European engineering educators

Welcome to the penultimate episode of Season 2 of the SEFI podcast! In this episode we focus on the development of communication skills, primarily one that you, as the audience of this podcast, will be familiar with - active listening.

We talk to Dr. Gillian Saunders-Smits, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in the Cognitive Robotics department at Delft University of Technology, an investigator on the European PREFER project who has made use of her experience of industry to work towards reducing the gap between engineering graduate skills and industry needs. 

Show notes: https://www.sefi.be/2023/07/18/podcast-season-2-episode-5-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Join Dr. Natalie Wint (University College London) and Dr. Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) to learn about how we can help students develop their listening skills

Timestamps

0.00 Welcome and introduction to episode

0.30 Podcast Intro

0.45 Experiences of teaching communication from Natalie and Neil

1.48 Gillian’s Background

3.56 Delft University of Technology and inclusion within Ruth Graham report

6.10 What are transversal competencies?

8.32 Sub skills involved in communication

12.40 Reasons for the skills gap between education and industry

14.18 Levels of mastery

20.32 Comparing which skills are most valued by industry, academics and students

24.52 Design of activities to help students to develop transversal skills; communication games

27.46 Embedding communication activities within existing engineering modules

29.15 Features of effective and ineffective communication

30.45 Evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention

31.41 Aligning activities with learning outcomes, assessment and programme

32.42 Barriers to implementing interventions

33.51 Final advice from Gillian

35.00 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

For more detail on some of the findings discussed in this episode you can read Gillian’s publication “Using an industry instrument to trigger the improvement of the transversal competency learning outcomes of engineering graduates”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03043797.2021.1909539

To access the transversal competency tool that was developed, visit https://zenodo.org/record/4675078

To access the resources needed to make use of this listening activity in your own context, visit https://ocw.tudelft.nl/transversal-skills/communicating-is-more-than-just-talking-chinese-whispers-with-a-twist/

Further papers about the intervention

Exploring the effectiveness and the transversal competency retention of a game-based learning activity one year after student participation | Journal on Teaching Engineering (up.pt)

The effectiveness of an activity to practise communication competencies: A case study across five European engineering universities - Mariana Leandro Cruz, Sofia Sá, Diana Mesquita, Rui M Lima, Gillian Saunders-Smits, 2022 (sagepub.com)

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educators: www.sefi.be

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Written and produced by Neil Cooke and Natalie Wint.

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Welcome to the fourth episode of Season 2 of the SEFI podcast! This episode follows on from our last episode with Sofie Craps which focused on professional identity, to discuss other ways in which we can prepare students for the workplace.

In this episode we talk to Dr. Christopher Smith from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland (UK), co-chair of the SEFI Special Interest Group (SIG) on Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning, who has made use of his experience of graduate employment practices in industry to help him design flexible work-based learning programmes and thus gain an international reputation in the field.

Show notes: https://www.sefi.be/2023/06/19/podcast-season-2-episode-4-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Join Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) and Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) to learn about how we can help students develop their professional identity.

Timestamps

0.00 Welcome and introduction to episode

0.23 Podcast Intro

0.37 Experiences of work-based learning from Natalie and Neil

2.38 Chris’ Background

4.14 Glasgow Caledonian University

6.11 What does work-based learning mean in the context of engineering education?

7,49 How work-based learning fits in with the wider education system

9.44 Examples of how engineering education programmes have introduced work-based learning.

11.39 Gray’s topology of work-based learning (for work, at work, through work)

13.30 Considerations when designing work-based learning programmes: where do we start?

14.48 Framework for work-based learning

17.20 Relationships between stakeholders involved.

19.13 Co-creation of work-based learning: Arnstein’s ladder of participation

22.23 Examples of ‘tokenism’ within work-based learning

23.58 Strengthening relationships: increasing employer engagement.

27.28 Challenges involved in work-based learning.

29.04 Assessment practices

30.32 Benefits to students

33.11 Final advice from Chris

36.23 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

A selection of Chris’ work in this area can be found below:

https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/58495328/Smith_etal_ISEE_2022_Examining_required_flexibility_in_delivery_of_graduate.pdf

https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/74519901/p1644_p1653.pdf

