Jaime González-Sierra, Luis Gerardo Trujillo-Franco, Hugo Francisco Abundis-Fong
{"title":"A Jupyter Notebook for teaching mathematical modeling with experiments","authors":"Jaime González-Sierra, Luis Gerardo Trujillo-Franco, Hugo Francisco Abundis-Fong","doi":"10.1002/cae.22801","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22801","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation have a considerable presence in the vast universe of engineering disciplines, given their usefulness in explaining, comprehending, and simulating phenomena and processes with which engineers are in contact in their daily creative and problem-solving work. For this reason, engineering study programs have at least one course dedicated to dealing with the mathematical modeling of dynamic systems as an essential complement to subsequent courses such as automatic control, structural dynamics, and mechanical vibrations. Nowadays, many technological tools illustrate the applications of mathematical modeling interactively through experiments that offer an incomparable motivation to the students to corroborate with real-world examples, the utility and veracity of the theory presented to them in the classroom and that in many occasions seems lacking utility and direct relation with the world in which they develop. Based on those mentioned above, this paper presents an example of applying the Laplace transform in modeling physical systems, using a second-order circuit attached to an Arduino Due board in conjunction with the Jupyter Notebook environment. The numerical and experimental results can be obtained through three optional kernels: Python, Octave, or MATLAB®. For educational purposes, the resulting computer application was presented to undergraduate students of Mechatronics Engineering as an illustrative complement to two courses entitled Signals and Systems Analysis, part of the second semester, and Mathematical Modeling, part of the fifth semester.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664897","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":"Development of a virtual teaching module for advanced semiconductor fabrication and its learning effectiveness analysis","authors":"Wernhuar Tarng, Jen-Kai Huang, Jen-Chu Shu, Yu-Hsuan Lin, Ting-Yun Chang, Hsin-Yu Jwo, Chun-Wei Tang","doi":"10.1002/cae.22802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22802","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Semiconductor fabrication is the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, typically integrated circuits (ICs) such as microprocessors and memory. This involves transferring circuit diagrams onto a silicon wafer using photomasks and photoresists. After a series of fabrication processes, ICs are created on the wafer surface and then diced into individual chips, which are packaged and tested with quality control procedures to become the final products. Virtual reality (VR) simulates imaginary experiences or environments difficult to achieve in the real world through human senses and immersive equipment, allowing users to interact in a virtual 3D space in real time, making it well suited for applications in science education and industrial training. This study transforms the essential knowledge of advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes into an easily understandable virtual teaching module, thereby creating educational resources for high school and college students. The objective is to enhance their scientific and technological literacy, yielding substantial benefits for the general public. This study utilized VR technology to simplify and clarify the knowledge about the semiconductor manufacturing process, making it more engaging for learners. The virtual teaching module's learning content includes an overview of wafer preparation, semiconductor fabrication, chip packaging, and IC testing. Users can interact with the virtual teaching module and conduct virtual experiments to enhance their understanding by trial and error. Experimental results show that it can improve students' learning achievement and learning motivation. Therefore, the virtual teaching module is suitable for high-school students and the general public to understand semiconductor technology and its applications. The effectiveness of the virtual teaching module is heavily dependent on the availability and quality of VR hardware and software. Limited access to advanced VR equipment or technical issues could have affected the learning experience, thereby influencing the learning outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664528","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}
Abdul Razzaq, Tao Zhang, Muhammad Numair, Abdulrahman Alreshidi, Cheng Jing, Abdulaziz Aljaloud, Shahbaz A. K. Ghayyur, Salman Ahmed, Mumtaz Qurat Ul Ain
{"title":"Transforming academic assessment: The metaverse-backed Web 3 secure exam system","authors":"Abdul Razzaq, Tao Zhang, Muhammad Numair, Abdulrahman Alreshidi, Cheng Jing, Abdulaziz Aljaloud, Shahbaz A. K. Ghayyur, Salman Ahmed, Mumtaz Qurat Ul Ain","doi":"10.1002/cae.22797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22797","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Metaverse—a three-dimensional computational environment—combines physical and virtual reality to enable social relationships and immersive experiences by mimicking real-world scenarios. Metaverse is considered the third wave of the internet revolution (exploiting Web 3.0), leveraging upcoming technologies such as extended reality and artificial intelligence shaping a new era of human–-machine interactions. In recent years, increased research and development on educational technologies (EduTech) based on blockchain technology has seen substantial growth of metaverse-based solutions within the higher education context. This research aims to synergize blockchain technology and metaverse environments to conduct online exams (metaExam) in a trustworthy, reliable, and secure way. The synergy between blockchain and the metaverse brings various benefits, such as improved security, cost effectiveness, and increased efficiency in the online examination process. One of the central features of the proposed solution metaExam is to leverage cryptographic protocols via blockchain to control data access, making verification faster and protecting against misuse. Exam scores and grades are stored on a blockchain ledger using a digital signature method to enhance security. We validated the proposed solution by testing a prototype on the Ethereum platform using the Sepolia Testnet network using Microsoft Windows environment. Evaluation results indicate (i) query response time (10–50 ms), (ii) and query execution performance (CPU utilization between 1%–5%) offering computationally feasible solution. This research contributes by integrating blockchain and metaverse technologies to offer a solution metaExam that can offer improved security and immersive user experience for exam management. The proposed solution and its validation can provide insights into transforming online exams, offering a fresh perspective on addressing concerns about exam grade authenticity and verifying academic credentials in EduTech.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142664630","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}
