Comparing the Undergraduate Experience of Engineers to All Other Majors: Significant Differences are Programmatic

Background The authors partnered with the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to examine how persistence within the engineering major and engagement of undergraduate students in engineering compare to other majors. Purpose (Hypothesis ) We explored three research questions: How do engineering students rate their college engagement compared to students in other majors? How do engineering persisters, non‐persisters, and migrators compare in terms of collegiate engagement, time on task, and enriching educational experiences? What college engagement factors predict persistence in engineering? Design /Method Data are from nearly 12,000 students who completed the NSSE survey in their first and senior years as undergraduates. Surveys were analyzed using ANOVA and Chi‐square calculations to determine whether differences emerged in three dimensions of student engagement based on students' self‐reported major. Due to the large sample, effect size was used to determine statistical significance. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that predict persistence among first year students and seniors in engineering. Results Results show that engineering majors are similar to non‐engineering majors on most variables. However, engineering majors reported significantly higher gains in practical competence and higher order thinking, but the lowest means on reflective learning and gains in general education. Engineering majors reported significantly more time preparing for class and less time participating in educationally enriching experiences. Conclusions We conclude that different educational outcomes between majors are the result of programmatic differences. The packed engineering curriculum requires students to make trade‐offs between gaining practical/marketable skills and participating in educationally enriching activities. We question this trade‐off and suggest alternative approaches.     

Assessing the Impact of Engineering Undergraduate Work Experience: Factoring in Pre‐work Academic Performance

This paper examines how undergraduate work experiences affect engineering graduates' post‐graduation starting salary, their cumulative grade point average upon graduation, and their likelihood of receiving a job offer prior to graduation. This study contributes to the field of undergraduate work experiences uniquely by taking into account academic performance prior to work experience, including the exact number of work experiences, and examining how gender interacts with work experience to affect the measured outcomes. The results show that more experience results in a higher post‐graduation starting salary and an increased likelihood of a job offer prior to graduation. Increases in cumulative GPA upon graduation were only marginal. Furthermore, undergraduate work experience affected female and male students as well as students from different majors similarly.     

Widening the Net: National Estimates of Gender Disparities in Engineering

This paper explores the causes behind the severe under‐representation of women in engineering. Based on national data on undergraduate engineering programs, this study presents cross‐sectional estimates of male and female student retention. Contrary to widespread beliefs, the study found that overall and in most disciplines there is no differential attrition by gender. Instead, results suggest that gender disparities in engineering are largely driven by inadequate enrollment (not inadequate retention) of women. The paper concludes that outreach—within institutions of higher education, across institutions (into two‐year colleges, middle and high schools), and into K‐12 curricular reform—are needed to address what is, at its very core, a recruitment problem.     

高等院校工业工程专业本科培养计划国内外比较研究

在对国内外大学具有影响的工业工程专业本科培养计划调查的基础上,对各学校工业工程本科教育的专业计划、课程体系及教学内容进行了分析比较,并归纳总结了国内外大学在培养目标、课程设置、课程比例以及课程时数方面的异同。基于上述分析和比较,对我国高等院校工业工程专业本科教育的培养目标和课程体系设计提出了建议。     

An Intervention to Address Gender Issues in a Course on Design,Engineering, and Technology for Science Educators

A course on design, engineering, and technology based on Bandura's theory of self‐efficacy was taught to nine science education graduate students who were also practicing teachers. The interpretive analysis method was used to code and analyze qualitative data from focus groups, weekly reflections on classes and readings, and pre‐, post‐, and delayed‐post course questions. The improvement in tinkering and technical self‐efficacies for five males was limited because of initially higher self‐efficacies while that for four females was moderate to high, especially when working in same‐sex teams in a non‐competitive environment. All students also increased their understanding of the societal relevance of engineering and their ability to transfer engineering concepts to pre‐college classrooms. Implementing the principles employed in this intervention in pre‐college science and university engineering classrooms could help recruit students into engineering as well as help retain both male and female undergraduate engineering students.     

工业工程专业生产实习教学改革的探索与实践

在工业工程本科生的生产实习环节的改革中,实践了一种新的教学模式.在这一模式中,要求学生应用工业工程的知识到企业完成一个实际的项目以实现性能的改善.结果显示,这样做使得企业、学生和学校三方共赢.     