Other work referenced in the episode:

Gray’s different types of work base learning:

Gray, D. (2001). A Briefing on Work-based Learning. York: Higher Education Academy

Ferrandez, RM and Kekale, T and Devins, DM (2016) A Framework for Work-Based Learning: Basic Pillars and the interactions between them. Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 6 (1). ISSN 2042-3896 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-06-2014-0026

Arnstein’s ladder of participation:

Arnstein, S. R. (1969) A Ladder Of Citizen Participation, Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35:4, 216-224, DOI: 10.1080/01944366908977225

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Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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Welcome to the third episode of Season 2 of the SEFI podcast!

In this episode we will discuss the PREFER project, which involved the development of a professional roles model with Dr Sofie Craps, a member of the Study Guidance Research Group of the Leuven Engineering & Science Education Centre (LESEC) at KU Leuven. Her experience in student recruitment, study guidance, and careers counselling provided her with a strong basis to start her research, which focuses on professional identity development and professional competencies.

Show notes: https://www.sefi.be/2023/05/15/podcast-season-2-episode-3-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Join Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) and Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) to learn about how we can help students develop their professional identity.

Timestamps

0.00 Abstract

0.28 Podcast Intro

0.45 Experiences of professional identity formation from Natalie and Neil

1.53 Sofie's Background

3.49 KU Leuven

5.07 Professional Identity

7.04 What is involved in identity development?

8.08 Barriers to developing self awareness and professional awareness

9.28 Introduction to the PREFER project

11.03 Development of the professional roles model; the three roles

13.31 Model validation

14.43 Developing role descriptors

16.55 Professional competencies associated with each of the roles

18.30 Which of the roles are most in demand?

20.27 Do different universities focus on different roles?

23.15 Diagnostic tools

27.17 The use of teaching interventions

28.18 Whats next? The URGENT project

31.09 Final advice from Sofie

35.11 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources

The systematic literature review can be found here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03043797.2020.1781062

The publication about the PREFER model can be found below:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03043797.2021.1889468

PREFER website: https://iiw.kuleuven.be/english/prefer

PREFER tests: https://iiw.kuleuven.be/english/prefer/instructor/prefer-tests

The plug in and play modules can be found here:

https://ocw.tudelft.nl/transversal-skills/

Good practices for educators: https://iiw.kuleuven.be/english/prefer/instructor/implementation

Paper about implementation in education:

https://inftars.infonia.hu/article.php?doi=inftars.XX.2020.2.10

Details about the new URGENT project which focuses on diversity can be found below:

https://iiw.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/ether/research-topics/transition-to-university/urgent

Join us! Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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Welcome to the second episode of Season 2 of the SEFI podcast!

In this episode we talk to an innovator of blended learning, Dr Calvin Rans, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, where he manages two professional recording studios and supports educators in making novel blended learning experiences for students. He calls himself an 'edutainer', claiming that if learning isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong. He draws upon his experience in research of aircraft failure to highlight the importance of students learning from failure, and advocates for reflection being part of the learning process.

Show notes: https://www.sefi.be/2023/04/17/podcast-season-2-episode-2-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Join Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) to learn about how we can design blended learning in a way that best supports engineering students.

Thanks to Calvin for 'edutaining' us!

Timestamps

0.00 Abstract

0.28 Podcast Intro

0.41 Experiences of blended from Natalie and Neil

2.16 Calvin's Background

3.53 TU Delft

5.08 What is blended learning?

6.30 What does a flipped classroom look like?

8.51 How has COVID changed Calvin's approach to blended learning?

10.30 Obstacles to implementing blended learning approaches

13.04 The role of student feedback

14.44 How do educators transition from lecturers to coaches?

16.40 Student flight data recorders: the role of student reflection

19.41 Student buy-in and motivation

21.48 The role of story telling and being authentic

24.55 being aware of 'external' factors that influence the learning process

28.31 Final advice from Calvin

32.00 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources

https://www.calvinrans.com/

https://online-learning.tudelft.nl/instructors/calvin-rans/

https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:634e5166-f92d-4109-8085-0aec758a65f5?collection=research

https://repository.tudelft.nl/islandora/object/uuid:3d210691-c985-40e6-9511-1fd61668636c?collection=research

Truby, J. (2008). The anatomy of story: 22 steps to becoming a master storyteller. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Join us! Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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Welcome to Season 2 of the Sefi podcast!

