Engineering Education Review

Design of teaching main line for robot engineering major directed by new engineering education

Wende Ke — 2025-08-04

New engineering education (NEE) proposes new challenges for traditional engineering education. The paper defines the
teaching main line of undergraduate major under the NEE framework, elaborates on the hierarchical structure division method of the teaching main line from both vertical and horizontal perspectives, and explores the setting and evaluation indicators of the teaching main line. Taking the three courses of Robot Modeling and Control, Embedded Systems and Robots, and ROSs (Robot Operating Systems) in the field of robotics engineering as examples, the teaching main line is set up by reverse decomposition of the overall objectives of the new engineering. The teaching knowledge points of the courses are effectively grasped to evaluate the execution effect of the teaching main line, and feedback is provided to improve the setting of the teaching main line and the execution of the teaching process. The relevant research methods and experiences have important reference significance for the integration of NEE in engineering universities/colleges, especially in the field of robotics engineering courses.

Reform and practice of the training system for top innovative talents in aerospace mechanics based on creativity and leadership

Mingqiang Luo — 2025-07-01

In view of the core problems in the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents in space and space mechanics, this research

takes Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics as the practice carrier, and puts forward a “knowledge capability

accomplishment” coordinated-oriented high-quality talents cultivation system. Through the analysis of capability elements,

the study of training system, and the study of implementation strategies, the system constructs the training framework with

creativity and leadership as the core, and realizes the “three upgrades” of students’ knowledge system, capability system,

and literacy system. The study uses case analysis, questionnaires and longitudinal tracking methods to reveal the key

capability elements and training path of top talent growth. The practice shows that the system has promoted students’

innovative practical ability, sense of mission of serving the country through air and space, and interdisciplinary literacy. Its

innovation lies in combining mission-driven and capability-oriented deeply, guiding top students to set up great projects and

take on the responsibility of the era, providing theoretical paradigm and practical reference for top talents training under the

background of new engineering.

Learning through cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains: Understanding undergraduate engineering students’ perspectives in the United States

Shirsha Mukherjee — 2025-08-04

This study explores engineering students’ perceptions of their learning experiences across the cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor domains, as defined by Bloom’s Taxonomy. Despite extensive research on the cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor domains of learning, there remains a gap in understanding how engineering students perceive their abilities
within these learning frameworks, particularly in relation to teaching methodologies. The research aims to address the
following questions: How do engineering students perceive their learning in the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor
domains? A survey instrument was developed, consisting of 18 items across the three learning domains. The survey was
administered to engineering students who had experience as teaching assistants, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was
conducted to examine the factor structure of the instrument. Data were collected from 115 participants after cleaning.
Skewness and kurtosis checks confirmed the assumption of normality, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, along with the
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test, confirmed the appropriateness of factor analysis. Three distinct factors emerged from the
EFA: the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, with
values ranging from 0.63 to 0.73, indicating good reliability. The findings suggest that students report higher confidence in
applying knowledge in new situations, receiving knowledge, and valuing their own learning outcomes. This study contributes
to the field by providing a deeper understanding of how students perceive their learning across different domains, paving the
way for more targeted and effective educational strategies in engineering programs.

The elements and reform path of core competencies for excellent engineers in China

Dexin Hu — 2025-05-30

In the context of the continuous evolution of the new industrial revolution, cultivating a large number of excellent engineers is an effective path to empower China's high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and promote the development of new productive forces. As a key evaluation indicator for measuring the quality of excellent engineer training, core competencies have significant academic value and practical significance when studied systematically. Based on existing research literature, this paper systematically discusses the elements, measurement, and pathways of core competencies for excellent engineers. The research results show that: (1) In terms of concept and theoretical foundation, there is currently no unified definition of core competencies for excellent engineers, and analyses are mainly based on the theory of competence-based education and the iceberg model. (2) In terms of constituent elements, there are two typical models: the Anglo-American system, which emphasizes comprehensive qualities, and the Franco-German system, which emphasizes practical abilities. The current design of core competency standards for excellent engineers in China mainly focuses on learning from the Anglo-American system, relatively neglecting the cultivation of practical abilities. (3) In terms of research methods, qualitative research methods are predominantly used, while quantitative methods are less applied. (4) In terms of influencing factors, the core competencies of excellent engineers are influenced by a mix of multiple stakeholder groups, including learners, educators, universities, governments, enterprises, and society. (5) In terms of policies to promote reform, current research mainly argues from five levels: institutional, organizational, pedagogical, technological, and evaluative.