An Empirical Study of Programming Languages Specified in Engineering Job Postings

Lisa Schibelius; Amanda Ross; Andrew Katz

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Publication Date: August 23, 2022
Start Date: June 26, 2022
End Date: June 29, 2022
Conference Session: Computers in Education 5 - Modulus 4
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--41235
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/41235
Download Count: 741

Paper Authors

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Lisa Schibelius Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Lisa Schibelius is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Her background includes a B.S. and M.S degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Alabama. She spent 4+ years in the aerospace industry with Airbus as an engineer in airworthiness & certification and retrofit of aircraft cabins in the Upgrade Services department. She aspires to use her connections from industry to bridge the gap between engineering education and industry needs, while helping students in their own personal development to become creative problem-solvers, effective communicators, and well-rounded, global engineers. Her research interests include academia-industry alignment, global engineering, cultural awareness, sustainable engineering, and art and creativity in engineering (but her research interests continue to evolve and expand).

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Amanda Ross Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Amanda Ross is a graduate student in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

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Andrew Katz Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Abstract

Advancements in information technology have driven a demand for computer literacy and a growing need for engineers to develop computer programming skills. Given the shift in demand for these skills in engineering, educators must assess the learning outcomes of current curricula and the selection of programming language utilized to develop students’ foundational knowledge of programming in order to prepare students for their future careers. One way to approach this course content decision is to teach based on industry needs. The purpose of this study was to identify the programming languages desired by industry for the most prominent engineering disciplines. Specifically, for this paper, we sought to answer the following two research questions: 1) Which programming languages are most commonly listed in recent U.S. employer job postings for some of the top engineering disciplines? 2) How do the programming language needs in these job postings vary by engineering discipline?

To answer these research questions, nearly 130,000 U.S.-based job postings were collected from the engineering job site engineerjobs.com. Engineering disciplines used in the job postings search included: mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, and biomedical engineering; since these disciplines are the most popular in engineering as measured by counts of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded by major in the U.S. in 2020. Each job posting contained information about the position title, location, company, salary range, required skills, and general job description. With this dataset of job postings, we analyzed both the job description and skills sections for specific keyword instances of programming language requirements for that engineering position.

Results from analysis of the job postings across engineering disciplines indicate that C++, MATLAB, and Python are the most prevalent programming languages, but results varied depending on keywords found in the tagged skills section compared to the job description. Results of this study have the potential to be used to inform pedagogical practices in engineering departments and bring insights into the type of programming skills future engineers may need based on their discipline. Future research could examine the extent to which programming skills taught in current undergraduate engineering program curriculum align with industry demands. Potential tensions between departmental learning outcomes and industry demands could also be explored to characterize dynamics at the interface of academia and industry when it comes to curricular influence and design.

Citation
Format

Schibelius, L., & Ross, A., & Katz, A. (2022, August), An Empirical Study of Programming Languages Specified in Engineering Job Postings Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41235

TY - CPAPER
AB - Advancements in information technology have driven a demand for computer literacy and a growing need for engineers to develop computer programming skills. Given the shift in demand for these skills in engineering, educators must assess the learning outcomes of current curricula and the selection of programming language utilized to develop students’ foundational knowledge of programming in order to prepare students for their future careers. One way to approach this course content decision is to teach based on industry needs. The purpose of this study was to identify the programming languages desired by industry for the most prominent engineering disciplines. Specifically, for this paper, we sought to answer the following two research questions: 1) Which programming languages are most commonly listed in recent U.S. employer job postings for some of the top engineering disciplines? 2) How do the programming language needs in these job postings vary by engineering discipline?

To answer these research questions, nearly 130,000 U.S.-based job postings were collected from the engineering job site engineerjobs.com. Engineering disciplines used in the job postings search included: mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, and biomedical engineering; since these disciplines are the most popular in engineering as measured by counts of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded by major in the U.S. in 2020. Each job posting contained information about the position title, location, company, salary range, required skills, and general job description. With this dataset of job postings, we analyzed both the job description and skills sections for specific keyword instances of programming language requirements for that engineering position.

Results from analysis of the job postings across engineering disciplines indicate that C++, MATLAB, and Python are the most prevalent programming languages, but results varied depending on keywords found in the tagged skills section compared to the job description. Results of this study have the potential to be used to inform pedagogical practices in engineering departments and bring insights into the type of programming skills future engineers may need based on their discipline. Future research could examine the extent to which programming skills taught in current undergraduate engineering program curriculum align with industry demands. Potential tensions between departmental learning outcomes and industry demands could also be explored to characterize dynamics at the interface of academia and industry when it comes to curricular influence and design.
AU - Lisa Schibelius
AU - Amanda Ross
AU - Andrew Katz
CY - Minneapolis, MN
DA - 2022/08/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - An Empirical Study of Programming Languages Specified in Engineering Job Postings
UR - https://peer.asee.org/41235
DO - 10.18260/1-2--41235
ER -