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In Media
Select content published in journals, conferences, and social media.
October 1, 2023
Guest Editorial Special Issue on Transforming Engineering Education
The transformation of engineering education is necessitated by the crucial need to develop students’ transversal skills, often referred to as “21st century skills,” so they can address complex, global challenges. This special issue accompanies the in-person 9th International Research Symposium for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on the theme of transforming engineering education, which took place over June 21–23, 2023, in both campuses of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The issue features 11 papers selected through a rigorous review process, exploring various approaches and investigations aimed at facilitating the transformation of engineering education. Three themes feature frequently in the special issue, namely, PBL, first-year education, and technology integration in higher education. The guest editors suggest future studies should explore mixed methods research and comparative studies across countries and institutions. They also highlight the need for research into diversity, equity, and inclusion, interdisciplinary education, and pedagogical training for faculty. Overall, the papers in this special issue provide valuable insights and ideas for transforming engineering education, showcasing the global and local efforts being made in this field. The guest editors encourage engineering educators to learn from each other’s experiences and adapt innovative solutions to their own educational contexts. The guest editors acknowledge the transformation of engineering education is a complex process, requiring time, effort, and strategic considerations; yet, this special issue demonstrates the potential for meaningful change.
August 24, 2023
Teaching and Assessing Thinking Skills and Applying Educational Technologies in Higher Education
Integrating thinking skills into higher education pedagogy requires suitable models, methods, and tools for both instruction and assessment. Some of these tools apply one or more educational technologies. The articles in this special issue focus on higher education with four common themes: online or virtual courses and modules, science and engineering education, active learning methods, and critical thinking. This special issue sheds light on the critical importance of thinking skills development and assessment in higher education and underscores the need for continued research and innovation in the realm of educational technology.
July 31, 2023
9th International Research Symposium on Problem-Based Learning (IRSPBL) on “Transforming Engineering Education” (TEE2023)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s New Engineering Education Transformation (MIT-NEET) program, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and Aalborg University’s Centre for Problem Based Learning (PBL) in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the auspices of UNESCO convened the 9th International Research Symposium on PBL (IRSPBL23).
The symposium focused on the theme of Transforming Engineering Education. It was held from June 21-23, 2023 at the MIT main campus, Cambridge, and Harvard Science and Engineering Complex, Boston.
As the ninth in a series of international research symposia, this year’s event focused on the theme “transforming engineering education”. According to Amitava ‘Babi’ Mitra, founding executive director, New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET), MIT, this marks “the first IRSPBL to take place in North America and the first conference on engineering education co-convened by MIT and Harvard University”.
July 12, 2023
A Formalized Conceptual Model-Based Approach for Fostering and Assessing Students’ Systems Thinking in Undergraduate Chemistry Education
Transforming engineering education is the theme of the 9th International Research Symposium on Problem-Based Learning (IRSPBL2023), convened by the MIT School of Engineering, Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Aalborg Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the auspices of UNESCO. This book presents the 54 contributions from 16 different countries from this IRSPBL edition.
The contributions cover a relevant number of topics, from Collaboration with Industry to Creativity and Interdisciplinarity, Development of Professional Competences, Digitalization and Online Learning, and Education for Sustainability.
Guerra, A., Chen, J., Lavi, R., Bertel, L. B., & Lindsay, E. (Eds.) (2023). Transforming
Engineering Education. (OA ed.) Aalborg Universitetsforlag. International Research
Symposium on PBL. Retrieved from https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/transforming-
engineering-education.
June 14, 2023
Transforming Engineering Education 2023 Conference Proceedings
Transforming engineering education is the theme of the 9th International Research Symposium on Problem-Based Learning (IRSPBL2023), convened by the MIT School of Engineering, Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Aalborg Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the auspices of UNESCO. This book presents the 54 contributions from 16 different countries from this IRSPBL edition.
The contributions cover a relevant number of topics, from Collaboration with Industry to Creativity and Interdisciplinarity, Development of Professional Competences, Digitalization and Online Learning, and Education for Sustainability.
Guerra, A., Chen, J., Lavi, R., Bertel, L. B., & Lindsay, E. (Eds.) (2023). Transforming
Engineering Education. (OA ed.) Aalborg Universitetsforlag. International Research
Symposium on PBL. Retrieved from https://vbn.aau.dk/da/publications/transforming-
engineering-education.
