Integrating MATLAB into New Engineering Education Reform: A Bilingual Teaching Approach for Interdisciplinary Competency Development

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive MATLAB curriculum reform model aligned with Chinas New Engineering Education (NEE)
initiative, combining bilingual teaching methodologies with interdisciplinary project-based learning. The framework addresses three critical
gaps in traditional engineering education: (1) disconnection between programming instruction and emerging technologies, (2) insufficient
English technical communication skills, (3) limited authentic engineering problem-solving experiences. Through a two-year implementation
at a engineering college involving 240 students across automation and mechanical engineering programs, the reformed course demonstrated
32% improvement in interdisciplinary task performance and 78% enhancement in English technical document comprehension compared to
conventional teaching methods. The pedagogical innovation features a three-tier bilingual immersion strategy, hardware-software co-simulation projects, and an industry-aligned competency assessment system. Quantitative data from pre/post-tests and qualitative feedback from
students and industry partners validate the models effectiveness in cultivating the NEEs core competencies - computational thinking, crossdomain integration, and global communication skills.