This paper presents 'expert opinions' on what should be taught in a first-year linear algebra course at university; the aim is to gain a generic picture and general guiding principles for such a course. Drawing on a Delphi method, 14 university professors--called 'experts' in this study--addressed the following questions: What should be on a…

Background: Recent engineering education research has found improved learning outcomes when instructors engage students actively (e.g., through practice problems) rather than passively (e.g., in lectures). As more instructors shift toward active learning, research needs to identify how different types of activities affect students' cognitive…

Introducing kindergarten children to the engineering design process (EDP) is an important objective of early STEM education. Studies indicate that children often miss the crucial steps of testing and optimising during the EDP and do not persist in making solutions better. The present study explores how children's goal awareness, self-evaluation…

In this paper, I discuss undergraduate students' engagement in basic Python programming while solving combinatorial problems. Students solved tasks that were designed to involve programming, and they were encouraged to engage in activities of prediction and reflection. I provide data from two paired teaching experiments, and I outline how the task…

Background: As engineers solve problems that are ill-structured and require collaboration, a common goal of engineering programs is to develop students' competencies for solving such problems in teams, often using cornerstone design experiences. Purpose: With the goal of designing effective learning environments, this study identifies…

Background: Problem exploration includes identifying, framing, and defining design problems and bounding problem spaces. Intentional and unintentional changes in problem understanding naturally occur as designers explore design problems to create solutions. Through problem exploration, new perspectives on the problem can emerge along with new and…

Upon graduation, engineering (and science) undergraduate and graduate students are typically well-prepared for success in technical problem solving. However, they have had little exposure to the vagaries associated with the interplay of "people" and technical problems (sometimes referred to as sociotechnical efforts), especially as…

This article aims to present a new educational model that integrates engineering learning with design thinking via a cloud ecosystem to enhance digital intelligence for undergraduate students. This approach utilizes user-centered problem-solving to foster innovation and collaborative learning. The educational environment can adapt to 21st-century…

We implemented a STEM task that highlights the engineering cycle and engages students in productive struggle. Students problem solved in productive ways and saw tangible benefits of revising their work to achieve mathematical goals.

The national society of professional engineers has said, "engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people." The demand for career-ready engineering professionals has been a consistent, high priority area for the U.S. workforce for the last several decades. Specifically, this call expresses a desire for…

This paper demonstrates an experimental integrated lesson of physics and calculus in a topic of fluid force applying on different shapes of dams. This lesson was designed for the first year students in engineering program in an attempt to show them the connection between these two disciplines, as well as to introduce more advanced…

In the spring of 2020, brick and mortar colleges had to abruptly adapt to the reality of COVID-19 and transition to entirely online environments in a manner of weeks. This required a rapid (< 2 weeks) acquisition of knowledge and flexibility in using technology, most commonly Zoom. Upon completion of the semester, and after debriefing with…

The International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) defines STEM as a new transdisciplinary subject in schools that integrates the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into a single course of study. There are three major problems with this definition: There is no consensus in support of the ITEEA…

Studying students' problem-solving abilities in physics education research has consistently shown that novices focus on a problem's surface features rather than its physical principles. Previous research has observed that some electricity and magnetism students confuse electricity and magnetism concepts, often presented in parallel problems (or…

A beneficial project is defined and implemented for the senior project of bachelor students of mechanical engineering program in the school of engineering at American University of The Middle East (AUM). Students need to design, analysis, and optimize a solar car chassis using Design of Experiment (DOE). It is required that the design process and…