Running head: GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 1

Global Issues Report:

Mechanical Engineering

Iram D. Hernandez

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

November 13, 2019

GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 2

Abstract

Is there a global issue in the major of mechanical engineering? If so, what is it and what

action can be taken in order to solve this problem? The purpose of this paper is to make aware

the global issue of promoting student resources, and changing a course’s design, for mechanical

engineering undergrads. The paper provides evidence of a global issue using research proposals

and results from various secondary sources. This eventually leads to a solution to the global

problem, and a call to action by the University of Texas at El Paso.

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Global Issues Report:

Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical engineering field is a very exigent and rigorous career. It is based of

complex concepts in math and science, such as calculus, and mechanics. These topics can be

quite difficult for students to comprehend and may need some assistance in learning them. If they

are not able to grasp the concepts, they are in risk of failing their courses, staying behind in their

career pathway, and not obtaining their degree. UTEP needs to communicate globally its

ideology of incorporating student resources, and the redesigning of courses for the

undergraduates in the field of mechanical engineering.

Discussion

The lack of concept grasping, and of resources to aid the students, are a global issue in

mechanical engineering education. In Turkey, there has been research done on mechanical

engineering undergraduates’ performance in their courses, and in their ability to understand

concepts related to the field. According to Geren, Uzay, & Bayramoglu (2018), advanced

courses in the field of Mechanical engineering contain material that students must have learned

from previous courses and involve real life application of the concepts previously learned (p.

846). To make deeper analysis, Geren, Uzay, & Bayramoglu researched one of the courses that

included most of the concepts, and their application, in the mechanical engineering curriculum,

and analyzed each of its components (p. 848). They were able to come up with observations on

the sub-assemblies of the class, such as: textbooks have developed and expanded a good amount

in a short span, and that students struggle applying the learned concepts, or even retaining the

knowledge of them, and this causes to perform poorly or obtain low grades (p. 850-861).
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Therefore, the results show that undergrad mechanical engineers have difficulty to understand

the concepts in the field and may lack in resources that can aid them in learning this knowledge.

Engineering is a career in demand. As technological advances are made, more engineers

are required to test, use, and transform these new technologies. These creates new employment

among this field and its branches, such as mechanical engineers. According to the U.S.

department of Labor (2019), jobs in the field of mechanical engineering will increase and give

good opportunities in the automotive industry (p. 1). Also, Figure 1 shows a graph by the U.S.

department of Labor showing the potential growth of mechanical engineering employment from

2018 to 2028. The percentage of 4% makes it close to the average percentage growth for

employment in engineering and other occupations. Thus, engineering will have a demand for

mechanical engineers graduates as time advances, relying on new generations to obtain their

degree in this field.

Fewer mechanical engineering students are getting passing scores on important and

required courses. These students tend to stay behind in their career pathway and must repeat the

course. Figure 2 shows a graph of the percentage of passing students from a university at Turkey

from 2014 to 2018. The graph shows that less students are getting passing scores, on Senior year

courses, closer to the present year. Thus, the graph proves that fewer mechanical engineering

undergrads have been getting passing scores on important courses for their degree. So, there

must be a reason why these students are not passing their courses.

There is a lack of interest in the concept of machines and mechanisms. There is a lack of

interest in the subject of Machines and Mechanisms, and a lack of recognition towards the

inventors that helped in the evolution of mechanical systems. According to Bautista Paz (2010),

the history of humanity is directly related to the history of technology (p. xi). Likewise, Bautista
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(2010) claims that there is a lack of recognition for the inventors who developed all the

mechanisms that have evolved and become our modern-day technology (p. vi). Based on this

evidence, it can be concluded that there’s a need in the promotion of interest and recognition of

the scholars and inventors that aided in the progress of machinery. Although it could be a factor,

there is not enough evidence to support that this variable is a main cause.

Gender difference is not a global obstacle when it comes to obtaining a degree in the field

of Mechanical engineering. According to Orr (2014), the number of upcoming female students

enrolling in mechanical engineering, of all the analyzed races, is exponentially lower compared

to the number of upcoming male students enrolling in the same field (p. 51). However, Orr

(2014) presents a graph showing the percentages of the students who graduated as Mechanical

engineers and is divided by race and gender (p. 52). This table shows that the percentage of

female graduates is higher for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics, and equal for Whites (p. 52). Based

on the evidence, it can be concluded that gender does not seem to be an obstacle for achieving a

degree in Mechanical Engineering.