In this episode we discuss how leadership is conceptualised within engineering education with Dr Madeline Polmear, a Marie-Curie, EUTOPIA Science & Innovation COFUND Fellow within the Law Science Technology and Society Research Group at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Brussels. Her interdisciplinary background is in engineering education research with a focus on bridging technical and nontechnical competencies to foster engineering students’ societal responsibility, workforce preparation, and leadership. Madeline combines these expertise with those she holds in capacity building, to propose ways in which engineering educators can be empowered to develop their ability to teaching leadership to engineering students.

*must read show notes* https://www.sefi.be/2023/03/20/podcast-season-2-episode-1european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Madeline explains how the focus of leadership literature has shifted from considering traits and behaviours of leadership to taking more of a relational perspective, and the implications this has for the teaching practices we adopt. She also explains the role of capacity building in helping educators to develop the confidence and competence to teach leadership.

Join Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) to learn about how we can best support engineering students in developing their leadership skills.

Thanks to Madeline for helping us to kick-off the second series :-)

Timestamps

0.00 Abstract

0.31 Podcast Intro

0.44 Experiences of teaching leadership from Natalie and Neil

1.32 Madeline's Background

3.02 Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

4.47 How is leadership conceptualised within engineering education?

5.37 Capacity Building

7.23 Breaking leadership down: the skills and competencies involved

9.05 What do engineering educators think about leadership?

11.21 How do students view leadership?

14.00 Teaching approaches

18.18 Capacity building activities

19.42 Capacity building models

22.42 Barriers to capacity building in leadership

26.31 Assessing leadership

29.00 Final advice from Madeline

31.00 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources

Some of Madeline’s work about leadership can be found below:

https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2043243

https://peer.asee.org/37182

https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.2643-9115.0000031

Join us! Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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Written and produced by Neil Cooke and Natalie Wint.

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A special episode for you to bring Season 1 of the sefi podcast to a close!

We recognise that you might not have time to listen to all the episodes, and/or would appreciate a preview or recap.

Join Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Natalie Wint (University College London) as they share some of their highlights parts from Season 1, and identify four themes that reflect the current areas of interest in engineering education, featuring clips from the seasons guests: Roland Tormey, Mia Stephens, Emanuela Tilley, Jan van der Veen, Nicki Sochacka, and Gary Wood.

By popular demand, season 1 is also now available on the SEFI Youtube channel if you'd like to listen with subtitles in your own language:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgbdO3TmP943SOB9BDGRrffTG6tShZSXz

Thank you to all listeners and guests for their continued support, and please continue to like and share the show on social media channels!

Timestamps:

0.04 General introduction

0.36 Introduction to this episode

0.48 Reach of the podcast and feedback we have received

2.37 Summary of what we will discuss

3.43 Theme 1: Theory vs. practice

7.59 Theme 2: Working with others

10.46 Theme 3: Educators in the spotlight

13.22 Theme 4: The whole student

19.09 Summary of themes

19.47 Information about Season 2

Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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In this episode, our guest is Professor Gary Wood, Academic Director of NMITE where he leads delivery and development of new approaches to engineering education through challenge-led, industry-linked programmes. He is a National Teaching Fellow, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and also contributes to regional skills development, drawing on his expertise in employability, professional skills, and entrepreneurship education. Gary’s approach to education is informed by his background in linguistics, a discipline in which transferable skills are highly valued, partly because of the lack of a distinct career path for students following graduation. 