M. Huerta-Gomez-Merodio, M. V. Requena-Garcia-Cruz
{"title":"Application of MS Excel and FastTest PlugIn to automatically evaluate the students' performance in structural engineering courses","authors":"M. Huerta-Gomez-Merodio, M. V. Requena-Garcia-Cruz","doi":"10.1002/cae.22799","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22799","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In recent years, the method of assessment in universities has been rapidly changing, shifting from entirely in-person evaluations to a blended evaluation approach (b-Learning).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Purpose</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To effectively implement this type of assessment, it is necessary to create numerous similar problems with different data sets. In structural engineering courses, this entails a significant amount of work for the lecturers. Therefore, this work introduces a novel teaching and evaluation strategy leveraging technology to automate tasks, aiming to enhance student monitoring and alleviate lecturer workload.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Method</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The digital platform Moodle has been used combined with the FastTest PlugIn to create computer coding to develop different problems. These problems, maintaining consistent structures but varying data, served both instructional and evaluative purposes in two structural engineering courses. As a novelty, these problems are automatically evaluated and created following the coding routine created. Some drawbacks have been identified while applying the method. Scientifically validated quizzes have been used to assess the efficacy of the method in engaging students and enhancing their confidence and satisfaction.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Findings suggest that while initial setup requires additional time, the investment pays off in the grading efficiency, benefiting educators and students alike. The method has facilitated the creation of additional exercises for practice, and the inclusion of automatically corrected diagrams was appreciated by students. The results have indicated that this method has improved the motivation, attention, and confidence among students, leading to significant enhancements in academic performance, up to 40%.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This methodology has achieved positive responses from students. Hence, it is concluded that the time invested in developing structural engineering problems using MS Excel and the FastTest PlugIn in Moodle is worthwhile, as it motivates students to improve their academic performance. Furthermore, as the main outcome, it is shown that the time invested by the lecturer in developing the problems is amortized in subsequent academic years since the problems are graded automatically. For courses with many students, it is amortized sooner.</p>\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.22799","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142665169","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}
Vando Gusti Al Hakim, Nuur Azreen Paiman, Mohamad Haidar Syaifullah Rahman
{"title":"Genie-on-demand: A custom AI chatbot for enhancing learning performance, self-efficacy, and technology acceptance in occupational health and safety for engineering education","authors":"Vando Gusti Al Hakim, Nuur Azreen Paiman, Mohamad Haidar Syaifullah Rahman","doi":"10.1002/cae.22800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22800","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) education is essential for preparing engineering students to maintain safety standards and prevent workplace hazards. Traditional learning resources, such as textbooks, can be time-consuming and inadequate for immediate, context-specific queries. Advanced AI chatbots offer interactive and immediate feedback, but they often lack specificity and depend on users' prompting skills, which not all students possess. This study introduces “Genie-on-Demand,” a custom AI chatbot designed to address students' queries with precise, curriculum-aligned responses. Educators can train the chatbot using specific learning materials by uploading PDFs, ensuring relevant and accurate answers. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 106 electrical engineering students divided into three groups: those using the custom chatbot, those using a conventional chatbot (ChatGPT), and those employing traditional learning methods. Results demonstrated that the custom chatbot significantly improved learning performance, self-efficacy, and technology acceptance compared to other methods. Students reported increased confidence and effectiveness in using the custom chatbot as a learning assistant. This study highlights the potential of customized AI solutions in education, with versatile applications across various disciplines.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142665200","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}
Iñigo Cuiñas, Iago González-Alonso, Isabel Expósito, Manuel García-Sánchez, Pablo Torío
{"title":"Virtual reality for training on measuring human exposure to electromagnetic fields around cellular base stations","authors":"Iñigo Cuiñas, Iago González-Alonso, Isabel Expósito, Manuel García-Sánchez, Pablo Torío","doi":"10.1002/cae.22798","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cae.22798","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Assessing of human exposure to electromagnetic field is one of the tasks of a telecommunication engineer. This activity has significant social interest, as the measured levels must comply with health safety limits. It is also an appealing area for students as it integrates concepts related to radiofrequency, antennas, and propagation, both theoretically and practically. We offer our students practical activities for measuring field levels, using test and measurement equipment. Additionally, we have developed a virtual reality tool to enhance our students' skills in this area, which is presented in this paper. We compare the learning outcomes of two separate groups of students to validate the performance of this new tool. The first group attended a lesson with theoretical content and then performed outdoor measurements. The second group had the added virtual reality experience before using the test equipment. Quantitative results show an improvement in the assimilation of the concepts, and qualitative feedback from the users confirms the effectiveness of this approach.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.22798","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142665150","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}
