framework
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/213283 , uj:21128 , Citation: Tengan, C & Aigbavboa, C. 2016. Conceptual framework for enhancing engineering education in Ghana’s polytechnicsConceptual framework for enhancing engineering education in Ghana’s polytechnics.
  • Description: Abstract: Successive Governments in Ghana since the pre­independence era have all underscored the significance of engineering education as a catalyst for transforming and growing the economy as well as promoting national development. Polytechnic education in Ghana is also perceived as the panacea to the growing unemployment rate in the country and trains middle-level skilled manpower for industry for national development. However, Polytechnics have failed to harness its potential to enhance engineering education to meet the needs of industry in Ghana, Conceptualising factors that may contribute to enhancing engineering education in Ghana's polytechnic education in the face of the conversion into technical university is the focus of this paper. A brief review of Polytechnic education in Ghana from second cycle level to a technical university status is done. The study adopted the desk review approach by examining literature from journal articles, the internet sources, conference proceedings, books and other relevant materials related to the study. Five (5) critical factors have been discussed to have an influence on engineering education in Polytechnics in Ghana. These factors include competence-based teaching and learning, monitored industrial training/internship, funding, educational field visits and industrial collaboration. These factors if considered and implemented may enhance the quality of teaching and learning and translate in the quality of graduates churn out and above all improve the country's economic productivity.
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Gender dynamics : a case study of role allocation in engineering education

Engineering education and marketing of engineering business enterprise : the case of construction education

  • Authors: Yankah, J.E. , Aigbavboa, C. O. , Thwala, Wellington Didibhuku
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Construction , Engineering education , Marketing
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/213249 , uj:21124 , Citation: Yankah, J.E., Aigbavboa, C.O & Thwala, W.I. 2016. Engineering education and marketing of engineering business enterprise : the case of construction education.
  • Description: Abstract: The remarkably challenging features of the construction industry in the 21" century are globalization, the restructuring of the world economy, changes experienced in project financing and delivery systems, the pervasive utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT, and the increasing intensity of competition which threatens the growth, survival and profitability of engineering businesses with construction being the most affected. Marketing as a management function, which has been identified as imperative for businesses facing such challenges has not been welcomed by the construction industry. Marketing in consternation is marked by misconceptions, misperceptions, lack of understanding among others which are traceable to education and training of construction management team members. This paper examines the aspects of construction education that impacts negatively on marketing performance of construction businesses, namely content and structure of curriculum for construction education, availability of construction marketing research reports and teacher qualification for teaching marketing to construction students. Finding reveal that the content of construction marketing syllabus is outdated and fall short of elements necessary for effective teaching the state of the art marketing in construction. Paucity of construction marketing research and lack of general helpful literature remains a challenge. Qualification of teachers appears to be a big challenge. Urgent need exist for revision of existing syllabus, efforts at addressing research towards addressing existing challenges with marketing in construction and guidelines for preparing teachers for teaching marketing to construction students. Construction education consultants, curriculum developers, construction education and training institutions and similar professional organization will find this useful.
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