*must read show notes with further insights: https://www.sefi.be/2023/02/20/podcast-episode-6-european-engineering-educators-is-online/ *

Gary explains the differences between passive and active forms of student engagement and suggests ways in which we can understand ways of increasing student motivation and satisfaction, instead of primarily focusing on sources of dissatisfaction. He explains how action research methodologies can be effective approaches by which to approach such work.

Join Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) for this sparkling discussion.

Thanks to Gary and NMITE for making the time to explain how we may go about these newer approaches to working with our students

Timestamps:

0.00 Abstract

0.27 Podcast intro

0.50 Experiences of student engagement from Neil and Natalie

1.56 Gary’s background

3.28 NMITE 

6.58 Differences in terminology: active and passive approaches

8.50 Examples and benefits of the ‘student as partners’ approach

12.54 Action Research Methodologies

13.57 Different approaches to treating students as partners

15.41 Barriers to treating students as partners

17.12 Two factor theory

21.28 The benefits to students

22.55 Inclusive student engagement

24.30 How to face challenges encountered when using such approaches

27.03 Final advice from Gary

29.07 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

https://www.garycwood.uk/

Gibbs, B & Wood, G. C. (2021) How can student partnerships stimulate organisational learning in higher education institutions?, Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1913722.

Wood, G.C. & Gibbs, B. (2019). Students as Partners in the Design and Practice of Engineering Education: Understanding and Enabling Development of Intellectual Abilities. In: Malik, M., Andrews, J., Clark, R., & Broadbent, R. (eds) Realising Ambitions: 6th Annual Symposium of the UK&I Engineering Education Research Network. Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

For more information about two factor theory see Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B.B. (1959). Motivation to Work. New York: Wiley.

For more information about single and double loop learning, see Argyris, C., and D. Schön. 1974. Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

HEA Guides Student engagement through partnership in higher education | Advance HE (advance-he.ac.uk)

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Happy 2023!

We start the year with an incredible discussion on the very frontiers of engineering education - teaching empathy - with Dr Nicola Sochacka from the University of Georgia.

Nicola spent the last decade researching this topic and has created some brilliant resources we can all use to bring the teaching of empathy into our contexts. She believes that engineers should not only understand the end users of engineering designs but should also develop an affinity with those they interact with. She presents a model of empathy in engineering as a teachable and learnable skill, a practice orientation, and a professional way of being,

*detailed show notes including further reflections and tools to take back to your own contexts: https://www.sefi.be/2023/01/16/podcast-episode-5-european-engineering-educators-is-online/ *

Join Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) for this informative discussion.

Thanks to Nicola for taking time during vacation to speak with us!

Timestamps:

0.00 Abstract

0.45 Podcast intro

1.18 What we will talk about

1.36 Experiences of teaching empathy from Neil and Natalie

2.48 Nicki’s background

5.20 University of Georgia 

7.08 What we mean by empathy skills and why they are important for engineers?

10.48 A model of empathy in engineering: skills, being and orientation

13.31 An example of using the model in the classroom

15.28 The ‘being’ aspect of the model

17.34 Can empathy be taught?

19.17 How to operationalize the theory: research into practice

21.35 Mode switching

25.00 The Empathy Modules Workbook and assessment ideas

27.30 Overcoming challenges

31.05 Teaching neurodiverse students

32.11 What’s next for Nicki: dissemination and propagation of research

33. 44 Final advice from Nicki

35.07 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

Model:

https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20159

Empathy Modules Workbook:

https://eeti.uga.edu/project/the-empathy-project-an-interdisciplinary-research-effort-to-develop-a-transferable-theory-of-empathy-in-engineering/

google study:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html

The paper mentioned in relation to dissemination and propagation:

DOI:10.1080/00091383.2017.1357098

Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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What is interdisciplinary engineering education, how difficult is it to teach, and why is it considered an integral part of modern engineering studies? 

