فصلنامه آموزش مهندسی ایران
پیاپی 54 (تابستان 1391)

The main goal of this study was to examine the basic requirements of interaction of University-Industry with knowledge management (KM) in the Engineering School of Ferdowsi University (ESFUM). To achieve this goal, a case study research method is used. All members of faculties in the engineering school are selected as target population. According to the research results, the basic requirements of interaction U-I was categorized in nine main categories such as perceived usefulness, perceived necessity, knowledge goal setting, knowledge coherence, valuation of knowledge, action learning, knowledge relevance, shared language and taking risk. Also, the quantitative results showed that perceived usefulness and perceived necessity of knowledge, shared language, action learning, valuation of knowledge, taking risk, knowledge coherence, knowledge relevance and knowledge goal setting got the highest rate in the population studied.

This article explores the effects of academic discipline on risk perception of technologies. The importance of this topic is that decision making about technologies depends on decision maker’s perception of technologies. In this study, risk perception of students of different academic disciplines including civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering and MBA will be analyzed. Our actual aim is to find if there is any relation between these fields of studies and risk perception of technologies in terms of health, environment and society. In the next step, according to the growth in number of engineering and technical students who choose to continue their studies in MBA, we will discuss whether this field of study does have effect on risk perception of people or not. Four technologies compared in this study are renewable energies, genetic engineering, nanotechnologies and information and communication technologies (ICT). Results show that students in all fields of study have the highest risk perception in genetic engineering and lowest in renewable energies. Students from different fields of study differ on risk perception in the process of socialization and self-selection. Students of MBA have the highest risk perception of social threats in the four groups of technologies.

Increasing changes at national, regional, an international levels have posed new challenges to higher education in general and engineering education in particular. In this regard, engineering education should take into account not only these challenges, but also problems arising from sustainable development, energy and water resources, environment and new technologies. Based on this, engineering students should develop competencies and skills for lifelong learning. As such, the quality of engineering education has been considered as a major challenge. Hence, most industrialized and newly industrialized countries have taken effective steps towards, institutionalizing assessment and accreditation of engineering education. National and international experiences in higher education evaluation indicate that internal (self-) and external assessment are the most popular approaches to quality assessment and accreditation in higher education. But, in developing countries application of internal assessment without collaboration of faculty members, would end up to merely bureaucratic exercises, which would have little impact on quality improvement. Based on the above, this article aims at answering this question: What is an appropriate quality assessment and enhancement process in the Iranian engineering education? Towards this end, the article first reviews the need for assessment and accreditation of engineering education. Then, it emphasizes the necessity of carrying out collaborative self-assessment followed by external quality assessment. Furthermore, the article elaborates on evaluation factors, criteria, indicators, and the need for setting standards of quality. Finally, proposals are made about institutionalizing quality assurance in the Iranian engineering education.

Today, E-learning as a new approach, is at the stage of developing and improving Therefore, So surveying the elements that influence on it, and their conclusions can improve the quality of teaching-learning procedure. In this project, we will study the influence of E-learning on developing and improving job skills and knowledge of engineers in Electronic Engineering Rasa Niro Co. Our statistical community includes 283 engineers who had received at least, 120 hours of their professional education in 2010, by network and E-training. While it was impossible to investigate the whole statistical community, a sample volume with using Morgan table, 150-personcommunity were determined, and testable cases were based on simple random sampling. Then the prepared questionnaires were presented to them. The questionnaire contains 30 questions of respond close based on
-coefficient of Kronbakh, its validation was 87% and showed a reasonable conclusion. Our finding revealed that, the level of E-learning in the case of developing knowledge, improving job skills and developing professional abilities of engineers, are below the mean-level. So these courses could not accomplish their goals.

Internal evaluation is a process in which faculty members of departments make judgments about their own performance and plan to improve their future activities. Internal evaluation in the department can be an effective step for increasing the quality of higher education system. Internal evaluation with data collection, analysis and feedback, supports management in decision-making. As internal evaluation project has been performed and approved in different departments of technique & engineering faculty at Shahed University. In the present paper the meta-analysis of the reports are presented.These departments include: 1) Department of Electrical Engineering 2) Department of Computer Engineering and3) Department of Medical Engineering. Data have been collected by analyzing internal evaluation reports. At the end, a framework for improving the quality of teaching and research has been recommended.

The aim of this study was to analyze the status of curriculum innovation acceptance based on faculty members of engineering departments at University of Isfahan and Isfahan University of Technology. The questions of this study were developed with respect to innovational styles of curriculum (including goals, content, teaching-learning strategies, and evaluation methods) and then were examined. The statistical population of this study were faculty members of engineering departments at University of Isfahan and Isfahan University of Technology in 2010-2011. The samples include some faculty members of engineering and sciences departments at University of Isfahan and Isfahan University of Technology. In order to select sample members, classification sampling method based on population size has been used. Then 92 faculty members were selected as sample members (20 faculty members from University of Isfahan and 72 faculty members from Isfahan University of Technology). In order to collect data, library method and researcher-developed questionnaire were used. Stability of this questionnaire measured through Cronbach’s Alpha and its coefficient was 95%. Also content and formal reliability of questionnaire accepted by 10 professionals and professors in curriculum field. The results of this study indicated that rate of innovation acceptance in goals, content, teaching-learning strategies, and evaluation methods were more than average level of curriculum.

According to the modeling software and computer technology, teaching engineering graphics courses in Iranian universities must be improved similar to other top universities in the world which have changed since 2000. However, based on the technology and equipment in Iran, these changes should be in a way that students could learn subjects accompany. With modeling software so that there is no worry about ancient professor’s method of teaching. I introduced this modern teaching method in engineering graphics center of Sharif University of Technology in 2007. In this paper I compare the modern teaching method with the old fashion one in engineering drawing course according to the tests and evaluations collected from students. The conclusion was that this modern method has a better effect in the learning of students.

The present paper introduces one of the most important engineering works of Islamic civilization written by the prominent Iranian mathematician and engineer named Karaji in the fifth century/eleventh. AD entitled exploration and Extract of Hidden Waters (Inbat al-miyah al-khafiya). This paper aims to show this fact that after nearly a thousand years of writing this book, how parts of the book as a historical record and portions of it as an introduction to the scientific debate on surveying classrooms, directly or indirectly, can be used. For this purpose, Karji’s book exploration and Extract of Hidden Waters is considered. The surveying tools described in the book is briefly introduced. Then, two instruments invented by Karaji, namely a calibrated plumb level for surveying and its chain and stave, and a dioptre - like leveling instrument are explained. Karaji gives a complete description of them and demonstration of theorems for their use. It is shown that by using samples and examples contained in the book, new scientific issues for students of civil and surveying engineering can be designed and explained. Finally, materials and discussion points that can be used in the classrooms are suggested. At the end, Karaji's problem concerning calibrating the level is also mathematically formulated and described.