At an earlier stage of European funding for projects on technology-enhanced learning, the main thrust was to develop e-learning technologies and on projects that sought to promote the take-up of platforms and services. This contribution is prepared by students after attending lectures of a multidisciplinary course in the context of a complementary studies frame. The students of this course summarized, through a case study, concepts and methods in a straightforward, but structured way. Thanks to the help of a software tool based on Python, an original and open learning platform is realized for students and lecturers and it represents a part of this contribution. Concerning the specific lecture, cargo loads and transportation are important logistical topics in many industries. They dictate the profit of the final product, expenditure, time consumption and labor force utilization. The optimal transportation of any type of cargo is crucial for businesses. More in general, it is possible to say that the proposed problem can be generalized and applied in other main economic problems in which optimization problems are involved. In this work we focused on the optimization of fluid transportation under specified conditions, or constraints, in other words. The aim of the project is to determine the optimal parameters of the system to control the transportation in an optimal way. This material which includes an open software to test the developed concepts through the lecture can be used by students and lecturers. An open link is accessible to the users.

Especially in the introductory phase of engineering studies, electrical engineering courses usually reveal a large heterogeneity in the previous knowledge of technical aspects of the students related to practical aspects that are required for successful participation in the labs. During this fundamental orientation phase of the study program, it is crucial to “get your hands dirty” to gain not only abstract, but concrete knowledge of elementary concepts like electrical circuitry and linear supplies.

Today's global transformation processes and sustainability issues, lead to challenges and modified competence requirements that the engineering sciences have to face. In addition to digitalization as a major influencing factor, graduates need to be prepared to develop complex and interdisciplinary solutions in teams. Engineering sciences have to take up the challenges to provide suitable engineering curricula for a divers and a broader target group (e.g. non-technical and female students); especially in light of the current shortage of qualified specialists. As a consequence, there is a need for evidence-based innovative curriculum design dealing with diversity and heterogeneous target groups and encouraging interdisciplinary approaches. This paper contributes threefold to that discourse on transformation processes and diversity aspects in Engineering Education: (1) by considering gender-specific data in Engineering Higher Education and Engineering Education Research (EER); (2) by presenting a qualitative study, which analyses gender-specific curriculum design requirements; and (3) by introducing a research-based bachelor's program for a diverse target group.

This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents a constructivist concept for engineering education for non-technical students. Global challenges and transformation processes lead to a rapid increase in problems at the boundary between technical and non-technical disciplines in higher education. Furthermore, new fields of work emerge due to the digital transformation. Graduates need to be prepared to identify and describe problems and to develop appropriate solutions in teams in order to contribute to change processes related to the future in a smart world. Engineering sciences have to take up the challenge to provide suitable educational programs for a broader target group, i.e. non-technical students, especially in light of the current shortage of qualified specialists. This paper contributes twofold to that discourse on transformation processes in Engineering Education: (1) by the development of a theory-based teaching and learning concept on electrical engineering for this special target group of non-technical students; and (2) by presenting the implementation of the undergraduate (bachelor) course with innovative project-based laboratory experiments.

Digitalization is the ongoing trend of recent years. It covers all areas of business, society and research. This paper makes a contribution to that discourse focusing on engineering education research and practice. The contribution aims at generating new insights in a threefold way: (1) by analyzing the significance of digitalization in the research area, (2) by describing an example of the implementation of digital methods in education practice, and (3) by presenting the theoretical and methodological framework of a course that covers the digital transformation and backlash effects on society. This approach generates empirically grounded knowledge on the state-of-the-art and contributes to the translation of engineering education research to practice.

This paper presents a novel theory-based teaching concept for bachelor students on the subject of “digitalization”. The constant increase of changes driven by the surrounding context of digitalization affects all areas of industry and social life. Consequently, there is an urgent need to anchor the topic of digitalization in a holistic approach in engineering education. This paper contributes to the research discourse on suitable implementation methods in the teaching-learning module “Summer School Technology 4.0: Digitalization”. The contribution aims to generate new insights for engineering education practice and research (1) by classifying the significance of “digitalization” in the research landscape of engineering didactics, (2) by demonstrating the diversity-oriented and student-centered theoretical study approach of the teaching-learning concept and the embedding in the research of teaching-learning, (3) through the presentation of the methodological-didactic design of the course and its implementation in engineering education, and (4) by the introduction of the evaluation concept in mixed method design.

Engineering education still faces the challenge to improve the conceptual understanding of basic coherences that gives many students trouble. This paper represents the model of educational reconstruction as a research framework for a consistent student-centered education, as a means for innovative curriculum, and course design. Looking at it from the theoretical side of educational reconstruction, the focus is consistent on the development of students' conceptions of electrical engineering basics (e.g. voltage and potential concept). In the following, the research design and used methods are introduced. The empirical findings built the starting point to address students' learning difficulties with appropriate theory-based interventions. The developed interventions are implemented into the undergraduate course "Electrical Engineering". The final evaluation gives new theoretical insights and action proposals of how the model of educational reconstruction in Engineering Education can be used successfully to improve teaching and learning mechanism in a theory-based manner and to design student-centered learning environments.

