Research experience has been proven to be effective in enhancing the overall educational experience for undergraduate students. In this article, two engineering research projects with undergraduate students involvement are discussed. The projects provided the undergraduate student researchers with motivation for independent research work and…

Although the consensus seems to be that high-school-level introductory engineering courses should focus on design, this creates a problem for teacher training. Traditionally, math and science teachers are trained to teach and assess factual knowledge and closed-ended problem-solving techniques specific to a particular discipline, which is unsuited…

The importance of reducing the gender gap in engineering programs by recruiting and retaining female students is well recognized. Although women hold roughly half of all jobs in the United States, only 24% of STEM jobs are occupied by women. The problem is even more pronounced for engineering, where women held about 12% of jobs as of 2013 (Corbett…

The presented study used a problem-solving experience in engineering design with LEGO robotics materials as the real-world mathematics-learning context. The goals of the study were (a) to determine if a short but intensive extracurricular learning experience would lead to significant student learning of a particular academic topic and (b) to…

An industrial-type distillation column, including appropriate pumps, heat exchangers, and automation, was used as a unit operations experiment to provide a link between classroom teaching and real-world applications. Students were presented with an open-ended experiment where they defined the testing parameters to solve a generalized problem. The…

We analyze and study the beginning of a new Electrical Engineering Department, supported by an NSF Departmental Level Reform award, within a new College of Engineering in the 21st Century and also describe the academic approach and influences of an innovative cognitive-based approach to curriculum development. In addition, the approach taken…

This paper describes the creation and evolution of an undergraduate dynamics and vibrations course for civil engineering students. Incorporating vibrations into the course allows students to see and study "real" civil engineering applications of the course content. This connection of academic principles to real life situations is in…

In this important resource, Dr. Fleming (a noted expert in the field of minority retention) draws on educational evaluations she has developed in the course of her distinguished career. This book analyzes the common factors and the role institutional characteristics play in minority student retention to show what really works in increasing…

AN INVESTIGATION WAS MADE TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN OVERHEAD PROJECTOR AND TRANSPARENCY SET WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND ACCEPTABLE TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THAN TIME-PROVEN CHALKBOARD DRAWINGS IN THE TEACHING OF A DESCRIPTIVE GEOMETRY COURSE. IT WAS FOUND THAT (1) THE LECTURE-DEMONSTRATION PERIOD CAN BE REDUCED TO ALLOW A LONGER SUPERVISED…

Among 53 conference papers, are the following: "Perceptions of Administrators, Guidance Counselors, and Science Teachers Concerning Pilot Agriscience Courses" (Johnson, Newman); "Relationship of Supervised Agricultural Experience Program Participation and Student Achievement in Agricultural Education (AE)" (Cheek et al.);…