Computer Applications in Engineering Education最新文献

This article examines the effectiveness and interest generated among primary and secondary education students through activities aimed at developing Computational Thinking skills, in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The shift to online or hybrid learning models posed a significant challenge for educators, particularly those lacking digital skills. The study sought to answer several research questions, including the impact of online versus in-person teaching on preuniversity students and gender differences in Computer Science perception, and Computational Thinking skills performance. The study employed a four-phase methodology, consisting of pre- and posttraining measurements of Computer Science perception and Computational Thinking skills development through specific activities delivered in-person or online. The results indicate that in-person training is more effective for developing Computational Thinking skills, particularly at the secondary education level. Furthermore, there is a need to focus on maintaining girls' interest in Computer Science during primary school, as interest levels tend to decline significantly in secondary school. These findings have significant implications for Engineering Education in the context of digital transformation and the increasing importance of Computational Thinking skills in various fields of engineering. This study highlights the importance of developing Computational Thinking skills among preuniversity students and the need for effective training methods to achieve this goal and underscore the significance of investing in Engineering Education to prepare the next generation of engineers for the rapidly changing digital landscape.

Construction 4.0 promotes digital transformation through automation, robotisation, and the integration of systems and processes into digital environments, with direct links to real systems, using a wide range of technologies. The risk here is centred on having very advanced machines with people not prepared to use them. If the training is centred on teaching people, however, the risk is transferred to having overqualified equipment. In search of this balance, the study, analysis, and evaluation of human–machine interaction are crucial, as are correctly identifying the tools through which this interaction is achieved. Extended reality (XR), emerging technology within Construction 4.0, seems to be a tool that offers an environment conducive to achieving these interactions and meeting the objectives sought. In civil engineering, efforts have been directed towards the study and development of applications of XR experiences rather than the application of this technology in a transcendental way in civil engineering training. This research identifies developments in XR experiences and analyses their use, application methodologies, and training areas that include immersive training, as well as the relationship between XR and construction industry methodologies and technologies, such as building information modelling.

In this research, a microlearning strategy for Software Engineering supported by a mobile application was designed and implemented. The goal is to evaluate the motivation and learning outcomes in the specific context of Software Project Management, with the Scrum framework, in participants of a Software Engineering course at a Latin American higher education institution. An empirical investigation was conducted using a quantitative approach, a quasi-experimental design, and pretest–posttest measurements without a control group. A one-sample t-test for comparison of the means of a sample was used. Statistically significant differences were found between the theoretical and empirical mean of the variable motivation to learn in the specific context and the variable Stimulus for learning after interacting with the mobile application. The means were higher than the theoretical average of the scale, which suggests that the participants valued the mobile application positively. Regarding the learning outcomes of the Scrum framework, a paired sample t-test for comparison of means revealed an increase in posttest scores, although this rise was not statistically significant. Microlearning can increase the participants' motivation and promote learning in the specific context of Software Project Management. The mobile application has the potential to support microlearning since the participants felt highly motivated and agreed that its use facilitates learning, a key aspect of success in a microlearning strategy.

In today's environment, finite element analysis is crucial for Mechanical Engineers. In today's highly competitive industries, graduates need to be productive from Day one as they enter the industry. To meet the vast range of industrial requirements or even for higher education, education institutes must adhere to an industry enabled curriculum as defined in collaboration with industry employees. As students reach their prefinal year of mechanical engineering studies, they will encounter courses like finite element analysis, design of machine elements, and failure analysis in design, which will serve as foundation steps for their future careers. As students need to compete in the real world, it becomes imperative to have a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical issues. The focus of current work is to provide them a platform to think as a real-time problem-solving engineer to address the society-based problems and how he/she approaches the problem in an optimized way and finally, convert the entire work to tangible documents in the form of research articles. Since 2018, a new vertical called as “advanced computer aided engineering (CAE)” has emerged to link and prepare people for the business. In the realm of finite element method (FEM) theoretical and allied laboratory work, the current study discusses sustainability while selecting the problem statement. The entire emphasis is on eco-environment with nature's sustainability along with the go-green concept in terms of materials, design, optimization, cost, quality, and so on. The present work includes several new features that were not present in the previous curriculum, such as transforming the work to high-quality journals, student feedback, subscription-based journal selection for the manuscript, and embedding experimental and analytical work alongside simulation studies. This time, 40 teams participated, with around 36 project works being qualified for publication in prestigious journals and 8–10 works being filed for Indian patents. In terms of quality and quantity of work completed, this is the best output attained in contrast to previous iterations. Because of the increasing growth rate of higher education, our students have been able to get into Top 100 QS ranked universities. The figures show that because of faculty involvement in the FEM lab, Advanced CAE I, and Advanced CAE II, over the previous 4–5 years, students were able to publish more than 50 publications in prestigious peer-reviewed International/National Journals and Conference papers.