职业倾向对组织承诺与留职意向影响研究——以电力系统青年员工为例

本研究从青年员工职业生涯发展视角,以电力系统青年员工为样本,实证研究青年员工的职业倾向与组织承诺、留职意向的关系.研究发现:青年员工的服务型、挑战型倾向对情感承诺、规范承诺具有显著的正向影响,自主型倾向对情感承诺、规范承诺具有显著的负向影响;管理型倾向与情感承诺对留职意向具有显著的正向影响.本研究结论为企业特别是电力企业有效开发青年员工的职业生涯,并在开发中提高青年员工的组织承诺及有效保留青年员工提供有益的思路和依据.     

硗碛水电站大坝碎石土防渗料工程特性及土料设计

硗碛水电站大坝高123 m，采用宽级配碎石土作为高土石坝心墙防渗料。对全料场进行了大量的室内工程特性试验研究以论证使用该材料的可行性，提出了设计及施工控制标准；选用代表性土料通过现场碾压试验验证该控制标准的合理性；对坝体、坝基进行了整体三维应力应变和渗流计算，分析了各种材料控制标准的合理性和共同作用下大坝的安全性；详实论述了防渗料工程特性研究方法、过程、成果，提出了心墙防渗料设计及施工控制标准。     

极地系统科学考察——大科学系统工程管理探索

人与地球系统之间的相互作用已成为全球变化的重要驱动力，极地系统是感应全球变化的放大器和指示器极地系统科学进入了一个大科学研究时代。极地系统科学不但是一门研究极地系统对全球变化的响应与反馈作用中运转的机制、规律和控制这些变化的机理，并为区域复杂性及其对全球变化预测提供科学基础的科学，同时也是一门高新技术应用和人类认识自然活动并科学管理极地系统的系统工程学。20年来，中国科学家对极地系统复杂性有了深入的认识，对极地科学考察管理也进行了有益的探索。     

Research on the Giant and Complex Financial Information System Engineering Management from the Perspective of Meta-synthesis Methodology—with the Bank Card Information Exchange System Engineering as a Sample

The paper empirically studies the engineering practices of the national currency circulation information system-China Union Pay’s Bankcard Information Exchange System. By integrating the meta-synthesis methodology and the financial information system engineering, the paper proposes basic principles and processes of the giant and complex financial information system engineering management, and further explores its paradigm and toolkit.     

Influence of eutectic mixture as a multi-component system in the improvement of physicomechanical and pharmacokinetic properties of diacerein

A multi-component system of diacerein (DIA) with 2, 4 – dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHA) as coformer at various molar compositions was formulated to simultaneously improve solubility, compressibility and bioavailability of DIA by applying acetone assistant grinding technique. Various evaluation parameters pertaining to measure physicomechanical properties were conducted. Thermal analysis revealed a ‘V’-shaped binary phase diagram along with single melting event as a possibility of eutectic formation between drug and coformer. It was further confirmed PXRD and FT-IR. Equidimensional shape with platy nature of eutectic material was observed in SEM images imparting its better flow and compressibility. Solubility and dissolution study showed 2 and 1.8 folds enhancement respectively compared to pure DIA and control batch. Pharmacokinetic study proved 2.1 times higher bioavailability in case of prepared eutectic compared to DIA along with its stable nature. Hence, the multi-component system can become a potential way for the improvement of material characteristics.     

Understanding risk compensation in children: Experience with the activity and level of sensation seeking play a role

The aims of this study were to determine if children 7–12 years show risk compensation when engaging in ecologically valid recreational sports tasks, and to explore how experience with the activity and extent of sensation seeking influence this. Children were positioned up on a platform, on a bike or wearing rollerblades, and they were presented varying heights and inclines from which they selected the greatest one they go down when wearing and not wearing safety gear appropriate to the activity; when making their ratings they anticipated actually doing the task. Results revealed that children engaged in significantly more risk taking when wearing safety gear, thereby demonstrating risk compensation, and this was significantly greater for the activity with which they had greater experience. However, children high in sensation seeking demonstrated significantly more risk compensation in both the high and low experience activities, although the injury risk appraisals that predicted risk compensation varied with experience level. Implications for the design of injury prevention programs and directions for future research are discussed.     