April 10, 2023
Creating Analogies for Design Problem-Solving: Initial Evaluation of an Engineering Faculty Workshop
We conducted an initial evaluation of a professional development workshop for engineering faculty on the creation of analogies for addressing design problems. The ability to create meaningful analogies is of central importance in engineering. In our in-person undergraduate engineering education workshop, we taught faculty a method and process for creating meaningful analogies for addressing design problems, a skill which they can then teach their own students. Initial evaluation of workshop was successful: participants created meaningfulness analogies and gave overall positive feedback on the workshop.
This paper was presented virtually in the VII IEEE World Engineering Education Conference (EDUNINE2023).
March 31, 2023
Giving an invited talk about active learning
Applying active learning approaches to teach undergraduate students how to tackle real-world, ill-defined problems with problem structuring,
systems thinking, and creative ideation.
I gave a virtual talk as part of the hybrid conference "Revolutionizing Education Through Artificial Intelligence: Progress and Promises", at the University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy,
Feb 9, 2023
A Proposed Case-Based Learning Framework for Fostering Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Creative and Critical Thinking
This paper outlines our proposal for a case-based learning pedagogical framework which aims to foster undergraduate engineering students’ creative and critical thinking. The framework provides scaffolding of the learning process for students using a sequence of case-based learning implementations with varying levels of student autonomy.
Read the article in Journal of Science Education and Technology
Dec 11, 2022
Guesting on Skills Podcast
Tal Moskovich and Rea Lavi spoke about ill-defined problems, what they are, how to address them, and how to structure them.
They also spoke about creative ideation, systems thinking, and engineering education, among other topics.
The conversation is in Hebrew.
Oct 28, 2022
Guesting on Reflective Teaching in A Digital Age Podcast
Introducing engineering students to systems thinking early in their education is critical for their development and learning success.
In this episode, Dr. Rea Lavi talks to us about the System Architecture-Function-Outcome (SAFO) framework he developed to help foster systems thinking in undergraduate students. He explains how this framework can be integrated in engineering teaching and used to assess systems thinking in first year engineering students.
May 25, 2022
Decarbonizing Ulaanbaatar: Using DIMES-FIRST Methodology to Tackle a Climate and Sustainability Challenge
The DIMES-FIRST methodology for structured problem-solving integrates concepts, methods, and techniques from systems engineering, marketing planning, social sciences, and cognitive psychology.
In spring 2022, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) undergraduate students applied this methodology in Dr. Lavi's course, Tackling Challenges in Climate and Sustainability with Ways of Thinking.
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Mar 22, 2022
Teaching and Assessing Systems Thinking Workshop Hones Teaching Skills
Grasping the complexity of nearly any discipline increasingly requires thinking from a systems perspective. Whether in engineering, biology, or social sciences, understanding how components of a system interact to produce desirable and undesirable outcomes, which in turn impact the system itself, is necessary for solving challenges and developing innovations.
For two days this March, participants from J-WEL member organizations gathered online to explore the challenge of teaching this skill with the guidance of members of MIT’s New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program.
Dec 19, 2021
Three Ways of Thinking for Tackling Open-Ended Problems
I would like to present you with a quick (30 minutes) method for generating a wide variety of ideas for solving an open-ended problem. I adapted this example, with some changes for anonymity and clarity, from a first-year class I teach on ways of thinking for tackling open-ended challenges.
Oct 5, 2021
Interview on Fresh Perspectives
An interview with MIT Teaching + Learning Lab (TLL) for their series, Fresh Perspectives.
1) What class did you teach during the pandemic and how was it structured?
2) How did you plan your remote class sessions?
3) How did you assess student learning?
Sep 1, 2021
The NEET Ways of Thinking: Implementing them at MIT and Assessing their Efficacy
In Fall 2016, the School of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) chartered the New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) initiative. NEET aims to educate young engineers to build the new machines and systems that will address societal needs of the 21st century.
Students enter NEET in their sophomore year and join one of five threads, namely Advanced Materials Machines, Autonomous Machines, Digital Cities, Living Machines, and Renewable Energy Machines. Threads are cross-departmental pathways of subjects and projects in interdisciplinary areas.
NEET students practice the 12 NEET Ways of Thinking, which are cognitive approaches for tackling complex challenges.
May 4, 2021
Are creative thinking and systems thinking related?
A discussion initiated by Dr. Lavi on ResearchGate, a social media platform for researchers.
Sep 1, 2021
Perceptions of STEM alumni and students on developing 21st century skills through methods of teaching and learning
21st century skills are essential for career readiness. We investigated the development of students’ 21st century skills at a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research university, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.