The shortage of young engineers presents a structural problem that deflates growth and innovation and causes high value losses for the economy. To achieve sustainable success in securing new recruits, prospective students from working life are highly relevant for the universities, because they act at the crossroads of Engineering and Business. Although the offer of studying programs alongside work has grown in recent years in Germany, there is still a lack of theory-based development in didactic concepts for this specific studying group. Generally, there is still a need for research in context of accompanied studies and student-centered contact with the learning professionals. This paper aims to generate new insights in a threefold way: (1) by specifying challenges and approaches for accompanied studying programs in Business Engineering; (2) by explaining the theoretical framework for the methodical educational arrangement of exemplary engineering courses; and (3) by describing first experiences with the concept during the development and implementation in selected engineering courses. This generates empirically grounded knowledge on the theory-based course design for learning professionals and contributes the translation of pedagogical research to practice.

The ubiquity of complex components and variables is well-known in all fields of engineering. The didactic importance of complex numbers and Euler's formula is emphasized by this fact. Students express the topic to be difficult to comprehend and “imaginary”. So to present this topic in an appropriate and student-centered way is of great challenge for each lecturer. In this paper the Euler's Formula is also applied for explaining and for understanding the aliasing effect when it occurs in the reconstruction of sampled signals. The fundamental target of this contribution is to overcome barriers in student's understanding and, in doing so, to improve the quality of engineering education. Guided by this objective a design-based research was carried out. Theory-based new didactic approaches have been developed in order to increase student's conceptual understanding of complex arithmetic. In addition, new theoretical insights into the comprehension problems are gained. The research design, the intervention developed and the empirical findings will be presented.

For students, the entering phase of courses is of major importance for their further studies. Therefore the target should be to set up their first semester in a student and competence centered manner. This challenge is met in implementing innovative teaching interventions, and the course “Electrical Engineering” is be presented as an example. The quality circle from an analysis of the status quo until the final competence based evaluation via intervention development and implementation is to be presented.

The ubiquity of Euler's Formula is well-known in the field of engineering. The general application of Euler's Formula to all fields of engineering challenges each lecturer to present this topic in an appropriate way. The didactic importance of this formula is emphasized by the fact of its use at any level of the scientific research. In fact, Euler's Formula is often presented as definition tout court and strong critics arise from the students' side. The fundamental target of this contribution is to overcome barriers in students understanding and, in doing so, to improve the quality of engineering education. Based on constructivist learning theories this contribution presents a new lecture scheme just using a basic mathematical background already known by students after the second semester of standard mathematical courses. Moreover, the paper reinforces the application aspects of this formula to illustrate the practical meaning and the importance of Euler's Formula in different fields of engineering. The research-based concept and the implementation of the new lecture structure are to be presented as well as the results of the evaluation and the impact on teaching and learning mechanisms in Engineering Education.

In Engineering Sciences innovative methods are needed, in order to promote further professionalization towards improving the effectiveness of Engineering Education. These were the targets laid down for the research project “LeWI - Teaching, Effectiveness and Intervention” which was founded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Germany (time period: 2009 - 2012). In a cooperating forum of four German universities1an individual Coaching Concept for teaching staff was developed, with additional monitoring, based on earlier research. The research-based coaching concept, its implementation into Engineering education and the empirical findings of the complex evaluation research will be presented. Two Best-Practice-examples will show the impact on improvement of gender-sensitive Teaching and Learning mechanisms in Engineering Education.

The challenges of the 21st century and the corresponding demands on future engineers call for rethinking teaching methods in engineering sciences. Furthermore, attracting more young people, particularly young women, into Engineering Education, is a key-element in contemporary higher education. Universities will have to face these challenges, in living up to the requirements of change processes in a sustainable manner. “Project-Mentoring” as one example is an competence-oriented teaching and learning approach which focuses on integrative enhancement of students' specific and personal competencies, serves to increase young people's interest in Engineering and attracts new peer groups, connects theory and its translation into practical action and is sensitizing students for self-reflection and life-long-learning. “Project-Mentoring” is based on the theoretical framework of constructivist learning theories by supporting collaborative and active learning. It is founded on the mentoring relationship between students in their role as mentors and secondary school pupils (in their role as mentees). It combines a classic mentoring approach with action-oriented engineering projects and therefore can contribute to a widespread development of competencies of engineering students, of which this paper presents a detailed review in differentiation, and examines its efficacy. “Project-Mentoring” is aimed at secondary school pupils, in order to share the fascination of technology and to strengthen school-university networks. The objectives mentioned above are supported by the educational concept and by the structure of the module. The theory-based concept, its curricular implementation and research data of the complex efficacy analysis will be presented.