How to search the experimental conditions that improve a Partial Least Squares calibration model: Application to a flow system with electrochemical detection for the determination of sulfonamides in milk

This paper deals with the selection of experimental conditions and how the signals obtained in these conditions influence the fitted Partial Least Squares calibration model. The multivariate signals come from a flow analysis system with amperometric detection when determining sulfadiazine, sulfamerazine and sulfamethazine in milk.The solution (carrier plus analyte) was pumped through the system to provide a continuous supply of analyte to the cell. The detector was programmed for a scan mode operation being the multivariate signal the hydrodynamic voltammogram. To obtain an analytical signal of enough analytical quality, the Net Analyte Signal and its standard deviation have been optimised by using an experimental design. The conflicting behaviour of the two responses has been solved by estimating the Pareto-optimal front.The multivariate signals recorded in the optimal conditions found have been calibrated by Partial Least Squares regression and their figures of merit validated according to the criteria established in European Decision 2002/657/EC.In relation to the permitted limit, 100 µg l^− 1 in milk, for the total content of sulfonamides established in the Commission Regulation EC no. 281/96 the proposed method has a decision limit of 109.1 µg l^− 1 and the capability of detection is 117.9 µg l^− 1 for both probability of false non-compliance and of false compliance equal to 5%. A recovery of 86.5% ± 2.4% (n = 5) has been obtained.     

Issues in motorcycle sensory and cognitive conspicuity: The impact of motorcycle low-beam headlights and riding experience on drivers’ decisions to turn across the path of a motorcycle

Background

Crashes involving a passenger car and a motorcycle, where the car is turning across the path of the motorcycle, are a major crash type of motorcycle riders. It has been proposed that the incidence of such crashes could be reduced through improvements in motorcycle conspicuity. Operation of low-beam headlights on motorcycles has been discussed as one approach for improving the “sensory conspicuity” of motorcycles during daylight hours, whilst previous experience as a rider may serve to heighten “cognitive conspicuity” through raised awareness of motorcyclists on our roads.

Method

Twenty-three experienced car drivers with no riding experience (“drivers”) and 20 experienced car drivers who were also motorcycle riders (“driver–riders”) completed a series of trials in a driving simulator where their task in each trial was to turn ahead of an oncoming vehicle if they felt that they had sufficient room to do so safely. A key manipulation across trials was whether the oncoming vehicle was a motorcycle with headlights on, or a motorcycle with headlights off. Time gap (short, medium, long) was also manipulated.

Results

Results indicate that, at time gaps defined in the current study as short, low-beam headlights may confer some benefit in gap acceptance by encouraging drivers to accept fewer gaps ahead of a motorcycle with headlights on than ahead of a motorcycle with headlights off. No statistically significant differences in gap acceptance between the headlight conditions were found at either the medium or long time gaps. Irrespective of time gap, driver–riders were found to adopt a more efficient turn strategy than drivers with no direct riding experience.

Conclusions

Overall, the present research provides support for the use of low-beam headlights and riding experience as tools through which to augment the sensory and cognitive conspicuity of motorcycles, respectively. It is proposed that further research aim to explore directly the precise mechanisms underlying the observed effects.     

Conception and Exploration of Using Data as a Service in Tunnel Construction with the NATM

The New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) has been widely used in the construction of mountain tunnels, urban metro lines, underground storage tanks, underground power houses, mining roadways, and so on. The variation patterns of advance geological prediction data, stress–strain data of supporting structures, and deformation data of the surrounding rock are vitally important in assessing the rationality and reliability of construction schemes, and provide essential information to ensure the safety and scheduling of tunnel construction. However, as the quantity of these data increases significantly, the uncertainty and discreteness of the mass data make it extremely difficult to produce a reasonable construction scheme; they also reduce the forecast accuracy of accidents and dangerous situations, creating huge challenges in tunnel construction safety. In order to solve this problem, a novel data service system is proposed that uses data-association technology and the NATM, with the support of a big data environment. This system can integrate data resources from distributed monitoring sensors during the construction process, and then identify associations and build relations among data resources under the same construction conditions. These data associations and relations are then stored in a data pool. With the development and supplementation of the data pool, similar relations can then be used under similar conditions, in order to provide data references for construction schematic designs and resource allocation. The proposed data service system also provides valuable guidance for the construction of similar projects.