The engineering programs impose high standards on students. An example of a university

with this ideology is UTEP. The university has a rigorous and evolving engineering program due

to the high standards and the examination process the university implements in the student’s

career path. Wicker (1999) talks about a process to observe and determine how well have

engineering students performed on engineering courses/subjects, known as the FE, or

fundamentals of engineering, examination (p. 47-48). Wicker (1999) shows tables in which they

show how the FE examination process qualify students, and equations to determine success

based on their performance on engineering related courses (p. 48-51). The results of the research

show the effectiveness of this evaluation system, and how it can categorize the success rates of
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UTEP students on certain engineering curriculum courses, creating standards for students to

reach, and competitiveness among them (p. 55). Based on this evidence, it can be concluded that

UTEP has an effective system to rate the performance of engineering majors, thus creating

standards and pushing students towards achieving them.

Students have a hard time grasping the concepts involved in this field. Mechanical

engineering students must deal with a variety of concepts and topics in engineering, physics and

math that they must fully understand in order to pass their courses. Figures 3 and 4 demonstrate

equations that the students need to comprehend for the advance undergrad courses, and the

material that they must adhere to from textbooks to be able to perform their gearbox project.

Also, Figure 5 contains the data collected from the students in these advanced courses in a

university from Turkey. The results pointed towards students not being able to understand well

some of the topics and concepts used in the course. Therefore, it can be concluded that students

struggle to comprehend the material involved in the mechanical engineering field.

Students in engineering do not take advantage regularly of the available student

resources. Sometimes students need extra help with their courses in order to understand material,

or to perfect assignments. In the field of mechanical engineering, students may need help

understanding the science and math concepts involved in their courses; however, their help

seeking abilities are not well developed. According to Wirtz (2018), a research done on the

frequency that M.E. students use resources available demonstrated a large gap between the use of

some resources to some others (p. 64-65). Figure 6 shows the data obtained from the previously

mentioned research, showing that students may prefer more using online resources, rather than

attend office hours or ask during class time. Therefore, it can be concluded that students in

mechanical engineering do not take advantage of all the available resources.

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Re-designing the mechanical engineering courses help the students and professors

perform better. The redesigning of traditional and necessary engineering courses is done for the

purposes of aiding students to perform well in the course, and to gain useful experience for the

future of their career pathway. According to Li, Öchsner, and Hall (2019) some mechanical

engineering courses, such as ENG 2505, are considered difficult among the students and usually

perform poorly in these courses (p.283-284). However, in order to improve the student’s

performance and experience, the engineering course was modified in a way that it got students

more involved, using strategies such as more interactive projects, and the analysis of how

students performed in them (p. 286-288). Li, Öchsner, and Hall (2019) show the results of the

experiment, demonstrating that students performed better with the new course’s design (p. 290-

291). Another example of this concept was the redesigning of a Mechatronics course with the

same purpose. According to Ume (2002), the field of mechatronics is hard to comprehend due to

the complicated, extensive knowledge needed to understand the course (par. 1-7). It requires

knowledge in coding, electrical circuits, assembling of pieces, dynamics of machines, and hands

on experience with the required equipment (par. 6-7). However, changes to the course’s design,

and the involvement of the students with machines, creates a positive effect in the understanding

of the course. Thus, the evidence proves that modifying a course’s teaching plan is done with the

purpose of improving student performance, and to give them enriching experience.

UTEP can communicate their ideology of student resources towards the institutions who

lack in this concept and communicate as well as apply the idea of re-designing engineering

courses. The University of Texas at El Paso offers resources to their students, such as tutoring

and mentorship, and encourages the use of these for the purpose of performing better in school

and outside of academics. According to Wirtz (2018), students who develop a habit of using
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student resources not only benefit academically, but they also benefit socially and personally,

such as having better sleeping habits (p. 63). Student resources are a beneficial component

towards the mechanical engineering undergrads. Likewise, re-designing a course may be an

efficient way to improve the students’ performance in class. Li, Öchsner, and Hall (2019)

demonstrate with their research that changing the structure of a course is beneficial for both the

performance of the students and professors. Students are able to understand the material better,

and to get hands on experience thanks to this ideology. Therefore, based on the evidence, UTEP

should communicate, and incorporate, the concepts of promoting student resources and re-

designing courses for Mechanical engineering students.

