Retention and graduation rates for engineering disciplines are significantly lower than desired, and research literature offers many possible causes. Engineering learning communities provide the opportunity to study relationships among specific causes and to develop and evaluate activities designed to lessen their impact. This paper details an…

The purpose of this paper was to provide information about the virtual learning environment known as PGDnet (the Spanish acronym for "Plataforma de Gestion Docente" or Educational Management Platform in English), which was developed by the innovative education group at the Technical University of Madrid known as "Nuevas metodologias…

The need for a flexible and versatile workforce that is constantly learning and upgrading its skills has led to a continual demand for courses in which employees are re-trained and updated on a lifelong basis. Students and workers now have to be prepared for a labour market in which they can be expected to change jobs many times, and they need to…

A two-stage project is investigating the educational potential of a low-cost time-sharing system used as a simulation tool in Electrical Engineering (EE) education. Phase I involves a pilot study and Phase II a full integration. The system employs interactive computer simulation to teach engineering concepts which are not well handled by…

Describes a pilot project in Philadelphia which introduced seventh- and eighth-grade minority students to computers as a means of building their self-confidence and encouraging them to pursue careers in engineering and computer science. Includes partial course outline, evaluation methods, and tips for success. (DC)

A model career preparation program for first-year engineering women at Purdue University is described. Key elements of this project, which is funded through the Women's Educational Equity Act, are: a course designed to provide engineering and career information and practical experience; a means of evaluating the methods and results; wide…

The development of the University of Rhode Island's International Engineering Program, particularly the German language instruction component, is described. A committee addressed four questions: (1) whether there is tangible evidence that it is desirable for technologists to learn a second language; (2) why engineers avoid foreign language study;…