We discussed this with Professor Jan van der Veen, who chairs the Eindhoven School of Education at TU Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where he focuses on teaching training and projects within engineering higher education. Jan was inspired by both his time as a physics teacher and the silos formed by different disciplines within higher education. Jan believes that interdisciplinary education is becoming more important for engineers who face complex problems such as progress towards the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He describes the differences between multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and provides examples of integrating interdisciplinary within engineering programmes.

*must read show notes* https://www.sefi.be/2022/12/19/podcast-episode-4-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Join Dr Natalie Wint (University College London) and Dr Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) for this informative discussion.

Thanks to Jan for tolerating both of us suffering from colds while recording!

Timestamps:

0.00 Abstract

0.40 Podcast intro

1.07 What we will talk about

1.21 Experiences of interdisciplinary from Neil and Natalie

2.45 Jan’s background

4.40 TU Eindhoven

5.28 What do we mean by interdisciplinary?

7.07 The need for interdisciplinary

8.00 Students’ perception of interdisciplinary

8.43 Terminology: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary

10.22 Boundary crossing

11.48 Implementation, teaching teams and support

14.10 Example of interdisciplinary in action; Mechanical Engineering, Product Design and Business Studies.

15.51 Problems provided by external collaborators

17.31 Challenges

19.09 Opportunities for new degree programmes

22.40 Assessment of interdisciplinary skills

25.40 Disciplinary identities

28.00 The future of interdisciplinary

29.30 Final advice from Jan

30.28 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

Eindhoven School of Education (tue.nl)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jee.20347

Become a member of the European Society for Engineering Education, SEFI, Europe's largest network of engineering educators: www.sefi.be

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Written and produced by Neil Cooke and Natalie Wint.

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In this episode, our guest is Professor Emanuela Tilley, who is currently a Board Director at SEFI and Director of the Integrated Engineering Programme, a teaching framework embedded in the learning experiences of undergraduate students across Engineering at University College London. Emanuela’s approach is informed by both her own experiences of problem based, authentic learning and her time as an engineering project consultant working in interdisciplinary teams in the built environment.

*must read* show notes including further reflections and talking points to take back to your own contexts: https://www.sefi.be/2022/11/14/podcast-episode-3-of-european-engineering-educators-is-online/

Emanuela believes that good teamwork can take place when students understand themselves and are able to balance their individual and shared interests. She describes the need for staff to start by providing operational tools, for example, support in time management and organization skills, before moving onto psychological issues such as trust. Emanuela explains that the use of the Gallup CliftonStrengths tools has helped students to understand the role they play in teamwork, and to appreciate the benefit of working within a diverse group.

Join Neil Cooke (University of Birmingham) and Natalie Wint (University College London) for this informative discussion.

Thanks to Emanuela and UCL for sharing their knowledge on team building in one of our early and therefore slightly choppy recordings!

Thanks also to Dr Jennifer Griffiths from UCL for co-writing the episode show notes and creative input.

Timestamps:

0.00 Abstract

0.45 Podcast intro

1.15 Experiences of teaching teamwork from Neil and Natalie

2.10 Emanuela's background

3.35 UCL and the Integrated Engineering Programme (IEP)

4.45 What is teamwork in engineering?

6.00 Attributes for teamwork

6.55 Defining good teamwork as both operational skills and character qualities

8.25 Identifying good teamwork through processes

9:55 Tools for supporting teamwork at a large scale

11:13 Support mechanisms within the IEP: teaching interventions

13:55 Use of Gallup Clifton Strengths themes questionnaire

16:13 Team formation

19:00 Role of reflection, peer assessment and team contracts

26:05 Valuing the strengths of students from a variety of backgrounds

28:45 Psychological safety and trust

32:20 Final advice from Emanuela

33:40 Key takeaways from Natalie and Neil.

Resources:

Gallup CliftonStrengths: What Are the 34 CliftonStrengths Themes? | EN - Gallup

For more information about teamwork at UCL

Direito_OA_IJGST_640-4405-1-PB.pdf (ucl.ac.uk)

Microsoft Word - SEFI2017 FINAL 163.docx (ucl.ac.uk)

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Written and produced by Neil Cooke and Natalie Wint.

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