ABET requires that engineering programs demonstrate continuous assessment and continuous improvement in order to be accredited. Central to the process is establishing and assessing measurable "student outcomes" that reflect whether the goals and objectives of the program are being met. This paper examines effective strategies for…

We present the results of a study carried out with students in their second year of Industrial Engineering to find out students' levels of satisfaction concerning the use of simulation tools (in this case an applet was used) as a tool for helping students learn the topic of movement by charged particles within electrical and magnetic fields. The…

A Synchronous Distance Education (SDE) course, jointly offered by Auburn University, Tuskegee University and Auburn University at Montgomery, introduced non-science majors to the concepts of nanoscience. Lectures originated from each of the three campuses during the semester, and video conferencing equipment allowed students at all three campuses…

In the late 1990s, the physics department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had a problem. The department was responsible for teaching the two required physics courses that are part of the General Institute Requirements (GIRs), MIT's core curriculum--Physics I (mechanics, or in MIT parlance, 8.01) and Physics II (electricity and…

This paper shows how a study in educational sciences focused on the concept of "competence" can bring about changes in the pedagogical methods used when training engineers. Instead of using personality traits to understand innovators, a PhD study focused on practices and competencies revealed that, amongst other things, self-directed…

This study examined university students' knowledge of and attitudes (n = 378) toward biotechnology in Slovakia, a conservative country where the distribution of genetically engineered products are banned by law. We found a significant positive correlation between attitudes and the level of knowledge; however, although students enrolled in biology…

This paper reviews research on college students' curriculum choice and then tests an alternative model with data on choices made by male baccalaureates across a wide spectrum of science and engineering curricula. The influence of both the methodology and the analytical framework on the identification of relevant variables is explored. (Author/CT)

Describes a course offered for the freshman civil engineering major at the University of Missouri-Rolla. The rationale of developing the course which focuses on the symbolic, social, and technological aspects of the Mississippi River is included. (HM)