Browsing by Subject "Engineering education"

Now showing 1 - 18 of 18

Open Access
Advantage of using Web 2.0 applications in class
(ACM, 2010) Aydinol, Ayşe Begüm; Gültekin, Özgür
In this study the advantage of using Web 2.0 applications in terms of increasing student attention and enthusiasm will be emphasized by presenting the example of community service activities which were supported by the blog usage. Copyright 2010 ACM.
Open Access
An analysis of manipulated information and respective alternative costs in information systems and in decision making structures
(International Institute of Informatics and Systemics, IIIS, 2006) Güvenen O.; Öztürk, M.H.
Today Information Technologies create base for the most important decision support systems for the practices in academia, business and politics. The effectiveness and success of operations that are supported by information systems are directly correlated with the quantity, accuracy, timing, credibility and the quality of the information that prevails in the system. Rapid development of these technologies in recent decades allows high level of information transaction and communication through the whole world. The quantity of information that flows through information systems has increased tremendously. New researches and technological applications in this area aim to improve the systems quantitatively. However, despite a huge and continuous increase in information flow, the quality and reliability of the information in the systems are doubtful from many perspectives. We believe that quality and reliability considerations in information technologies are not handled by researchers and users adequately. So in this research we decided to discuss about quality and reliability aspects of the information flow. To be able to evaluate the information from qualitative perspectives, we believe that it is crucial to handle the problem in science and especially in social sciences by endogenising socio-economic phenomena and science methodology approaches. We hope this work will create a stimulus for researchers of Information Technologies and Systems to give importance to the reliability and quality of information issues.
Open Access
Assessment methods and how teachers and students view them in a computer science course at Uppsala University
(ACM, 2010) Ezel, Mithat Canberk
I have examined concepts of assessments and aimed to see differences between teachers and students opinions. I created a questionnaire and sent it to three groups in CS department at Uppsala University. These groups were undergraduate student, graduate students and teachers in CS. Copyright 2010 ACM.
Open Access
The best way to unblock the pipeline in CS is by getting everyone to code in schools. A debate
(ACM, 2016) Craig, A.; Lang, C.; Egan, M. A.; Ayfer, Reyyan
Many believe that the push to increase the number of skilled computer scientists must be a multi-pronged approach and be institutionalized at all levels of education. Some federal and local governments are requiring that all students become proficient in technical areas in primary and secondary schooling. Will the call for all schools to teach every student coding be the magic bullet that unblocks the computing pipeline? Is adding another core subject to an already crowded curricula the answer? Are schools ready? It is noted that there is no universal computer science/coding curriculum for teachers to follow, some teachers don't have the skills or the enthusiasm to do this, not all students can think logically so why try to force them? In the words of Einstein "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid".
Open Access
Coaching engineering freshmen at Bilkent University
(Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering, 2005) Özdemir, B. U.; Verhoeven, J. M.; Çelik, B. K.
In September 2003, the Faculty of Engineering at Bilkent University created an office to help first year students adapt to university life and start their academic studies effectively. For each of the three Departments of the Faculty, an 'academic student coordinator' offers personal coaching and consulting services for each individual student; the coordinator follows the progress of the students and contacts and advises them if necessary. The office offers an Engineering Orientation course that covers time management, study skills, problem solving and critical thinking. Besides this, the office offers tutorial sessions for physics courses, and organizes social activities.
Open Access
Discovering sustainability practices in research and innovation sites
(ARROW@TU, 2023-10-10) Downey, Robin Ann
Discovering sustainability pr ering sustainability practices in resear actices in research and inno ch and innovation This practice paper is a descriptive account of an experience with a sustainable development learning project for engineering students in a Science, Technology and Society (STS) course at Bilkent University. The students participated in the STS Sustainability Awards competition for two semesters in one academic year, an event that was inspired by Bilkent University’s 2021–2022 Sustainability Year. As part of the project, the students found a company or laboratory, consulted them on their innovation practices and asked questions that were grounded in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approaches. RRI can provide an opening for students to explore how various values, including sustainability and privacy, are considered in innovation practices. The values by design approach can help engineering students to see that innovators consider both instrumental and qualitative values during the innovation process. Although the project has been used in other years, the sustainability awards motivated students to explore how innovators respond to concerns around a range of sustainability issues. The award recipients produced projects on smart homes, nanotechnology-based solar panels, clean meat, industry 4.0, geothermal energy, air cars and magnetic resonance imaging technology, and gave presentations in events hosted by the Faculty of Engineering administrators. Although future research in this area is needed, applied learning experiences, such as the one that is described in this paper, could have the potential to help bridge the disciplinary divide between STS and engineering.
