Tron Days: Horizontal Integration and Authentic Learning

Li, Eugene; Rennick, Chris; Hulls, Carol; Robinson, Mary Ann; Cooper-Stachowsky, Michael; Boghaert, Eline; Melek, William; Bedi, Sanjeev

doi:10.24908/pceea.v0i0.7347

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…This section will present the results from the broader initiative of integrating material to improve student experiences in their 1A term, and in MTE 100 specifically; the results of the individual activities are presented in the original papers on those initiatives [1]…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This event, which we called "Tron Days" was offered for the first time in October 2016. A full description of the event is available in Li, Rennick, Hulls et al [1]…”

Section: Tron Days (2016)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Results of the initiative are presented, and the challenges and successes the teaching team have experienced while implementing them will be discussed. This paper does not describe the specific activities as they have been written about previously [1]…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design of an Introductory Engineering Design and Communication Course Which Integrates First Semester Courses

Bedi

Hulls

Rennick

et al. 2018

PCEEA

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In their first semester at UWaterloo, Mechatronics Engineering students take a course which introduces them to their chosen discipline, and which has a focus on communication skills . In 2010, a multi-year refresh of MTE 100 was initiated to address shortcomings in both the course, and the semester as a whole.The first semester instructors have now completed the refresh of MTE 100. Multiple hands-on, integrative activities that connect the other first semester courses to MTE 100 were added throughout the first semester.The introduction of these integrative activities has improved the first semester of the Mechatronics program. Survey data and feedback from end of term course critiques show an increased appreciation of foundational courses like Chemistry. From focus groups conducted with upper year students, there is a strong desire for similar experiences in upper years.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This event, which we called "Tron Days" was offered for the first time in October 2016. A full description of the event is available in Li, Rennick, Hulls et al [1]…”

Section: Tron Days (2016)mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Design of an Introductory Engineering Design and Communication Course Which Integrates First Semester Courses

Bedi

Hulls

Rennick

et al. 2018

PCEEA

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unfortunately, many students do not see the connection between these subjects and their growing understanding of the practice of engineering [1]. To address these issues, the first-year teaching team for the Mechatronics Engineering (MTE) program at the University of Waterloo (UWaterloo) devised the idea of Tron Days [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these challenges, the class of nearly 225 students work through smaller problems, each relating to one of the courses taught that term, and which tie into a larger problem that draws on knowledge from all courses. These challenges bring in concepts from the classroom to physical problems that are relevant to the practice of engineering [2] and provide an opportunity to actively engage with the material [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“It’s not pronounced Mahna-mahna”: Creating a hands-on activity to teach first-year engineers about pressure measurement

Robinson¹,

Li²

2018

PCEEA

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Chemistry is a fundamental course that all first-year engineering students must take. However, many students cannot make the connection between the material learnt in class and their growing understanding of engineering. This is exasperated in the Mechatronics program at the University of Waterloo which does not have any physical labs but focuses heavily on analysis. To address this issue, the authors developed a short 90-minute activity which the entire class completed during an open-ended design event. This activity had students experience basic lab practices and gain a further understanding of pressure measurement, and the course materia

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A “Lattice” Approach to Design Education: Bringing Real and Integrated Design Experience to the Classroom through Engineering Design Days

Hurst¹,

Rennick²,

Bedi³

2019

Proc. Int. Conf. Eng. Des.

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While design is fundamental to engineering practice, modern training in engineering design has almost exclusively moved to the classroom, providing students little exposure to holistic, real-world design experiences that are well-integrated with the rest of the academic curriculum. In this paper, we perform a short review of how the model of engineering education in Canada has evolved over the last two centuries, identify the current deficiencies in teaching design in engineering curricula, and review how Chairs in Design Engineering at various Canadian engineering schools have tackled this identified need. We then describe in detail how this problem is being addressed at the University of Waterloo through Engineering Design Days. This approach is presented as a design “lattice” around which other curriculum threads (math, natural sciences, engineering science, design etc.) can grow in an integrated way. Different Design Days examples from various engineering programs are described to illustrate the general structure. We conclude by assessing the program's impact and identifying opportunities for future development and assessment of the program's effectiveness.

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Tron Days: Horizontal Integration and Authentic Learning

Cited by 9 publications

References 6 publications

Design of an Introductory Engineering Design and Communication Course Which Integrates First Semester Courses

Design of an Introductory Engineering Design and Communication Course Which Integrates First Semester Courses

“It’s not pronounced Mahna-mahna”: Creating a hands-on activity to teach first-year engineers about pressure measurement

A “Lattice” Approach to Design Education: Bringing Real and Integrated Design Experience to the Classroom through Engineering Design Days

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