started social projects. Inthis study we propose a framework for the development a radio podcast for students in universities in orderto enhance their soft skill along their studies. We propose a methodology and then we present a case studyfor the implementation of the method approach. The results show that the radio podcast program helps thestudents and university to engage with the community in order to attend social problems. Also, the programhas demonstrated to develop the communication skills of the students involved by creating innovativesolutions in specific socio-economic contexts and coordinating in multidisciplinary teams.Keywords: podcast, social media, engineering education, Tec21, higher education, educational innovation.1
grantto develop and integrate and innovative teaching model designed to prepare future technicians for industry byincorporating soft skills training, career exploration, and entrepreneurship. This collaborative model will formallyconnect the Bucks Center for Workforce Development (CWD) sector with our for-credit engineering technologyprogram, our Business and Innovation Department, and with our educational and industry partners. This innovativeproject will enable our college to strengthen our technician education programs, formalize connections with CWD andour Business and Innovation Department, and prepare students for industry jobs through shadowing opportunities,employment, entrepreneurship, internships, and real-world, collaborative outreach
Science (CS) department got together and proposed a focused10-week long funded summer camp for two local high schools with the following objectives: 1. Provide graduate students to instruct in the areas of` mobile application development, forensics and cyber Security. 2. Provide CS one-on-one mentors for students while conducting their work-based learning experience in Computer Science. 3. Assign hands-on interdisciplinary projects that emphasize the importance of STEM fields when using and developing software applications. 4. Promote and develop soft skills among participants including leadership, communications skills, and teamwork.The proposal was funded, by DOE and the summer camps were conducted in the summer of
studentssimply state that they want to learn more about being a leader; specifics are missing in almostevery case, suggesting that they are not certain what leadership entails nor what is required toimprove. After completion of the course, one of the evaluation questions asks students for theirperception of the utility of the course. Primary responses have been: my awareness of theimportance and practice of soft skills improved substantially; this has been useful for my jobsearch/interviews; I feel more confident regarding how to work in teams; we learned from eachother due to the discussion-based nature of the course; the leadership scenarios we discussedwere extremely useful; this course should be required for all engineering students.I have also
theparticipation in industry forums and guided industry tours, internships or cooperative workexperiences, soft skill honing geared toward career readiness. These activities are undertaken sothat job placement in a chosen career occurs upon graduation. New opportunities for professionalinteractions with the industry partners will help integrate the undergraduate experience with thereal-world workplace, resulting in enhanced focus, interest, and success for the students. In thispaper, we present a theoretical model that holistically approaches recruitment, retention andemployment in baccalaureate degree Engineering Technology programs.IntroductionIn the U.S., a tremendous job growth is expected in STEM occupations through 2024 [1].According to the Indiana
19.4% (33) more about my field; Learn about new fields Support Find a mentor; Support other 13.5% (23) women in STEM; Gain inspiration Develop Network; Improve soft skills 7.6% (13) Communication Skills Connection to Direct Connection Network with professionals; 43.8% (71) Career Goals c work opportunities, learn to
] The essay “Soft Skills forThe New Economy: Their Place in Graduate Education in Engineering and EngineeringTechnology” states that graduates need to be educated in professional skills to succeed in theircareers. [1]Research Methods:Recognizing the need for the development of professional skills among engineering students, apilot study was conducted at University of Michigan-Flint mechanical engineering department.The study involved the development of workshops in collaboration with the librarians to improveimportant knowledge and skills that are not attained by regular course work in the curriculum. Aseries of workshops were offered over seven weekly sessions where students were assigned towrite a research paper relevant to their engineering
soft skills for engineering research and practice? Metrics such asretention, persistence, and self-efficacy beliefs, among others will be measured longitudinallyusing institutional statistics, performance reports, self-report surveys, and validated instrumentssuch as that developed by Lent for self-efficacy [1].The L-CAS ComponentsThe L-CAS model includes four major components: Background Experiences, Belonging,Formation, and Growth. Each component includes interventions designed after successfulpractices cited in the literature and credited to impact self-efficacy beliefs, persistence, andacademic success.The background experiences component takes into consideration socio-demographic and familyvariables identified to affect student’s self
