Computer Applications in Engineering Education最新文献

{"title":"ScienSolar: Development of an Open-Source VBA-Excel Based Package to Model 3D Physics Problems Without Coding","authors":"Ariel R. Becerra Becerra,&nbsp;Alvaro Herrera Carrillo","doi":"10.1002/cae.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study presents a novel modular package developed in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) that integrates into a macro-enabled MS Excel workbook. This package creates a three-dimensional coordinate system within the spreadsheet, allowing users to model various physics problems efficiently. Designed for users with basic knowledge of MS Excel and fundamental physics knowledge, the package enables rapid model development without the need for programming experience. Users can add vectors to the coordinate system, which can be transformed into other mathematical objects. The package features specialized cells that function as coordinates or time variables. It has been rigorously tested and includes 25 fundamental examples in disciplines such as electrodynamics, mechanics, thermodynamics, optics, and mathematics. This tool significantly simplifies the modeling process and provides an accessible approach to solving complex physics problems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metaverse for Education: Developments, Challenges, and Future Direction","authors":"Vinay Chamola,&nbsp;Mritunjay Shall Peelam,&nbsp;Uday Mittal,&nbsp;Vikas Hassija,&nbsp;Anushka Singh,&nbsp;Ritawari Pareek,&nbsp;Poorvi Mangal,&nbsp;Devika Sangwan,&nbsp;Victor Hugo C. de Albuquerque,&nbsp;Mufti Mahmud,&nbsp;David J. Brown","doi":"10.1002/cae.70018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70018","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The rapid advancements in digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR), and the internet of things (IoT) have revolutionized various sectors, including education. Metaverse, a convergence of these transformative technologies, offers immersive, personalized, and interactive experiences, making it a powerful tool in modern education. This paper explores the Metaverse's role in enhancing education by examining its architecture, types, and components while addressing practical implementation challenges, and follows a structured review protocol to ensure a comprehensive analysis, including systematic research, paper selection, and a critical examination of relevant studies from reputable databases such as Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, ACM, and Springer. The research objectives focus on evaluating the Metaverse's applications in education, ethical challenges, technological limitations, and potential strategies for sustainable integration. Key research questions address the need for Metaverse adoption in education, its benefits, challenges, and future directions. The Metaverse cultivates essential skills such as empathy, ethical reasoning, and effective communication by providing students with customized, immersive learning environments. However, ethical concerns, technical barriers, and infrastructural costs pose significant obstacles to its widespread adoption. It discusses strategies to solve these barriers, explores applications in distance learning, and proposes future research directions to create scalable and sustainable educational models in the Metaverse. Through this structured inquiry, the paper establishes the Metaverse as a transformative force in education, blending technological innovation with instructional advancement.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gamification of Pharmaceutical Process Engineering: Undergraduate Academic Training for the Purification of Biologics Using Head-Mounted Virtual Reality","authors":"Iris Perner-Nochta,&nbsp;Kristina Schleining,&nbsp;Birgit Roser,&nbsp;Robin Schiemer,&nbsp;Jan Müller,&nbsp;Jasmin Egner,&nbsp;Jürgen Hubbuch","doi":"10.1002/cae.70033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70033","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Virtual reality (VR) provides the opportunity to deepen learning and experience learning situations in higher education that were previously inaccessible. Knowledge from theoretical classroom lectures is connected to scenarios from industrial practice and is thus experienced, consolidated, and anchored. VR allows students to immerse themselves in environments unattainable by university facilities, due to their temporal and spatial dimensions. The VR undergraduate academic training presented allows students to experience both an industrial scale and the regulations under which the production of biopharmaceutics is run, such as “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP) and safety regulations. A safety training on the virtual model of real laboratories—comprising six accident scenarios—continues in an environment based on reality with GMP-compliant dressing, a routine in the pharmaceutical industry usually not practised at universities. Main mental effort is afforded for the design of a purification process for one out of three biologics, using given parameter dependencies. After completion, students enter a large-scale downstream facility where they carry out their developed purification process. Students operate lifelike, large-scale devices rarely available at universities. Biologics are modern drugs, often produced in standardized so-called platform processes at large scale. Here, three classes of molecules, monoclonal antibody (mAb), fragment of an antibody (fab), and plasmid DNA (pDNA), are modeled. The task and challenge are to purify one of them according to product quality attributes such as yield, product concentration, and/or impurity levels. Calculations required for this run in the background of the program and are based on empirical experience and literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.70033","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143818584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Student Experiences of Hybrid and Online Engineering Labs in a Logic Control Course","authors":"Yihua Zhang,&nbsp;Christian Stöhr,&nbsp;Susanne Strömberg Jämsvi,&nbsp;Jens Kabo,&nbsp;Johan Malmqvist","doi":"10.1002/cae.70032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70032","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the rapidly evolving landscape of engineering education, the shift toward online and hybrid lab formats requires a critical examination of their impact on students' learning experiences. This study investigates the experiences of 82 students in a logic control course with campus, remote, and simulation labs, through the lens of the Community of Inquiry framework. Although our qualitative thematic analysis confirms students' general preference for campus labs, we extend this