The Role of Andragogy in Mechanical Engineering Education

Abstract

His research interests include capstone design teaching and assessment, undergraduate engineering student leadership development, and social network analysis. He is also a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Critical Theoretical Frameworks in Engineering Education: An Anti-Deficit and Liberative Approach

“…Educators must reflect into their own biases and limitations and disengage from framing questions that may potentially lead to unintentional promotion of deficit perspectives. Awareness through reflection is the first step to engage in both pedagogical and andragogical research practices that counter such perspectives [23,24]. Critical reflection, in particular, is crucial because it can uncover the power dynamics that exist in engineering education, and can help to challenge hegemonic assumptions about students [25].…”

A Broader Look at The Role of Andragogy in Engineering Education

“…The intent of this paper is not to provide a comprehensive review of andragogy. The topic is extensive and was discussed in some detail on the prior work in this area by Melnyk and Novoselich [3]. As discussed in the previous section, the primary difference between the terms pedagogy and andragogy is the intended recipient of the educational practice.…”

Andragogical Learning Characteristics in Second-year and Fourth-year Mechanical Engineering Students

“…Melnyk and Novoselich assert that engineering faculty often maintain a pedagogical approach to engineering education despite guiding literature that suggests an andragogical approach may be more appropriate. 3 Students who experience only a pedagogical approach to learning may be ill-equipped to independently navigate the larger engineering body of knowledge because they may see faculty as gatekeepers to learning. As the body of engineering knowledge increases at more rapid pace, students must continue to learn to stay relevant throughout their careers.…”

“…Often, andragogy is used in conjunction with project-based learning (PBL) 3 , but little is known regarding whether undergraduate engineering students have developed the adult learning orientation which allows them to fully benefit from these techniques. Students may only view the project as a means to a grade rather than a concrete experience from which to draw upon later in their career.…”

“…Previous work on an examination of stakeholder documents and the purpose statements of undergraduate institutions also portray a desire to create graduates with an andragogical mindset. 3 Although an isolated study suggests that undergraduate engineering students do transition from youth to adult learning over their undergraduate experiences, little is known, however, regarding the degree to which undergraduate engineering students from a military background transition from being youth to adult learners over the course of their undergraduate education. 1 Consequently, faculty wishing to engage students in learner centered, andragogical learning environments may be uninformed regarding how these environments fit the developmental level of the students.…”