instructional modalities (e.g., fullyonline, face-to-face, and hybrid). The data collection is considered a pilot study to evaluate theimpacts of S.M. in a CM program. The three initial experimental courses are Sustainability,Construction Materials/Methods, and Automation in Construction representing a lower, middle,and higher-level students in a minority-serving institution where about 60% of the students areHispanic, making the university one of the top granters of bachelor's degree to Hispanicundergraduates. The study seeks to enhance underrepresented student's soft skill developmentwho usually face professional challenges in today's competitive professional fields. The diversityof students in this university provides an excellent opportunity to
skills, curriculum not aligned toindustry needs, and shortfalls in “soft-skills”. When surveying stakeholders not directly workingwith the shipyards we found that many including educators, workforce development groupsand general public had an impression that shipyard work was “dirty”, “dead-end”, “low-paying”, “not technical”, and “not dependable”. However, the reality is that the shipyard jobsare growing, the technical skills are in a demand and there is a backlog of work creating longterm stable jobs. The lack of awareness has driven many students and working adults awayfrom technical fields and professions that would be useful for the shipyard. We have alsofound gaps in technical skill levels. Many education institutions have abandoned the
experiential education where student competitors (inthe case of student competitions – there are also competitions for the general public) solvepuzzles and simulated real-world challenges. The competitions build on a significant body ofwork related to experiential education and problem-based learning. Each of these topics is nowdiscussed.2.1. Experiential EducationExperiential education has a long history tracing back to apprenticeships [5]. It has been shownto be beneficial across a wide range of academic levels [6]–[11] and across numerous disciplines[12]–[16]. In addition to its technical benefits, it has also been shown to teach students soft skills[17], improve both creativity [18] and self-image [19] and even increase students’ likelihood
management skills, supervisory skills, and communicationskills. Additionally, the study supports existing literature: the mentoring relationship enhancesgraduate students’ understanding of their own research [9], their mentoring and teaching skills[5], [9], and can be an enjoyable experience [5].The graduate student and postdoc participants of this study recognized that the TTE REUmentoring experience has prepared them for future careers in academia and research.Furthermore, the skills developed through the mentoring experience are important for thedevelopment of well-rounded engineering professors. The impacts explored in this study areespecially important, as the mentoring experience helped mentors develop “soft” skills that arenot easily taught
topic generation and selection occurredduring this year. The impact of this change is assessed from both qualitative and quantitativeperspectives, using student response data to an end-of-experience survey.The survey collected participants’ demographic information and asked them about their reasonsfor participation. It also asked them to identify the benefits that they had sought fromparticipation and whether they had attained them or not. It asked them about their pre- and post-participation statuses, with regards to several key metrics (such technical skills and excitement),and soft skills. The survey also asked participants about the attribution of the gains that theymade to program participation.Participants were asked about participation
interact effectively[4],[5]. Since Construction managers spend most of theirprofessional life leading and communicating with workforce, developing interpersonal skillsand being able to express their ideas effectively is very significant [6]. Such professionalsmust be capable to seamlessly understand their peers, clients, and stakeholders and vice versa[7],[8].The lack of soft skills in CM professionals is a known and ongoing issue, as evidence fromthe construction industry suggests that fresh graduates are constantly challenged by the lackof basic communication skills needed to “hit the ground running.” [9],[10]. Moreover, whileevidence suggests that communication skills are critical to CM practices, other studies reportthat these skills are being
views. They are less likely to trust the government, get involved, or even follow the news.Engineering and iGensWhile much has been published regarding iGens in general regarding their preparation andattitude toward college, there is very little available that isolates those students choosing to studyengineering or computer science.Industry tells us new hire engineering students lack the social and essential skills (sometimesreferred to as soft skills) to be successful [10]. Technology has become an impediment todeveloping interpersonal relationships and people skills. iGens would rather communicatethrough technology than in person, a frustration to industry managers, especially when thecommunication concerns conflict. A KRONOS Workforce