observation through nuanced insights into the cognitive, teaching, and social elements of students' perceptions of their learning experiences in the different lab formats. Students appreciate the increased accessibility and flexibility of remote options, while also identifying challenges and limitations for cognitive engagement, instructional support, and social connection. Our results suggest that with targeted improvements, online and hybrid labs can enhance students' learning experience considerably, particularly if integrated purposefully with campus labs. We discuss theoretical and practical key implications for designing blended lab environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.70032","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143809445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Semiconductor Upskilling Program Using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays as a Training Vehicle","authors":"Dheya Mustafa,&nbsp;Ruba Alkhasawneh,&nbsp;Fadi Obeidat,&nbsp;Samah Zriqat","doi":"10.1002/cae.70027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The global semiconductor shortage since 2020 has affected over 169 industries, resulting in price increases, long lines, and the resale of integrated circuits in numerous consumer goods. Upskilling programs and boot camps play an important part in education, providing an immersive and intensive learning environment. This study aims to assess the influence of using field-programmable gate array (FPGAs) as a motivational training vehicle in the field of the semiconductor industry to build the required skill set, in particular, in the design and verification stages. The study employed a survey-based research methodology with participants from a chip design training camp hosted in Jordan for senior and fresh graduate engineering students in summer 2023. We proposed a novel research conceptual model to measure the influence of such training program on student performance and motivation. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS AMOS 28, applying structural equation modeling. The findings demonstrated that FPGA-based chip design training programs significantly motivated students and enhanced their skill set, particularly in FPGA design, hardware description languages, and problem-solving abilities. Hands-on projects, along with guidance from industry professionals and faculty members, played crucial roles in skill development. The study's promising results are limited by a single-country sample, self-reported survey data, and short-term nature, potentially introducing bias. The short-term nature of the study might limit insights into the long-term career impacts of such training programs. This study highlights the positive influence of industry-driven training programs on students' skills and future professional careers in the domain of hardware system design, particularly using FPGA implementation. The findings offer valuable insights for instructors, institutions, and curriculum developers aiming to integrate industry-relevant skills into academic programs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143809444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of Robot Programming on Mathematical Achievement, Mathematics Anxiety, and Programming Self-Efficacy","authors":"Mehmet Emin Hangün,&nbsp;Yalın Kılıç Türel","doi":"10.1002/cae.70030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70030","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Programming skills and mathematical thinking are among the important skills in the field of information technology. It is common knowledge that programming often involves topics such as loops, variables, functions and mathematical expressions. Students who are beginners in programming or who learn text-based programming are prone to assuming a negative attitude towards their programming education. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of using educational robots on students' mathematical achievement, mathematics anxiety and computer programming self-efficacy perception. 117 secondary school 6th grade students participated in the study, which was conducted in a quasi-experimental design. To compare the variables between the two groups in this study, an independent <i>t</i>-test was used. To analyze the corrected variance differences between the groups, a linear covariance (ANCOVA) analysis was done. At the end of the study, significant differences between the groups in terms of mathematics anxiety and programming self-efficacy perception were noted. In terms of mathematical achievement, however, although it increased both in the experimental group and the control group, no significant differences were found. When the mathematics anxiety pre-test score was controlled, ANCOVA analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in the mathematics anxiety Posttest. This study demonstrated that robots can be an effective tool for positive change in mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy perceptions in computer programming. However, although educational robots provided a positive change in math achievement, they did not provide a significant difference between the groups. At this point, long-term studies examining mathematics achievement with educational robots are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.70030","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143801581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Attitudes and Engagement in First-Year Computer Engineering Students: Integrating TinkerCAD and Physical Experiments for Learning Angular Acceleration, Torque, and Moment of Inertia","authors":"Suriya Chinwong,&nbsp;Piyanooch Nedkun,&nbsp;Somkuan Photharin,&nbsp;Pemika Hirankittiwong,&nbsp;Pathomwong Thaoyabut,&nbsp;Nitipon Pongphaw,&nbsp;Pantong Sanonok,&nbsp;Prommin Buaphan,&nbsp;Keerati Maneesai","doi":"10.1002/cae.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Physics is fundamental to engineering education, yet many first-year computer engineering students struggle with foundational concepts like angular acceleration, torque, and moment of inertia. These abstract concepts are often perceived as disconnected from practical applications, leading to low attitudes and engagement. This study investigates whether a blended learning approach, integrating TinkerCAD IoT simulations with physical experiments, can enhance students’ understanding and attitudes in physics by bridging the gap between theory and practical application. We conducted a 3-week pretest and posttest study with 140 first-year computer engineering students. Students participated in TinkerCAD simulations and complementary hands-on experiments designed to contextualize physics concepts within engineering applications. Quantitative data from academic assessments and attitudinal surveys, along with qualitative feedback, were analyzed to evaluate changes in understanding and engagement. Quantitative findings showed a 24% improvement in academic scores, with the mean score increasing from 5.86 (SD = 2.47) in the pretest to 7.29 (SD = 2.58) in the posttest. Attitudinal surveys revealed a shift from 55% to 85% of students expressing a positive attitude toward physics. Qualitative feedback further highlighted increased motivation and practical skill acquisition as benefits of the blended approach. The integration of TinkerCAD with physical experiments not only enhanced students’ attitudes and engagement with physics concepts but also fostered essential problem-solving and technical skills. These findings suggest that this blended learning model has broader applicability across STEM education, effectively linking theoretical knowledge with real-world relevance.