In the field of technology and engineering education, educators are limited by their inability to predict what is coming; as the saying goes, they are preparing their students for jobs that do not even exist yet. Two adaptive approaches can help prepare students for this uncertainty: (1) teaching broad skills that can be applied in new situations;…

The ability to print a 3-D object may sound like science fiction, but it has been around in some form since the 1980s. Also called rapid prototyping or additive manufacturing, the idea is to take a design from a computer file and forge it into an object, often in flat cross-sections that can be assembled into a larger whole. While the printer on…

(Purpose) The purpose of this paper was to examine the issues associated with bringing new technology into the classroom, in particular, the vocational/technical classroom. (Methodology) A new Haas 5 axis vertical Computer Numerical Control machining center was purchased to update the CNC machining curriculum at a community college and the process…

The Northeast United States just experienced one of the region's worst natural disasters. Fortunately, because of the confluence of modern computing power and scientific computing methods, weather forecasting models predicted Sandy's very complicated trajectory and development with a precision that would not have been possible even a decade ago.…

Humans by their very nature are users of tools, materials, and processes as a part of their survival and existence. As humans have progressed over time, their civilizations and societies have changed beyond imagination and have moved from hunters and gatherers of food and materials for survival to sophisticated societies with complex social and…

Current methods of teaching basic amplifier design at the undergraduate level need further development to match today's technological advances. The general class approach to amplifier design is analytical and heavily based on mathematical manipulations. However, the students mathematical abilities are generally modest, creating a void in which…

There are several major challenges for instructional designers seeking to design learning games. These include the lack of access, the cost of rapidly advancing/expensive technology tools that make developing games uneconomical, the institutional time constraints limiting game use, and the concerns that schools lack sufficiently robust computer…

Computer operators using the technique of three-dimensional printing or rapid prototyping may soon be able to sculpt an object on the screen and within minutes, have a paper, plastic, or ceramic version of the object in hand. The process uses the principle that physical objects can be created in layers. (MSE)

Hagerstown Junior College's advanced technology program enables entrepreneurs to take an idea from computer-assisted design and manufacture, through prototype development and test-marketing, to full-scale production. An interactive video facility and the financial expertise of economic development agencies combine with the technology center to…

The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Systems at Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia) is part of a nationwide network of teaching factories where manufacturers can learn new, more competitive production technologies. The institute has helped several local manufacturing companies develop computer programs to…

Graphical plans for construction of machinery and architecture have evolved over the last 6,000 years beginning from hieroglyphics to drawings on printable media, from the "Golden Age" of engineering graphics to the innovation of computer graphics and prototyping. The evolution of engineering design graphics as a profession has also evolved. Years…

This course is intended to give students a comprehensive experience in current and future manufacturing materials and processes. It familiarizes students with: (1) base of composite materials; (2) composites--a very light, strong material used in spacecraft and stealth aircraft; (3) laminates; (4) advanced materials--especially aluminum alloys;…

Discusses new developments in digitizing manuscripts. Introduces four categories describing level of detail for digital images in historical information systems. These are illustrative, readable, Paleographic quality, and enhanceable. Examines traditional architecture, tagged manuscripts, and approaches to full-text integration. (MJP)

In 1987, Midlands Technical College (MTC), in Columbia, South Carolina, initiated a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) project, the Midlands Teaching Factory, LTD, which integrated various college departments with the goal of manufacturing a high quality, saleable product. The faculty developed a teaching factory model which was designed to…