Computers in Education: Activities, Contributions, and Future Trends

Abstract

The Computers In Education (CIEd) technical committee focuses on educational issues and advances related to the usage of computing technologies in mechanical engineering courses and curricula. This paper provides a retrospective on CIEd activities, issues, and advances beginning with its formal start in 1983 and continuing through the present. Throughout the years, many different topics were explored, new technologies emerged while others disappeared, and many issues were investigated. Current CIEd activities are in six areas: CAD in higher education, robotics in higher education, software tools in the classroom, mechatronics and data acquisition, multimedia for higher education, and the role of the internet in higher education. The first four areas date from 1983, while the last two emerged in the late 1990’s. Future trends and issues are proposed to stimulate further investigations.

Coevolution of digitalisation, organisations and Product Development Cycle

“…The balance between teaching the fundamentals for theoretical understanding and using the software for design and engineering applications was also an important issue in the development of sound technical courses. Moreover, the lack of software and hardware standards hindered the broad deployment and sharing of education tools until standards were developed and consolidated [105].…”

Design Evaluations in Educational Settings: A Neuroscientific Study of Incentivized Test/Retest on Student Performance

“…Engineering design is synonymous with problem-solving [6], as it is regarded as a twofold activity comprising of identifying the problem and generating the solution for said problem. Engineering design involves conceptual development [7], collaboration [8], computer-aided tool development [9], optimization [10], sustainability [11], human factors, and many other facets. Designer's creativity in problem-solving is the protagonist of the innovation, and yet more than often, it fails to meet the greater demand of empathy [12,13] from the stakeholders.…”

A semantic network model for measuring engagement and performance in online learning platforms

“…Online learning platforms are widely used in engineering education because of their scalability (i.e., fewer physical limitations) and accessibility (i.e., improvements in internet connectivity) [22,48]. For example, cyberinfrastructure tools and technologies are currently applied to engineering education and student learning.…”