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143801781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of Adopting 3D Technology Integrated With Artificial Intelligence in STEM Higher Education: A UTAUT2 Model Approach","authors":"Vi Loi Truong,&nbsp;Lenh Phan Cong Pham","doi":"10.1002/cae.70019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Incorporating 3D technology and artificial intelligence, often known as AI, into STEM education in the current day is creating new opportunities to improve student engagement and performance. With an emphasis on STEM areas specifically, this study attempts to bring the elements that affect the uptake of AI-enabled 3D instructional technology. A survey was carried out with 300 participants, including teachers and students from universities. To gauge participant impressions, the study used UTAUT2—the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 framework. IMB SPSS 25 and AMOS 24 has been used to calculate, evaluate, analyze data to determine the main variables influencing the adoption of these technologies. The results show that while AI and 3D technologies have a great deal of potential to enhance users' interaction, understanding, and engagement with difficult scientific concepts, there are still obstacles to overcome, including those related to infrastructure, cost, and the requirement for faculty training. Furthermore, it was discovered that moderating factors including experience, gender, age, and education level had very little effect on the final outcomes. This study provides insightful information on how to successfully incorporate 3D and AI technology into STEM curricula at the university level.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AABC: A Tool for Assessing Arduino Basic Coding Skills","authors":"Sokratis Tselegkaridis,&nbsp;Theodosios Sapounidis,&nbsp;Christos Tokatlidis,&nbsp;Sophia Rapti,&nbsp;Dimitrios Papakostas","doi":"10.1002/cae.70029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70029","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent years, coding has become a useful component of education at all levels, leading to the emergence of various programmable devices and platforms, such as Arduino. These tools offer students opportunities to enhance their coding skills through hands-on experiences or graphical simulations. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive instrument for evaluating code skills via such technologies. To address this gap, this study introduces the “Assessing Arduino Basics in Coding” (AABC) tool. This tool was validated and refined with 151 university students, who completed three experimental exercises followed by coding-related questions. Students were divided into two groups. The first group implemented the experiments with physical–tangible boards, while the second used graphical interfaces in a virtual environment. The analysis of questionnaire scores underwent four steps. Initially, Item Response Theory was employed to discard questions resulting in unscaled scores. Subsequently, Exploratory Factor Analysis identified three factors corresponding to the three exercises. Additionally, Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the questionnaire's structure, indicating high reliability (χ²[74] = 74.5, <i>p</i> = 0.463, CFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.00612, SRMR = 0.0625). Lastly, measurement invariance testing demonstrated that AABC is unaffected by the user interface, suggesting its usability for evaluating Arduino coding skills regardless of the interface used. Overall, the AABC tool provides a reliable method for evaluating coding skills in basic Arduino circuits, contributing to advancements in coding education.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.70029","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating Computational Design Optimization Into Architectural Design Pedagogy—An Experimental Course for Performance-Based Building Design Optimization and Exploration","authors":"Likai Wang,&nbsp;Rudi Stouffs,&nbsp;Patrick Janssen","doi":"10.1002/cae.70028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper presents an experimental course focusing on computational design optimization for performance-based building design exploration in a newly developed course for second-year architectural students. The course uses a hybrid design system combining a parametric design tool with a cloud-based design evaluation server. The system allows students with no prior parametric modelling skills to conduct a series of performance-based design optimizations and subsequently extract knowledge regarding the interrelation between design performance and building form. The use of this system allows concepts, such as performance-based design optimization and design space exploration, to be integrated into the teaching of this 6-week course for more than 200-year two students. Throughout the course, students were able to conduct systematic design exploration assisted by computational design optimization and synthesize the knowledge obtained from the optimization into their design process. The paper showcases examples from students' coursework along with their reflections after utilizing the system in their design task. The analysis of these outcomes demonstrates how this course can enhance early-year students' understanding of the value and utility of performance-based design optimization in architectural practice. With the demonstrated coursework outcomes and students' reflections, the implication of this course to computational design teaching is discussed. Additionally, two key limitations are identified: the difficulties some students encounter in applying knowledge gained from optimization to the design process and the lack of transparency concerning the mechanisms of evolutionary optimization due to inadequate technical details provided.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}