30 Oct 2008
Task 5: Abuses of Mind Mapping Technology
29 Oct 2008
Task 4: Writing in Engineering Classes
Since we are still on the very basic stage of engineering study, we have not encountered much writing in our engineering classes yet in the Sem1 modules. However, taking my previous writing experience for the GEK module as example, the major difficulties that I have are vocabulary and academic writing style.
On the one hand, most of the writings in engineering classes are related to certain academic areas, such as MLE1101 is about material science and engineering, and EG1109 is about mechanical engineering, which are not usually mentioned in our daily casual conversation and involve a lot of specific academic vocabularies. Therefore, when I write on such topics, I usually feel that I’m repeating words and the essay looks very unprofessional and boring due to my lack of academic vocabulary. To resolve this problem, I have to read a lot on the topic that I’m going to write about beforehand so as to gather some vocabularies on the particular subject. In the long run, I think I’ll consist on reading academic essays and news articles and accumulate my academic vocabularies.
On the other hand, another most serious difficulty I met in my writing is the academic style of writing. In academic writing, we need to use an objective tune and cite examples and references for each of the supporting points. However, in my writing, I tend to explain my point base on my own logic and have difficulty in citing the appropriate examples. In addition, the format of academic writing also needs to be observed. In resolving this difficulty, same effort is required, that is to read more academic essays or journals and learn from their writing style. More practices may also help in familiarizing with the format of citation and reference.
Task 3: Advance personalized learning
For a long time, experts and researchers have debated about the best way of education between phonics and whole-word recognition. Throughout the educational system, children as well as adults have been educated similarly following a “one-size-fits-all” approach regardless of individual differences. However, recently “personalized learning”, in which instruction is in accordance with a student’s individual needs, has gained a growing appreciation.
Why is personalized learning useful?
Learners can be divided into several categorizes. Some are highly self-motivated and learn best exploring a realm of knowledge. Some prefer a more structured approach. Another type is more motivated by external rewards and may learn best with step-by-step instruction. Others resist learning and do not have any motivation or interest in achieving goals.
The categorization of different learners is the base for developing personalized instruction. However, the truly personalized learning can be more individualized. According to their learning type, students prefer differently among learning examples, solving problems and so on. Under different conditions, people can also switch their preferences.
Many personalized learning approaches make use of computerized instruction. There are “intelligent” Web-based education systems, “recommender” systems that guide individual learner using Web-based resources, and algorithms that adjust recommendations to the abilities of the student.
What personalized learning systems are available now?
Web-based education systems are common. Systems that deliver and facilitate individual learning and multimedia modules that provide various forms of information have been designed. The delivery of instructional material is an important part of personalized learning. For instance, the instructional contents are delivered in different sequences in intelligent tutoring systems tailored for each individual. Many methods have been explored to optimize the order of presentation.
Recommender systems are widely encountered on the web also. These systems are more often designed for specific learning problem, such as mastering a second language. For example, some systems recommend books or reading lessons that most suited to an individual learner by tracking student’s errors and learning weaknesses.
What can engineering do to improve learning?
Ongoing research in neuroscience is providing clues to refine individualized instruction. A major challenge for the software engineers is to develop teaching methods that optimize learning, given the diversity of individual preferences and the complexity of each human brain. Engineers will play roles in most aspects of these complex problems. Mastery of these processes in advanced software could make learning more reliable.
Reference:
Advance personalized learning. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2008 from http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9127.aspx
14 Sept 2008
Task 2: Sentence Fragments
Practice exercises:
1.
Mrs. Blanco gone to visit her mother at the hospital.
Finding a parking space there is usually easy during the week.
Driving in the city during the evening rush hour.
2.
To apply for a job at the new store in the mall.
Asking the interviewer how often he would have to work on weekends.
Shaking his new boss's hand, Tony knew he would like working there.
3.
By the time Frances found out how expensive the wallpapering job would be.
After getting estimates from five contractors, she decided to do the work herself.
Before picking out an interesting wallpaper pattern that went well with her furniture.
4.
Who borrowed Stefanie's car Saturday night.
The nineteen-year-old car looked out of place next to the new models.
Which the salesman was surprised to find in such good shape.
5.
While waiting for her neighbor to move the car that blocked the driveway.
To avoid hitting the other car, Michael had to back across the corner of the lawn.
By making sure that no one will park across the driveway again.
6.
Because Manuel was sure he had heard the same strange story many months ago.
Although I will never forget how cold we were when we lost our heat last winter.
Since Anna wasn't at the meeting, I took notes so that she wouldn't miss anything.
7.
When my cousin moved to Troy, New York, after he finished school.
After he went to all the trouble of fixing up his apartment.
While living there, he made very few friends.
8.
My brother has been running a charter fishing boat for five years.
Many of his customers coming back three or four times over the summer.
His business been so busy that he has very little time for anything else.
9.
In the hiding place that Carl had been using for years to get away from the noisy house.
By the time that everyone had quieted down, my favorite television show was over.
Before planning another family get-together at the already crowded park.
10.
Although I knew she might wear something outrageous, I was still shocked by her dress.
Because she didn't want to tell where she had bought the strange outfit.
When we finally heard that she had made the dress herself.
References:
1. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_frag.html
2. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/fragments_add1.htm?cgi_quiz_form=1
23 Aug 2008
Task 1: Systematic and Critical Thinking Minds ------ The Most Important Quality for Engineering Profession
The importance of “systematic and critical thinking minds” can be illustrated from two aspects, the challenges of engineering and working areas of engineering students. On one hand, the grant challenges of engineering require engineers’ highly cross-disciplinary capabilities. Engineering, as traditional understanding implies, is to provide solutions for the “broad realms of human concern”; however, different from what is tradition, engineers now must consider all influential factors synthetically instead of merely providing technical solutions. For example, in solving the problem of new energy sources, engineers need to balance technical problems, environmental issues as well as economic feasibility; once all these factors are integrated in finding the suitable solution, engineers must have considerable understanding of all those three disciplines. To solve other grant challenges like political obstacles and uneven distribution of “engineering’s gifts to civilization” ([1]) also requests engineers to have systematic and critical thinking minds to combine their political, social and economic talents together with their engineering profession. On the other hand, the expanding working areas of engineers proves that one of the most important qualities of engineering is cross-industrial capabilities. Current trend of engineering education is so flexible and diversified that many engineering students are also recruited in non-engineering fields, such as banking, finance, logistics, management and service sector ([2]). Future engineers must be cross-industrial capable with systematic and critical thinking minds, otherwise, they will not be qualified once employed into a non-engineering working area.
All in all, to be the future qualified engineers, the most crucial quality that we must be equipped with is the systematic and critical thinking mind. We must be able to combine our multi-disciplinary knowledge with the reality as well as to integrate our methods with the desires of all fields
References:
[1] National Academy of Engineering, “Introduction to the grand challenges for engineering,” [Online document] Feb. 2008, [2008 Jun 3], Available at: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9221.aspx
[2] S. Ramakrishna, “The expanding world of engineers,” The Sunday Times, 5 Aug., pp. 25, 2007.