2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Student Engineering Enrichment from Design to Execution

Presented at Experiential Learning : Global Models and Perspectives

Student Engineering Enrichment from Design to Execution

In today’s globalized and rapidly changing work environment, engineering graduates need technical and professional skills to improve their chances of finding a suitable career. In the Gulf region in particular, due to rapid socio-political transformation and industrialization engineering graduates must overcome a wider employability gap and compete with an experienced foreign workforce even for entry-level positions. This has necessitated out-of-the-box thinking on part of engineering institutions to bridge the gap by providing students with enrichment opportunities. In fact, emphasis on core competencies and experiential learning are playing a central role in higher education globally and can have a powerful impact on students’ experience, achievements, and development before graduation.
The Center for Teaching and Learning at one of the American public engineering institutions with a branch campus in the state of Qatar initiated the Student Engineering Enrichment (SEE) program in 2017. The program aimed to bridge the skills gaps between academic content and industry-required skills by providing co-curricular offerings to undergraduate and graduate students. The program is designed to provide competencies and skills beyond the engineering curriculum, outside the regular classroom setting, emphasizing on experiential learning and essential skills needed by the industry.
The nascent co-curricular program provides trainings and short courses that help students to develop unique skills, which can distinguish them from other engineers in the competitive world. These offerings prepare them for the job market. The SEE has three different components by which the core services are distributed. First, Management and Leadership, by complementing their engineering knowledge with the necessary professional and managerial skills. Second, Emerging Technologies by embedding practical technical knowledge with an essential bundle of global competencies. Third, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, by fostering global mindsets and hands-on opportunities. Collaboration with industry and educational institutions, recognized credentials, internationally certified courses, competitions, hackathons, one-on-one consultation, and collaborative workspaces are all integral parts of the initiative.
In this Work-in-progress paper and poster, we will present the design paradigm of the student program, and elaborate on its execution and key success factors, specifically how this program provides a rich experience and help students to overcome knowledge gaps. We will also exhibit how this initiative fosters a comprehensive interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary context, diversity, and distinctive student engagement practices.

Authors

Mrs. Lana El Ladki Texas A&M University at Qatar [biography]

Lana El Ladki leads the student engineering enrichment unit in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ). She provides undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities to develop technical skills, soft skills, and professional leadership and management skills that will complement their engineering degree.
Lana is a Certified Professional in Training Management (CPTM) with over 12 years of experience in higher education. She holds a Master of Science in International Management from the University of Liverpool and a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and Management Studies from STENDEN University of Applied Sciences. Lana is the recipient of the 2021 Best Impact Project award in TAMUQ’s Dean Leadership Academy and the Best Dissertation award for her undergraduate studies.
Dr. Saira Anwar http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6947-3226 Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University [biography]

Saira Anwar is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University. Dr. Anwar has over 13 years of teaching experience, primarily in the disciplines of engineering education, computer science, and software engineering. Her research focuses on studying different instructional strategies' unique contributions to students' learning and motivation. Also, she is interested in designing interventions that help understand conceptually hard concepts in STEM courses. Dr. Anwar is the recipient of the 2022 Apprentice Faculty Grant by the ERM Division, ASEE. Also, she received the 2020 outstanding researcher award from the School of Engineering Education, Purdue University. Also, she was the recipient of the "President of Pakistan Merit and Talent Scholarship" for her undergraduate studies.
Dr. Bilal Mansoor Texas A&M University at Qatar [biography]

..
Dr. Yasser M. Al-Hamidi Texas A&M University at Qatar [biography]

Dr. Al-Hamidi holds a Ph. D. degree in Mechatronics from the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC), France, and currently working as the Mechanical Engineering Laboratories Manager at Texas A&M University at Qatar. He joined Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2007 coming from University of Sharjah. Dr. Al-Hamidi had been appointed as a visiting lecturer in 2018 to teach design related courses in the mechanical engineering program. He specializes in product design, instrumentation, controls, and automation. Dr. Al-Hamidi founded the Engineering Enrichment Program in 2016, which is currently one of the Center for Teaching and Learning pillars. He received three Transformative Engineering Education grants related to multidisciplinary education in 2018, 2021 and 2022. In 2021 Dr. Al-Hamidi received the Dean’s Achievement Award to recognize his contribution to the campus within that year. In 2015 he received the Association of Former Students AFS Distinguished Achievement Award as a recognition for his commitment, performance and positive impact on Aggie students. And in 2010, he received the STAR award as a recognition for his outstanding service and achievement at Texas A&M at Qatar.

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