Lists over 340 materials published in 1990 related to engineering technology education and grouped under the following headings: administration; architectural; computer-assisted design/management (CAD/CAM); civil; computers; curriculum; electrical/electronics; industrial; industry/government/employers; instructional technology; laboratories;…

Presents a brief summary of developments in engineering education. (BB)

Gives reasons why the lecture is a valuable teaching method; discusses how to improve lectures, and what lectures can accomplish. (MLH)

Suggests ways to determine what method of instruction is best suited to particular situations. (MLH)

Examines three broad areas related to the formal learning of engineering. These areas focus on: (1) approaches to learning; (2) developing engineering curricula; and (3) curriculum planning for the future. Also considers whether current engineering curricula can accommodate needed changes. (JN)

Suggests five ways to make college proposal-writing assignments correspond more closely to the proposal-writing situations faced by engineers. They include emphasizing sales proposals over in-house planning or research and development proposals, using actual or fictional cases as the basis for assignments, and requiring oral presentations of the…

Discusses the use of engineering case studies to prepare students to define and solve the open-ended problems characteristic of engineering practice. (MLH)

Students in a senior engineering design course are given a routine design project typical of the first project given to a fledgling engineer in industry and a project more typical of what an experienced engineer does. Routine and nonroutine design approaches and instructional strategies used in the course are described. (JN)

Strategies used in introducing a case study to students in an interdisciplinary design course are presented, outlining what and how students can learn from the case. The entire two-part case, "Problem of the Perverse Pinion," (a consultant's view of the failure analysis of an automotive starter pinion) follows this article. (JN)

Problems concerning the lecture method are deliniated and suggestions are made to increase learning efficiency. (BB)

Answers criticisms of self-paced instruction (SPI) by citing advantages of SPI over lecture methods. Concludes that criticisms of SPI are useful since they indicate in which areas further research should be conducted to improve this method of instruction. (MLH)

Discusses the social phenomena surrounding teaching a group, and how group dynamics can contribute to effective teaching. (MLH)

Reports results of a nationwide survey on undergraduate mechanics education. These results are compared with previous surveys to document trends in mechanics education. Areas addressed include degrees granted, courses required, teaching responsibility, quality of teachers and students, subject matter taught, evaluation methods, and teaching…

Discusses a method for teaching engineering design in which case studies are combined with programmed instructional materials. (MLH)

Discusses typical problems in self-paced courses and suggests ways to approach these problems: grading, student procrastination, and adequately introducing the students to the course. (MLH)