lot aboutcommunication and collaboration. This was unexpected but definitely a good experience”).Although the summer internship occurred in an applied context, notably, smaller gains were alsoseen in these same skills in an academic setting according to survey data. This suggests that soft-skill gains in an applied setting may carry forward into the classroom.When examining data by program site, we find that self-efficacy and soft skills gains wererelatively lower (though still present) for the Silicon Valley site. In some cases, this may in partresult from a participant selection bias in Silicon Valley. For instance, Silicon Valley participantson average show greater self-efficacy at the program start relative to those from the other
power engineering to the University ofStrathclyde in the U.K. during summer to engage in research projects and research-relatedactivities. We discuss the program need, logistics, design, and evaluation results. Each year, sixnew students participate in the program; they are selected via a nation-wide competition. Ourprimary motivation for this program is to provide students with experience in internationalresearch and help prepare the next generation of U.S. competitive STEM workforce capable ofinnovation. Moreover, the students will develop soft skills such as teamwork, oral and writtencommunication, and time management. Since the operating parameters of the electric grid (e.g.,frequency and voltage levels) are different in Europe from those
prepare them for their shadowing experiences. Trainingincluded sessions on professional soft skills, shadowing procedures, and resume building.Additionally, the program team created a short video for those co-op/intern students who wouldbe shadowed students to watch ahead of their experiences.During Fall 2018 and Spring 2019, the 59 students assigned to the intervention group completeda total of 197 shadowing experiences at 65 different employers. Seven employers hostedshadowing students during both fall and spring semesters. The number of shadowing experiencesranged from 1 - 7, with a mean of 3.54. The variation in the number of experiences was mostlydue to scheduling constraints.Table 1. Demographic characteristics of intervention and
learning,reflection, and peer-to-peer instruction. PLTL was originally developed to focus on teachingtechnical skills [2], but, in our initiative, it was modified to teach soft skills, such as teamwork,leadership, effective communication, among others. Peer leaders were selected among volunteerstudents.A program for LIATS was recently established in the College of Engineering to address thedifferences between the performance of low-income students when compared with the generalengineering population. A cohort of ninety-two (92) students, ranging from 1st. to 3rd. year ofstudy participate in the program. The purpose of this program is to increase retention andimprove graduation rates of students from economically disadvantaged communities as well
Technology Processes I Calculus for Engineering Engineering Engineering Graphics 2 Technology 1 Graphics 1 Calculus for Engineering Electrical Circuits 1 Physics 2 Technology 2We also negotiated with the respective colleges to offer special sections of physics,engineering fundamentals, Excel and chemistry to engineering technology students.The extent of the adaptation ranged from changing a final assignment to offering anentire section geared toward engineering technology students.In addition to math, science, and engineering, ABET requires that students accomplish“soft” skills upon graduation so that they have the ability and understanding to do thefollowing: work as a member of a team, communicate in
encounter in the industry, and Nabi and Bagley[12] suggested that career advisors could do more to foster students’ appreciation for theimportance of communication skills in finding a job.Several studies have looked at both engineering students’ self-efficacy and perceptions ofimportance related to communication skills, albeit separately [6,9-10,12]. Direito et al. [9] andNabi and Bagley [12] asked engineering students and recent graduates to rate their proficiencyand perceived importance related to a variety of technical and professional skills. Itani and Srour[10] asked engineering students to report their ability of certain soft skills and their perceivedimportance on these skills to determine a career choice. All three studies noted a skills
once for engineering as well.Challenges in Helping Students Improve Their Technical LiteracyAt community colleges, faculty do not receive reduced teaching load for participating in researchor extracurricular activities so their participation is on a voluntary base. Community collegefaculty also does not have graduate students and post docs to assist with supervisingundergraduate projects. Community college faculty are focused on teaching and are notencouraged to be involved in the kind of activities that MESA Center is offering. Some of thestudents’ limitations include weaknesses in soft skills such as time management, teamwork, andcommunications, make balancing of school requirements, MESA activities, family, and outsidejobs, a very difficult
