This column presents ideas and techniques to enhance science teaching. In the "Talking Window Garden" project, students create "smart" plant pots that use sensors to collect and analyze data on the health of their plants. The Talking Window Garden project was a collaborative effort between an elementary teacher who wanted to…

This case study trialled the introduction of a student-response system (Top Hat) in a third-year engineering Fluid Mechanics course (n = 44) to improve student engagement, motivation and cognition. It was recognised that for the potential benefits of student-response systems (SRSs) to be fully realised, more time must be allocated for student…

Game-based learning (GBL) combines pedagogy and interactive entertainment to create a virtual learning environment in an effort to motivate and regain the interest of a new generation of "digital native" learners. However, this approach is impeded by the limited availability of suitable "serious" games and high-level design…

The purpose of this study is to determine which 3D viewers should be used for the display of interactive graphic engineering documents, so that the visualization and manipulation of 3D models provide useful support to students of industrial engineering (mechanical, organizational, electronic engineering, etc). The technical features of 26 3D…

The rapid development in Internet technology and its big popularity has led some universities around the world to incorporate web-based learning in some of their programmes. The present paper introduces a comprehensive survey of the publications about using remote laboratories in electrical engineering education. Remote laboratories are web-based,…

This report continues the series in which Education Scotland evaluates the quality of young people's learning and achievements, in this case in the technologies. The report contributes to the overall picture of what it is like to be a learner in a Scottish early learning or childcare setting or school in this second decade of the 21st Century. The…

Just as the democratization of information through personal computers was a key advance of the 20th century, the democratization of production through improvements in fabrication technologies will be a pivotal development in the 21st century. Digital fabrication is the process of translating a digital design into a physical object. At one time,…

Children have frequent access to technologies such as computers, game systems, and mobile phones (Sefton-Green, 2006). But it is useful to distinguish between engaging with technology as a "consumer" and engaging as a "creator" or designer (Resnick & Rusk, 1996). Children who engage as the former can use technology efficiently, while those who…

Technology-mediated education or e-learning is growing globally both in scale and delivery capacity due to the large diffusion of the ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) in general and the web technologies in particular. This statement has not yet been fully supported by research, especially in developing countries such as…

This article describes a teaching experience in which information and communication technologies were applied in five industrial engineering courses at the Universidad de Tarapaca in Chile. The paper compares the performance and course pass rates of the e-learning platform and portable pocket PC platform with those of the same courses teaching in…

A literature review identifies a partial list of leadership skills to include developing higher-order cognitive skills, team working skills, positive attitude, and ability to transfer these skills to future environment. This paper discusses the results of research conducted on the use of multiple instructional methodologies in two different…

Past research suggests that single-sex educational environments provide many benefits to women's learning. Similarly, as indicated by their under-representation, it is known that there are problems in attracting and subsequently retaining women in information technology disciplines. In an effort to improve the enrollment and retention of women, we…

Laptop learning programs have been developed to create ubiquitous online learning environments. Given the infancy of many programs, there is little understanding of aspects of the program are perceived to provide value to faculty and students. This paper focuses on the value proposition (with respect to perceived benefits versus capital…

This paper is a summary of the use of the Technology Engineering in K-12 education that integrates science and technology to positively impact students and teachers. The Technology Enhanced Learning in Science Center (or "TELS") is a research consortium that uses dynamic and innovative technology-based solutions combined with science…

This guide has been prepared for use by the undergraduate or graduate student in engineering geology. Because of the broad scope of the field, the major disciplines of soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and foundations are primarily emphasized. This document is a survey of information sources in engineering geology and is intended to identify those…