The evolution of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies has ushered in a new era of immersive experiences, with applications ranging from entertainment to education. The proposed framework introduces a fog layer with an innovative, improved geographic load-balancing algorithm. It optimizes load distribution and provides quality of service (QoS) parameters that are important for enhancing user experiences for AR/VR applications. The iFogSim toolkit experimentally validates the framework in electroencephalogram-based VR/AR gaming applications. Also, the proposed framework is tested in a diverse range of scenarios. Results show that the proposed algorithm improves QoS for AR/VR applications with noticeable improvements on average latency, jitter, and packet loss. Future research should aim to address these limitations for a more comprehensive understanding of the proposed framework's practicality and effectiveness. The development of immersive technologies will continue to expand in multiple sectors, and future research will focus on energy efficiency, security, and real-world applications.

Building information modeling (BIM), as the core technology for digital transformation and development of the construction industry, is in vigorous development. This study analyzes the current situation of teaching BIM to construction management professionals in universities. Based on the CDIO (conceive–design–implement–operate) engineering education concept, a new teaching system of BIM technology for construction management professionals is proposed. It is composed of a diversified teaching mode of implanting BIM technology in professional courses, establishing a school–enterprise cooperation platform, expert linkage, BIM team construction, skill competition, and transformation of scientific research achievements, and provides a reference for the reform of practical teaching. It is proved that this education mode improves students' learning enthusiasm, engineering practice ability, solidarity and ability to solve practical engineering problems, cultivates outstanding talents in BIM technology, drives students' employment, and provides innovative talents in BIM technology needed for the development of the construction industry.

We present a new virtual laboratory developed with COMSOL multiphysics for the simulation of an acoustic levitator, as well as a three-dimensional (3D) printed experimental setup. Our software application simulates the acoustic pressure field and its interaction with a set of particles. Students can interact with the system having the possibility to change the frequency and distance parameters between transducers in real time. We have also developed and shared for free use the 3D printing design files for the construction of the necessary components for the acoustic levitator, as well as the instructions for its experimental implementation. The experimental results are contrasted, along with those from the virtual laboratory, providing students with useful tools to understand and interpret the acoustic phenomenon in question.

The traditional experimental teaching and practical teaching cannot meet the requirements of experimental practice teaching under the new situation, and virtual simulation technology has made great progress in teaching. Based on this, a new teaching mode—engineering simulation practices teaching platform—is proposed. In this regard, the methodology research is carried out, and the implementation scheme is proposed. The teaching design, implementation, and improvement have received good application results, which effectively improve the training level of applied talents for civil engineering majors in colleges and universities.

In the present paper several aspects of the simulation of complex chemical equilibrium are discussed, using two research and educational software: gPROMS® and GAMS®. All computations are performed to boost the understanding of chemical engineering students, undergraduate, and graduate, of the complex concepts behind both thermo-chemical processes and optimization techniques. Four case studies with varying levels of difficulty illustrate the proposed methodology and robustness of the modeling systems:

Our results indicate that the use of optimization tools offered bygPROMS® and GAMS®software are useful and efficient tools to calculate the chemical and phase equilibrium by minimizing the Gibbs energy, provided that adequate initial guesses are used. Furthermore, the computational time spent in the calculations was generally quite short. The obtained equilibrium compositions are benchmarked using the ubiquitous process simulators: ASPEN-Plus® and/or ASPEN-Hysys® as well as data available from the open literature. We obtained excellent agreement between our results and their counterpart obtained using ASPEN-Plus®. In the last part of this manuscript, authors share their experience in supervising senior term projects on the subject. A questionnaire was used to collect qualitative and quantitative feedback from the nine students involved in the projects. Their responses to a questionnaire focused on the chemical engineering thermodynamics theory as well as software usage during their investigations. This questionnaire demonstrates that students can overcome mathematical complexity by either using mathematical software or equivalent modeling systems (e.g., Matlab®, Mathematica^©, gPROMS®, and GAMS®).

As the cornerstone of spatial geometry and engineering drawings, three-view drawing lays the necessary foundation for students to learn geography, graphics, industrial design, geographic information science, and so forth. However, teaching three-view drawing can be challenging due to its abstraction. Currently, desktop and handheld augmented reality (AR) systems are widely applied to three-view teaching. However, existing systems suffer from visuo-tactile inconsistency and contain unfriendly interactions, resulting in a poor learning experience. In this paper, head-mounted AR is introduced for the first time in the teaching of three-view drawing. A system was designed for learning three-view drawing to facilitate students' free exploration and learning in lessons. Additionally, a comparative experiment was designed and conducted to investigate whether multimodal interaction and head-mounted AR help students to better understand the relationship between concrete three-dimensional (3D) objects and abstract two-dimensional planes and the impact on subjective perceptions. The results demonstrated that the proposed system significantly improved learning performance. Furthermore, the proposed system heightened students' interest in learning, made reproducing 3D structures more intuitive, and students were more willing to use such systems in their future studies.