Open Access
The effect of video tutorials on learning spreadsheets
(ACM, 2010) Aydınol, Ayşe Begüm; Gültekin, Özgür
In this study a video tutorial for spreadsheet use (Excel) will be prepared by two undergraduate students by using a recorder and applied on a group of students to understand how effective this kind of a tutorial is to increase student achievement. Copyright 2010 ACM.
Open Access
Fine arts perspective in user interface design
(ACM, 2009) Kültür, Can; Veryeri Alaca I.
In this poster, we first aim to explain an interdisciplinary approach and question an idea and attempt. Second, we aim to underline challenges and enablers of such an attempt. This idea can be briefly summarized as "inclusion of learning activities and assessments that are applied in coordination with the Department of Fine Arts might be necessary in terms of developing visual design skills". The target of this approach is improving the courses like 'human computer interaction' or 'user-interface design'.
Open Access
In their words: Student feedback on an international project collaboration
(ACM, 2010) Chidanandan, A.; Russell-Dag, Lori; Laxer, C.; Ayfer, Reyyan
In this paper, we describe a collaborative course experience between students from universities in the USA and Turkey. Student teams worked together on a software engineering project for a non-profit organization based in Turkey. The students learned valuable skills in team-work, collaboration-facilitating software tools and working with peers from a different culture and a different time-zone. At the end of the course, in a focus group, students were asked for feedback regarding the course and its outcomes. In this paper, we describe the course from the student perspective. From this, and the instructor's experiences we provide a list of guidelines. Copyright 2010 ACM.
Open Access
Keeping the pace in CS-1 through the use of CMS
(ACM, 2009) Kültür, Can
In this poster, it is aimed to share the experience of using course management systems (CMS) in a CS-1 course. The aim was to focus on the individual needs of students while learning programming. Creating a social online environment for solving exercises and sharing solutions seemed to be effective to support instructors as well as students.
Open Access
On approximation sums by maximums and vice versa
(SAGE, 1994) Özaktaş, Haldun M.
We discuss the approximation max (x, y) ≈x+y for x, y >0, which is found to be useful in obtaining simple and transparent approximate solutions and interpretations for analytically complicated problems.
Open Access
An orientation course for freshmen in engineering
(European Society for Engineering Education, 2006) Çelik, Berrin Keyik; Özdemir, B. U.; Verhoeven, J. M.
To realize our mission as Academic Student Coordinators for engineering freshmen at Bilkent University, we offer an orientation course. This one credit required course can be seen as a tool to meet all students regularly and in a natural way, to get to know each other, to create an atmosphere which makes it easy for the students to contact us when they are confronted with serious problems. Along with these underlying objectives, the course aims to facilitate a smooth transition from high school to university by giving attention to general skills, study skills and communication skills. Workshops are offered on such issues as engineering in general, goal setting, time management, learning styles, test taking, stress management, critical thinking, strategies for effective and creative problem solving, and ethics. Attention is also given to practical issues such as various centers for academic and social support at Bilkent University and to campus and academic issues such as exam regulations and students' rights and responsibilities. The course has four graded elements: orientation days, seminars, class participation and the final exam. The orientation days cover a general orientation program at the very beginning of the semester. The seminars during the semester are offered by inspiring professionals, people successful in business, industry, the academic world or elsewhere. Class participation, the main element of the course, aims at having the students actively involved in in-class assignments working in groups of about 15 students. For the final exam the students write two essays: one about some campus oriented events in which they have participated; and another essay in which they write, in a clear given format, a reflection about themselves, evaluating their first semester at the Faculty of Engineering of Bilkent University. Throughout the semester the students are stimulated to be assertive, to be critical about themselves and about their environment, to think in terms of projects and problem based learning, to work both in small groups and alone. As the students write many different things, they have a personal portfolio at the end of the semester. All things considered, the course turns out to be an effective tool for our mission of coaching freshmen in engineering.
Open Access
Program outcomes: the core of program accreditation
(Higher Education Academy * Engineering Subject Centre, 2013-11) Özgüler, A. Bülent; Erçil, M. Y.; Payzın, A. E.; Platin, B. E.
Open Access
Student perspectives on sustainability in engineering education: multiple case study of european bachelor's programs in industrial engineering and management
(ARROW@TU, 2023-10-10) Trigueiros, Francisca; Kaipainen, Jenni; Silva, Frederico; Geising, Niklas; Tosun, Erdem Ata
The global sustainability crisis is calling for engineers to take action. To enable and empower engineers to address this crisis, there must be a change in engineering education. Given the industry's key role in not only causing but also solving this sustainability crisis, it is especially crucial to improve how sustainability is addressed in industrial engineering and management (IEM) education. This paper examines (1) to which extent European IEM degrees are covering sustainability; (2) European IEM students’ motivations to learn and work with sustainability topics; and (3) their perceptions of their degree’s contribution to their knowledge and motivation regarding sustainability; and (4) which sustainability-related changes they would like to see in their degrees. Three IEM curricula covering different regions of Europe—Portugal, Germany, and Turkey—were analysed. The mixed-method analysis included a quantitative evaluation of the extent to which each course meets specific theory-based learning objectives pertinent to sustainability in engineering education. The analysis was complemented by students’ perspectives, which were gathered through group discussions and interviews. The results reveal how sustainability is addressed in IEM education in different European regions, its impact on students’ knowledge and motivation for sustainability issues, and how sustainability in engineering education should be developed based on students' perceptions. These findings contribute to the research on sustainability in engineering education and support university teachers in revising engineering study programs to provide adequate sustainability understanding and skills to students.
