Discusses the nature of and steps required in building an expert system. Includes comments by students given an assignment to choose a suitable topic and develop a small expert system related to that topic, as well as favorable faculty comments on the strategy. Also includes a student-developed expert system on rock-blasting. (JN)

Encourages use of case studies to introduce "real-life" engineering assignments, suggesting that they should be given in a natural order as a series. Describes three such assignments being used at the University of the West Indies. Description, analysis, and design of an existing engineering system is included. (JM)

Discusses the development of a design task in which the students can focus on problems in some part of the city. Describes such an improved strategy for teaching the design of complex systems as challenging and beneficial, especially for those interested in urban-related careers. (CC)

Discusses the offering of a two-quarter Sloan Foundation course entitled "C-50-Design of Complex Systems" to students in all departments, from freshmen to Ph.D. candidates, at the Northwestern University. Indicates the presence of a realistic working environment due to the mix of students' interests, skills, and levels of ability. (CC)

Discusses the establishment of an environmental systems laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh with the support of the Sloan Foundation. Indicates that the "real world" can be brought into the laboratory by simulating on computers, software systems, and data bases. (CC)

Discusses the Environmental Systems Study Program conducted at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute with the support of the Sloan Foundation. Indicates that the activities are to lend valuable pilot experience to the implementation of broad changes in educational programs. Included is a summary of students' real-problem project titles. (CC)

Discusses a Sloan Foundation undergraduate project conducted at the University of California at Santa Clara, with emphases upon interdisciplinary design. Indicates that engineering should be seen as a broad education for a technology dependent society, rather than education leading to a specialized, dead-end career. (CC)

Discusses a creative engineering systems design program developed at the Clarkson College of Technology with the support of the Sloan Foundation. Indicates that the program leads to greater undergraduate use of computational facilities and more faculty research toward design applications. (CC)

Presented is a description of the evolution and curriculum of the masters program in aeronautical systems at the University of West Florida between 1969 and 1976. An explanation is given of the purpose and outcome of the group theses and research project in which the students taught themselves the systems approach. (SMB)

Discusses implementation of Sloan Foundation projects at the Case Western School of Engineering, including the development of a computer assisted mechanical structural design course, the establishment of a complex systems laboratory, and personnel views of industry-university design projects. (CC)