Research Thesis for Undergraduate Engineering Programs in the Digitalization Era: Learning Strategies and Responsible Research Conduct Road to a University Education 4.0 Paradigm

Abstract

Many university students have doubts about how or where to start writing their undergraduate thesis work; it is common not to be clear how to identify a research problem or even towards which topic their research is oriented, and there are doubts about how to process and systematize so much information available in the era of digitalization. This article presents learning strategies to formulate a research thesis for engineering undergraduate programs, with an emphasis on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) toward a University Education 4.0 paradigm. The main themes and issues discussed in this article, carried out through learning strategies for students based on the scientific method, are the following: (i) Recommendations for choosing a research topic, (ii) Guidelines for problem identification and question research, (iii) Suggestions for choosing a thesis advisor, (iv) Instructions for finding suitable sources of information, (v) Structure of the table of contents for writing the thesis manuscript, and (vi) Indications for preparing an oral defense of thesis research. This article highlights recommendations and precautions directed towards professors and students with the use of the chatbot-type artificial intelligence (AI) tool called ChatGPT for the formulation of the thesis under a responsible conduct approach in research. This article concludes that the application of tutoring/guidance strategies between professors and students requires an adequate ethical use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) during the development of a research thesis to generate a comprehensive educational environment that encourages research and develops a sustainable learning process in the context of the University Education 4.0 paradigm.

Current Status Of Global Engineering Education: Mini Review

“…The provision of funding and resources poses a significant difficulty for universities and colleges in the realm of engineering education [15,16]. This is mostly due to the requirement of costly laboratory equipment, software, and other essential resources.…”

Exploring the Impact of Language Models on Undergraduate Thesis Writing Skills among Higher Education Students

“…Thesis writing is a critical component of undergraduate education, serving as a culmination of students' academic journey. However, many students face challenges when it comes to expressing their ideas effectively (Cacciuttolo et al, 2023) and articulating them cohesively in written form (Starfield & Paltridge, 2019). Traditional approaches to thesis writing often rely on manual proofreading, editing, and revision processes, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.…”

“…Several investigations have been carried out to explore the role of language models, driven by artificial intelligence, within the realm of education and research under various contexts such as the opportunities and challenges of language models in education Kasneci et al, 2023;Schwenke et al, 2023;Yan et al, 2024;Meyer et al, 2023), the influence of language models on tertiary education and research (Alqahtani et al, 2023;Cacciuttolo et al, 2023;Sallam, 2023;Zekaj, 2023), and the role of AI including language models in teaching and learning (Chauncey, et al, 2023;Tayan et al, 2023). Furthermore, several preceding scholars (Koka et al, 2023;Livberber & Ayvaz, 2023;Olsson & Engelbrektsson, 2022) added the body of knowledge of the academic's responses towards artificial intelligence including language models in education.…”