Post-secondary educators are increasingly experimenting with the possibility of blending or replacing traditional lecture-based instruction with student-centered instruction. Although some studies have been completed, much remains to be learned about when and why student-centered instruction works and the effectiveness of specific approaches. The…

We studied the use of online molecular dynamics simulations (MD) to enhance student abilities to understand the atomic processes governing plastic deformation in materials. The target population included a second-year undergraduate engineering course in the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University. The objectives of the study were to…

In spite of numerous calls for action, e.g., Executive Office of the President (2010), there have been few efforts nationally to promote engineering education in the elementary grades. Of these, hardly any have targeted underrepresented populations (National Academy of Engineering, 2009, p. 74). The collaboration described in this paper is a…