careers, I believe that they will in fact be better prepared for aglobal world.This work was funded in part by a grant from my University through the Campus Committee forDiversity and Inclusion.References[1] A. Parkinson "The Rationale for Developing Global Competence," Online Journal for GlobalEngineering Education: Vol. 4:Iss. 2, Article 2, 2009 [Online] Available at:http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/ojgee/vol4/iss2/2http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/ojgee/vol4/iss2/2[2] C. Del Vitto ,"Cross-Cultural "Soft Skills" and the Global Engineer: Corporate Best Practicesand Trainer Methodologies," Online Journal for Global Engineering Education: Vol. 3: Iss. 1,Article 1, 2008 [Online] Available athttp://digitalcommons.uri.edu/ojgee/vol3/iss1/1http
ceramic. At the end of the first semester ofthe program, SCS students in the program had to prepare and make a presentation describingtheir progress with their research work. This task provided an important element for professionaldevelopment for the students in the program, as they were participating in group discussions andpracticed to improve their career “soft” skills, like oral communication and collaborative,project-based learning skills [9].To address the outreach element of the program, special hands-on workshop series offeredtraining and exposure to various manufacturing techniques for advanced materials. This includedthe composite fabrication sessions, where students learned how to fabricate polymer reinforcedcomposite materials using
areasof UAV technologies. The paper also discusses lessons learned, student feedback, and theirsuggestion for improvements. Students reported statistically significant changes in skills related toUAVs from pre-participation to post-participation. In addition, improvements in “soft skills”,particularly with regard to working in teams, were found in qualitative/quantitative results.I. IntroductionThe goal of this REU Site is to provide research experience to undergraduates and expose them tostate-of-the-art in the area of UAV technologies in a multidisciplinary environment. The researchfocus of the Site is UAV dynamics & control, increased autonomy of UAVs, and their applications.UAVs have been used for remote sensing, precision
required for succeeding in theIndustry 4.0 environment. In this report, the authors reviewed all current relevant publicationsand developed a list of technical and soft-skill competencies needed to be successful andproductive in Industry 4.0. The list of soft skills is similar to the other competencies sharedabove. In Table II we list all the identified technical competencies separated as engineering,business and design competencies.Table II: Engineering, Business and Design Elements of Industry 4.0Engineering Competencies Business Competencies Design CompetenciesData Science and advanced (Big Data) Technology awareness Understanding theanalysis impact of technologyNovel
ofemployability skills, and strengthening of their own self-efficacy and confidence to pursue acareer in agSTEM.Youth are guided through career exploration, college majors, and the development ofemployability skills, the new industry term for soft skills by their mentor and ambassador inregular mentoring sessions. Youth are able to connect with their mentor and ambassador throughemail, phone calls, or video calls to accommodate schedules and participate wherever they arelocated. During these mentoring sessions mentors and ambassadors are provided with discussionprompts, activities, and other resources relevant to the assigned topic for that cycle. The topics ofthese cycles are tied to the desired objectives and educational goals to ensure
after hiring.Specifically, the skills and competencies supporting the Advanced Manufacturing sector havebeen shown to be in high demand and are the focus of the current project under National ScienceFoundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant No.1601487.The goals and objectives of the NSF grant project are listed in Table I. Table I. Goals of the Project GOAL 1 To strengthen an Engineering Technology program serving the southern New Jersey region. Objective 1.1 Highlight technical and non-technical (soft) skills across the curriculum; align with industry needs, including student work-based learning opportunities such as undergraduate
, will use in co-op job Male College-Ready Join design teams. Great way to meet others and learn other things. Female Direct Admit Mentally step away from school if needed. If crying on math assignment, step away for a minute. If you manage your time well, taking time will be possible. Table 2 Activities for freshmen cohort, peer mentoring roles and homework assignments Semester Freshmen Activities Peer Mentor Role Fall 2019 Soft skills: study habits, time management, “One thing advice” note taking, and communication. Example of how skill used in
. CSE graduates willincreasingly need communication and other “soft” skills to work with specialists from non-CSEbackgrounds.The senior capstone course is a place in which students can experience multidisciplinaryteamwork. Such courses provide several beneficial learning outcomes for students, including:• Apply learning from pre-capstone courses.• Design and implement solutions to “real world” problems.• Solve problems in a “real world” team setting.• Develop the teamwork (i.e., communication, professional, and social) skills needed for the workplace.• Practice the skills needed for life-long learning.The literature describes a variety of capstone courses with different emphases and benefits. Forexample: Schneider [19] describes a capstone