Background In Dutch engineering education, female students outperform male students.Using an interactionalist framework, this study explores factors that contribute to this gender-based difference.Purpose This study aims to answer two questions: Do female and male students differ in background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success? Are differences in the relationships among background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success gender-specific?Design/method Data on male and female engineering undergraduate students from five Dutch universities were subjected to linear structural modeling to compare potential gender differences in the relationships among the focal variables. Two structural models were considered.Results Female students spent more time on independent study, reported more social inte- gration, completed more credits, and were more likely to stay in engineering than were male students. Academic integration and intention to persist were important for comple- tion of credits for both genders. Social integration was only important for men’s academic success. Females seemed to benefit less from good preparation through active learning during secondary education, and the effect of a high grade point average on math was neg- ative for females but positive for males.Conclusions Interactionalist concepts can explain academic success, but the relationships among concepts vary by gender. Males’ intentions to persist in engineering are an outcomeof engagement processes during the first year, whereas females’ intentions to persist in engineering are manifest at the start of the first year.
Background In Dutch engineering education, female students outperform male students.Using an interactionalist framework, this study explores factors that contribute to this gender-based difference.Purpose This study aims to answer two questions: Do female and male students differ in background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success? Are differences in the relationships among background characteristics, engagement factors, and academic success gender-specific?Design/method Data on male and female engineering undergraduate students from five Dutch universities were subjected to linear structural modeling to compare potential gender differences in the relationships among the focal variables. Two structural models were considered.Results Female students spent more time on independent study, reported more social inte- gration, completed more credits, and were more likely to stay in engineering than were male students. Academic integration and intention to persist were important for comple- tion of credits for both genders. Social integration was only important for men’s academic success. Females seemed to benefit less from good preparation through active learning during secondary education, and the effect of a high grade point average on math was neg- ative for females but positive for males.Conclusions Interactionalist concepts can explain academic success, but the relationships among concepts vary by gender. Males’ intentions to persist in engineering are an outcomeof engagement processes during the first year, whereas females’ intentions to persist in engineering are manifest at the start of the first year.
We found out that 25 % of our students came to study at the Electrical & Electronic Engineering department (E&E) because they were active (as a hobby) in music. Because of this the E&E department offers their students to work in video and audio themes in all projects of their education. From our inquiries we found out what students interests are and we use these interests for new project themes. The study has been changed in such a way that it is possible to have these project themes twice in every semester. Amongst them are, besides music, e.g. medical, sports, automotive and mechatronics. Other inquiries show that 47 % of our students choose for ICT because they are interested in computers or programming or do this for their hobby. Inspired by this the ICT department defined four new fields of interest: game design, management & security, mobile computing and life style. Both E&E and ICT connect the projects in their courses directly to industry and in this way students and lecturers are intensively involved in industry. From two surveys we learned that working this way is an excellent way to get students motivated and gives them drive and enjoyment in their study.
The pace of technology advancements continues to accelerate, and impacts the nature of systems solutions along with significant effects on involved stakeholders and society. Design and engineering practices with tools and perspectives, need therefore to evolve in accordance to the developments that complex, sociotechnical innovation challenges pose. There is a need for engineers and designers that can utilize fitting methods and tools to fulfill the role of a changemaker. Recognized successful practices include interdisciplinary methods that allow for effective and better contextualized participatory design approaches. However, preliminary research identified challenges in understanding what makes a specific method effective and successfully contextualized in practice, and what key competences are needed for involved designers and engineers to understand and adopt these interdisciplinary methods. In this proposal, case study research is proposed with practitioners to gain insight into what are the key enabling factors for effective interdisciplinary participatory design methods and tools in the specific context of sociotechnical innovation. The involved companies are operating at the intersection between design, technology and societal impact, employing experts who can be considered changemakers, since they are in the lead of creative processes that bring together diverse groups of stakeholders in the process of sociotechnical innovation. A methodology will be developed to capture best practices and understand what makes the deployed methods effective. This methodology and a set of design guidelines for effective interdisciplinary participatory design will be delivered. In turn this will serve as a starting point for a larger design science research project, in which an educational toolkit for effective participatory design for socio-technical innovation will be designed.