Gabriel Castelblanco, Laura Cruz-Castro, Zhenlin Yang
{"title":"Performance of a Large-Language Model in scoring construction management capstone design projects","authors":"Gabriel Castelblanco, Laura Cruz-Castro, Zhenlin Yang","doi":"10.1002/cae.22796","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cae.22796","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Grading is one of the most relevant hurdles for instructors, diverting instructor's focus on the development of engaging learning activities, class preparation, and attending to students' questions. Institutions and instructors are continuously looking for alternatives to reduce educators' time required on grading, frequently, resulting in hiring teaching assistants whose inexperience and frequent rotation can lead to inconsistent and subjective evaluations. Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4 may alleviate grading challenges; however, research in this field is limited when dealing with assignments requiring specialized knowledge, complex critical thinking, subjective, and creative. This research investigates whether GPT-4's scores correlate with human grading in a construction capstone project and how the use of criteria and rubrics in GPT influences this correlation. Projects were graded by two human graders and three training configurations in GPT-4: no detailed criteria, paraphrased criteria, and explicit rubrics. Each configuration was tested through 10 iterations to evaluate GPT consistency. Results challenge GPT-4's potential to grade argumentative assignments. GPT-4's score correlates slightly better (although poor overall) with human evaluations when no additional information is provided, underscoring the poor impact of the specificity of training materials for GPT scoring in this type of assignment. Despite the LLMs' promises, their limitations include variability in consistency and reliance on statistical pattern analysis, which can lead to misleading evaluations along with privacy concerns when handling sensitive student data. Educators must carefully design grading guidelines to harness the full potential of LLMs in academic assessments, balancing AI's efficiency with the need for nuanced human judgment.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142248859","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":"Effect of jigsaw-integrated task-driven learning on students' motivation, computational thinking, collaborative skills, and programming performance in a high-school programming course","authors":"Zehui Zhan, Tingting Li, Yaner Ye","doi":"10.1002/cae.22793","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cae.22793","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Computer programming has emerged as an important field in K-12 science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education in the AI era. However, contemporary programming education is hindered by fragmented course content, high complexity, and difficulties in maintaining engagement, impeding smooth progress. More effective collaborative learning strategies need to be explored. This study constructed jigsaw-integrated task-driven learning (jigsaw-TDL) in a high school Python programming course under a STEM curriculum and verified its teaching effectiveness on students’ learning motivation, computational thinking, collaborative skills, and programming performance both quantitatively and qualitatively. Nighty-nine high school students were randomly assigned to a jigsaw-TDL group and a general collaborative task-driven learning group (collaborative-TDL). During the experiment, a Python programming course was introduced over 7 weeks. Questionnaires, programming tasks, and semistructured interviews were comprehensively applied to examine students’ learning outcomes. Finally, the jigsaw-TDL group showed significantly better performance than the collaborative-TDL group in learning motivation, computational thinking, and collaborative skills. However, it only led to better programming performance in the less complex tasks. The majority of students held a positive attitude toward the jigsaw-TDL model, acknowledging its benefits in group collaboration, programming knowledge acquisition, and application. This research provides empirical evidence and potential guidance for task organization and collaborative learning support in programming courses and STEM education.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142194074","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":"Teaching experience for process identification using first-order-plus-time-delay models","authors":"Nourdine Aliane","doi":"10.1002/cae.22794","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cae.22794","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper introduces an instructional framework for process identification, combining theoretical concepts with practical laboratory exercises, focusing particularly on the identification of first-order-plus-time-delay models. Our methodology emphasizes guiding students through the various stages involved in the system identification process, namely mastering techniques, such as data acquisition and preprocessing, identification and validation stages, and method comparison. The laboratory assignment is structured into three distinct stages: an initial prelab task working with simulated data, the hands-on work with laboratory equipment, and the assignment report writing and oral presentation. The assessment of students' learning outcomes is conducted using a detailed rubric. Feedback from a focus group interview indicates that the majority of students appreciated the well-balanced content, highlighting a strong link between theoretical concepts and practical application.</p>","PeriodicalId":50643,"journal":{"name":"Computer Applications in Engineering Education","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.22794","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142194077","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}