Artificial intelligence (AI) is the field of scientific inquiry concerned with designing machine systems that can simulate human mental processes. The field draws upon theoretical constructs from a wide variety of disciplines, including mathematics, psychology, linguistics, neurophysiology, computer science, and electronic engineering. Some of the…

Reviews approaches taken in meeting the design requirements in engineering programs. Highlights the value and applications of student involvement in design projects. Explains the features of an engineering case and advocates their use as an alternative or supplement to design projects. (ML)

Reviews the background leading to the development and evaluation of problems to examine student ability to do qualitative reasoning, applying concepts rather than algorithms. Describes creation of quantitative and qualitative problem papers, summarizes results, and proposes distinctions based on cognitive difficulty. (JM)

The importance of technological literacy in liberal arts education, and approaches to teaching the concepts behind systems analysis and artifacts in engineering, are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

Criticizes pure science orientation of engineering curriculum, faculty and admissions criteria since 1920's. Advocates redirection toward balance of "pure and "applied technological training which would clarify practical aspect of engineering profession and prepare students who could compete with theoretical physicists and mathematicians. (LP)

Guidelines to use when solving complex design problems and two illustrative examples were presented in Volume 16 (No. 1), page 12 of this journal. Two additional examples are presented, focusing on ASCEND-II, a flowsheeting system to help "design" a computer model for a process. (SK)

Presents transcripts of freshmen engineering majors solving elementary physics problems to examine some limitations of formula-centered approaches to problem solving. Although students use formulas successfully, the qualitative conception of the underlying physical situation is weak. Results from written tests indicate that this phenomenon may be…

Discusses a methods kit for interactive problem-solving exercises in engineering education as well as a methodology for intelligent evaluation of solutions. The quality of a system teaching logistics thinking can be improved using artificial intelligence. Embedding a rule-based diagnosis module that evaluates the student's knowledge actively…

Described is an activity in which groups of students investigate engineering principles by writing a feasibility study to raise the luxury liner, Titanic. The problem statement and directions, and suggestions for problem solutions are included. (CW)

Discusses the use of a computer-illustrated text (CIT) with integrated software to teach electric circuit theory to college students. Examples of software use are given, including simple animation, graphical displays, and problem-solving programs. Issues affecting electric circuit theory instruction are also addressed, including mathematical…

Results of a systematic investigation into university students' (n=236) misunderstandings of d.c. simple circuit operations are reported. These results provide evidence of various misconceptions present before and after teaching the following topics: a battery as a source of constant current; the functional relation expressed by Ohm's law; power…

It is proposed that algorithms and heuristics are useful in improving professional problem-solving abilities when contextualized within the academic discipline. A basic algorithm applied to problem solving in undergraduate engineering education and a similar algorithm applicable to legal problems are used as examples. Problem complexity and…

Various examples of open-ended problems and ways to obtain them are presented. Suggestions for incorporating open-ended problems and some of the benefits and difficulties encountered by teachers and students are discussed. Examples are from courses on mass and energy balances, communications, kinetics and ideal reactors, and reactor design. (KR)