Project-based learning and academic integration are integral parts of the automotive technology program at Greenville High School. This Ohio comprehensive school has used both of these strategies for the past 15 years and their success is reflected in nine state SkillsUSA gold medals and one bronze, in addition to eight gold medals earned at the…

This article presents a design brief for a pinball game. The design brief helps students get a better grasp on the operation and uses of simple machines. It also gives them an opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills and use design skills to complete an interesting, fun product. (Contains 2 tables and 3 photos.)

Advances in technology have yielded computer numerical control (CNC) machines and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software that saves time and increases productivity in today's industrial world. Training students to understand and use these technologies has become a key ingredient in preparing them for work in industry. Teachers of machining…

Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, in collaboration with the marine industry and local school systems, is improving STEM preparation using innovative experiences for students and teachers in the nation's major shipbuilding and repair areas through MarineTech and SBRCD (Shipbuilding Repair and Maritime Career Day) projects. The…

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate how science and engineering graduates can be recruited and trained to Masters level in precision engineering as an aid to reducing the skills shortage of mechanical engineers in UK industry. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes a partnership between three UK academic institutions and industry,…

Drag racing is just one of the exciting sporting activities that students enrolled in the Parkland College's Engineering Science and Technologies program get an opportunity in which to participate. The college, located in Champaign, Illinois, has provided affordable career-tech and academic education to area residents since 1966. This article…

Analyzes the description of letterpress printing technology in the "Encyclopedie" of Diderot and d'Alembert. Examines how the authors distilled information about mechanical arts from craft culture, the shop, and traditional apprenticeship practices. (SK)

Schools are becoming complex facilities that need skilled, specially trained personnel to maintain mechanical systems. (Author/MF)

A brief look at some examples of self-instructional systems for teaching the elements of basic mechanical skills. (AA)

This study comparing the relative effectiveness of learning methods shows that the combination of written instruction plus recorded demonstration is the most effective for inexperienced students; recorded demonstration proved to be more effective than written instructions when used separately. (BBM)

An individualized study approach to learning the occupation of sewing machine mechanic was developed by Union Special Corporation. The approach utilizes audiovisual aids to a great extent. The time spent in training has been cut from two years to ten weeks. (AG)

Two studies of performance in psychometric tests of mechanical ability are described. The subjects included a total of 70 undergraduates. Results allowed identification of subjects' rules of mechanical reasoning that accounted for variations in performance according to mechanical ability. (TJH)

Studied sex and ethnic group differences on 6 scales that measure accomplishments for 739 male and 1,746 female graduate school applicants. With the exception of the scale measuring mechanical accomplishment, men and women did not differ in performance, and ethnic groups did not differ on any scale. (SLD)

This paper defines the required abilities for a given job as a Task Skill Assemblage (TSA), and the stored skill and knowledge is possessed by a candidate for that job as the Personal Skill Assemblage (PSA). A method is suggested for measuring the degree of match between the TSA and PSA. (Author)