Conclusion

UTEP must promote the use of student resources, and apply the redesigning of courses,

for students majoring in mechanical engineering. Students who struggle comprehending the

material and assignment involved in this major need a little extra help, or a change in how the

class is conducted. Mechanical engineering undergrads must understand several complicated

topics in order to pass their courses. Without the opportunity to have extra aid, students will

struggle to pass their course, and this will slow down their advancement in their goal of

obtaining their engineering degree.

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References

Bautista Paz, E., Echévarri Otero, J., & Muñoz Sans, J. L. (2010). A brief illustrated history of

machines and mechanisms. (M. Ciccarelli, Ed.) (Vol. 10). Breinigsville, PA: Springer.

Geren, N., Uzay, Ç, & Bayramoglu, M. (2018). Mechanical engineering and issues on teaching

mechanical engineering design in turkey. International Journal of Technology & Design

Education, 28(3), 843-866. doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9409-0

Li, H., Öchsner, A., & Hall, W. (2019). Application of Experiential Learning to Improve Student

Engagement and Experience in a Mechanical Engineering Course. European Journal of

Engineering Education, 44(3), 283–293. Retrieved from

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1213304&site=eds

-live&scope=site

Orr, M. K., Lord, S. M., Layton, R. A., & Ohland, M. W. (2014). Student demographics and

outcomes in mechanical engineering in the U.S. International Journal of Mechanical

Engineering Education, 42(1), 48-60. doi:10.7227/IJMEE.42.1.5

Ume, I. C., Kita, A., Liu, S., & Skinner, S. (2002). Graduate mechatronics course in the school

of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech. Mechatronics, 12(2), 323-335.

doi:10.1016/S0957-4158(01)00072-1

United States Department of Labor. (2019). Mechanical engineers: Occupational outlook

handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-

engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm#tab-6

Wicker, R. B., & Quintana, R. (1999). Evaluation model using fundamentals of engineering

examination. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education & Practice, 125(2),

47. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1052-3928(1999)125:2(47)
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Wirtz, E., Dunford, A., Berger, E., Briody, E., Guruprasad, G., & Senkpeil, R. (2018). Resource

usage and usefulness: Academic help-seeking behaviors of undergraduate engineering

students. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 23(2), 62-70.

doi:10.1080/22054952.2018.1525889.
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Figures

Figure 1. Graph demonstrating the percentage growth for employment in the U.S. for

engineers, mechanical engineers, and all occupation. Projected from 2018-2028. United States

Department of Labor. (2019). Mechanical engineers: Occupational outlook handbook. Retrieved

from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm#tab-6
GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 12

Figure 2. Graph of the percentage of students obtaining a passing grade in the advanced

courses of ME-351 and ME-356 vs. years from 2010 to 2014. Geren, N., Uzay, Ç, &

Bayramoglu, M. (2018). Mechanical engineering and issues on teaching mechanical engineering

design in turkey. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 28(3), 843-866.

doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9409-0
GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 13

Figure 3. Table showing the material students in advanced mechanical engineering

courses must comprehend in order to perform the gear box design project. Geren, N., Uzay, Ç, &

Bayramoglu, M. (2018). Mechanical engineering and issues on teaching mechanical engineering

design in turkey. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 28(3), 843-866.

doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9409-0

Figure 4. Table showing equations the Mechanical engineering students need to

memorize, or understand, to apply them in their gear box design project. Geren, N., Uzay, Ç, &

Bayramoglu, M. (2018). Mechanical engineering and issues on teaching mechanical engineering

GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 14

design in turkey. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 28(3), 843-866.

doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9409-0

Figure 5. Data gathered from the students regarding some of the most common struggles

they dealt with during the gear box design project. Geren, N., Uzay, Ç, & Bayramoglu, M.

(2018). Mechanical engineering and issues on teaching mechanical engineering design in

turkey. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 28(3), 843-866.

doi:10.1007/s10798-017-9409-0
GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 15

Figure 6. Data showing ratios of frequency usage, and usefulness, for students in the

mechanical engineering field. Wirtz, E., Dunford, A., Berger, E., Briody, E., Guruprasad, G., &

Senkpeil, R. (2018). Resource usage and usefulness: Academic help-seeking behaviors of

undergraduate engineering students. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 23(2), 62-

70. doi:10.1080/22054952.2018.1525889.