In dit project zal een online onderwijsmodule worden ontworpen. In deze module zal een deel van de output van het project Bouwen met Levende Natuur worden verwerkt tot onderwijs. Het maken van online course materiaal binnen de HZ onderwijsonwikkeling, waar zowel echte casuistiek uit de de beroepspraktijk, als gebruik van ICT mogelijkheden centraal staan. Door de modulaire opbouw zal het mogelijk zijn onderdelen in verschillende courses te verwerken. De docent kan dan de module naar eigen wens, en onafhankelijk van de beschikbaarheid van interne of externe gastdocenten, inzetten voor ‘blended learning’. De benadering binnen de learning unit(s) volgt het constructivisme, activiteiten die te maken hebben met kennisoverdracht, zullen derhalve worden afgewisseld met verwerkingsopdrachten. De volledige onderwijsmodule richt zich vooral op onderwijs op het gebied van Coastal Engineering van de opleiding Civiele Techniek (CT), in eerste instantie van de Delta Academy; CT studenten blijken behoefte te hebben aan een uitleg van ecologische principes vanuit vanuit een meer technisch perspectief. De learning units/onderwijsmodule is uiteraard ook beschikbaar voor andere hbo opleidingen. Het geselecteerde gedeelte, de eerste learning unit, zal ook bruikbaar zijn voor de course Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), waarin oa het concept Building with Nature wordt uitgelegd. In de huidige vorm wordt dit onderdeel op de klassieke manier gebracht, in de vorm van een hoorcollege. De ontwikkeling van online materiaal maakt de afwisseling met het verwerken van de aangebrachte kennis eenvoudiger; de structuur daarvoor wordt in de online versie al aangebracht. Deze learning unit brengt niet alleen wat aanvullende benaderingen vanuit technisch perspectief, maar is ook een aanpassing, die het geheel hestructureert volgens het constructivisme. De course ICZM is een keuze-course, bedoeld voor Aquatische Ecotechnologie (AET), Delta Management (DM) en CT studenten; waar CT studenten meer behoefte hebben aan een technisch perspectief, heeft deze course ook te maken met DM studenten, die juist wat meer kennis zouden moeten maken met meer technische benaderingen.
Fontys University of Applied Science’s Institute of Engineering, and the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER) are proposing to set up a professorship to develop novel sensors for fusion reactors. Sensors are a critical component to control and optimise the unstable plasma of Tokamak reactors. However, sensor systems are particularly challenging in fusion-plasma facing components, such as the divertor. The extreme conditions make it impossible to directly incorporate sensors. Furthermore, in advanced reactor concepts, such as DEMO, access to the plasma via ports will be extremely limited. Therefore, indirect or non-contact sensing modalities must be employed. The research group Distributed Sensor Systems (DSS) will develop microwave sensor systems for characterising the plasma in a tokamak’s divertor. DSS will take advantage of recent rapid developments in high frequency integrated circuits, found, for instance, in automotive radar systems, to develop digital reflectometers. Access through the divertor wall will be achieved via surface waveguide structures. The waveguide will be printed using 3D tungsten printing that has improved precision, and reduced roughness. These components will be tested for durability at DIFFER facilities. The performance of the microwave reflectometer, including waveguides, will be tested by using it to analyse the geometry and dynamics of the Magnum PSI plasma beam. The development of sensor-based systems is an important aspect in the integrated research and education program in Electrical Engineering, where DSS is based. The sensing requirements from DIFFER offers an interesting and highly relevant research theme to DSS and exciting projects for engineering students. Hence, this collaboration will strengthen both institutes and the educational offerings at the institute of engineering. Furthermore millimeter wave (mmWave) sensors have a wide range of potential applications, from plasma characterisation (as in this proposal) though to waste separation. Our research will be a step towards realising these broader application areas.