Open Access
Turkey: a report on computer graphics education
(Technews, 1996) Özgüç, B.
In a formal or an informal manner, computer graphics has been a field of research and education since the early 1970s in Turkey. The earlier examples of academic research work came from Istanbul Technical University and Middle East Technical University in Ankara. Istanbul Technical University research efforts were basically on computer-aided design, whereas at the Middle East Technical University, more theoretical computer graphics work has been carried on.Two examples can be given of early theoretical graphics work: A hidden line elimination algorithm by Ibrahim Canbulat, and an automated drafting algorithm by the author [2, 3]. To the best of my knowledge, the earliest official computer graphics course was offered at the Middle East Technical University in 1979. With the establishment of Bilkent University in Ankara, the first private university in Turkey, computer graphics became an official track of study, not only in computer engineering, but in fine arts as well.In this paper, we examine the current state of computer graphics education in Turkey under two main headings. First, the educational activities within the departments of computer science will be examined. Then, the educational activities within the schools of art and design will be looked at. In order to find out the educational activities at various universities, we have written to 52 departments at 40 universities. The information given in this report is based on the responses from these departments. Many departments at various schools offer technical drawing courses by the use of drafting software. These have not been classified as computer graphics courses.
Open Access
Tutorial services for students at Bilkent University an evaluation after five years
(Sense Publishers, 2008) Çelik, B. Keyik; Özdemir, B. Uslu; Verhoeven, John M
To realize our mission as academic coordinators for engineering students at Bilkent University, we facilitate in different ways tutorial services. These focus on the first year courses for physics, mathematics and computer science, which are courses that turn out to be difficult, as students' comments and grades often show. Most tutorial services are realized in cooperation with the Departments. Senior undergraduate students or graduate students are hired to work as laboratory assistants or as homework graders, or to offer recitation classes. During these classes questions are answered, difficult issues are explained, while many exercises are done to gain the necessary routine for applying the theory. Such classes can form together with theory classes and laboratory sessions a consistent unity of different working forms. Besides these services, which are scheduled regularly and for which participation often is included in the grading, we coordinate tutorials on demand, for students asking for them. Another idea behind the tutorial services is that they give the possibility for advanced students to practice their teaching and communication skills. We organize application procedures, hire the students accepted for the job, follow their work with duty reports to be submitted by them, try to coach them in different ways. By participating in workshops, where special attention is given to strategies for active learning, tutors can work for a teaching certificate. After they finished their job satisfactorily, tutors may ask for a 'thank you letter', as a useful academic reference. Everything considered, although the infrastructure for the tutorial services is quite challenging, they form a useful tool for our mission as student coordinators.
Open Access
Use of intuitive tools to enhance student learning and user experience
(ACM, 2009) Altın, Rukiye; Bektik, Mustafa; Ekşioǧlu, Nuray; Koray, Can; Öner, Ömer Canbek; Sadetaş, Merve; Şener, Hilal; Şimşek, D.; Ma, C. C.; Price, C.; Routh, C. R.
Most user interfaces today present system functions by use of verbal or iconic symbols on static 2D menu pages organized in a hierarchical system [1]. This is unnatural to all human beings and must be learned, thus being a barrier between the full use and understanding of computer systems. With this problem in mind we set out to build a website and collaborative application for International Childrens Center (ICC) which could be used not only across languages but across ages as well. This effort was tested on a daily basis by a multinational team consisting of students from the United States and Turkey as well as children from the respective countries. This attention to usability will not only lead to an intuitive tool for the client but also teach the students in the course how to build intuitive user interfaces.
Open Access
Working across time zones in cross-cultural student teams
(ACM, 2009) Altın, Rükiye; Bektik, Mustafa; Ekşioglu, Nuray; Koray, Can; Öner, Ömer Canbek; Sadetaş, Merve; Şener, Hilal; Şimşek, Duygu; Ma, C. C.; Price, C.; Routh, C.
The ability to collaborate with fellow workers from different cultures on international projects is a key asset in today's job market . International projects add new dimensions to student teamwork. These types of projects give students the opportunity to participate in collaboration that is remote, cross-cultural, and linguistically challenging. This proposal examines an international term project completed by the computing students of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Bilkent University.