Because it is a well-accepted fact that young persons have more than their share of automobile crashes and because the task of driving is a complex one that requires practice to be mastered, it is proposed that a careful human factors analysis of the task of driving be undertaken based on empirically demonstrated differences among driver groups.…

This environmental education teacher's guide focuses on the "built environment" or everything people have imposed on the natural physical environment. The guide provides objectives and a broad definition of environmental education, sample activities, suggestions for local consultants and resources, and an annotated list of both printed and…

Describes undergraduate projects at Harvey Mudd College (California) that use advanced laboratory equipment and procedures normally reserved for graduate students. Examples are given in experimental biology (e.g., digital imaging and DNA analysis), in physics (e.g., using satellites to study earthquake faults), and in mathematics (e.g., teaching…

Describes an English-language reading course for science and engineering students at a Mexican university. The course used science and cyberpunk fiction to address moral and ethical issues concerning technological advancement. Synthesizes students' commentaries and includes lists of reading materials, films, and discussion questions. (MJP)

Multimedia applications can provide enormous enrichment to the methodology of teaching, learning and learning by doing. When developing applications for the teaching of engineering design using these means of communication it is important to consider the special features of this field. This contribution gives a report on the experience gained by…

This article discusses the relationship among an individual's cognitive style, attitude to learning, and his or her achievement in the context of computer aided learning (CAL). The results of a small-scale study involving 32 students (18 male and 14 female) studying their first electronics module during an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Design and…

In software engineering education, large projects are widely recognized as a useful way of exposing students to the real-world difficulties of team software development. But large projects are difficult to put into practice. First, educators rarely have additional time to manage software projects. Second, classrooms have inherent limitations that…

The study of learning environments provides a useful research framework for investigating the effects of educational innovations such as those which are associated with the use of the Internet in classroom settings. This study reports an investigation into the use of Internet technologies in high-school classrooms in Australia and Canada.…

Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati have collaborated on development and presentation of a team-taught course on nuclear power plant systems and operations; the course is offered to students at both universities through interactive video. This paper discusses the following lessons learned and recommendations: (1) successful…

Most of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) design methods focus on producing content for a VLE. However, usability of the VLE is also of great importance. Several potential usability problems have been reported in recent e-learning conferences. These problems could have been avoided by applying usability engineering methods before the VLE was…

This unit of instruction on electricity has been designed especially for teachers to use with freshmen and sophomore vocational agricultural students in Montana. It consists of an outline of the unit and eight lesson plans. The unit outline lists the following components: situation, aims and goals, lesson plans, student activities, teacher…

This teacher's guide was designed to be used with senior high school level classes as a supplement to existing programs in the areas of science and social studies. Each of the 12 chapters included in the guide may be used independently or may be combined into a separate course on the relationships between science, technology, and society. The…

This paper uses inquiry-based learning to introduce primary students to the concepts and terminology found in four introductory engineering courses: Differential Equations, Circuit Analysis, Thermodynamics, and Dynamics. Simple electronic sensors coupled with everyday objects, such as a troll doll, demonstrate and reinforce the physical principles…

This study explores the use of design technology to teach a unit on poetry in a fifth grade class. The main goals of the poetry unit were to develop students' abilities to use their own creative voices to express themselves and to write descriptive poetry that creates detailed images for the reader. This unit was implemented in a fifth grade class…

As part of an investigation of science and science-related curriculum and instruction, a survey was conducted of science instructors from 175 two-year colleges; the colleges were selected to be representative of region, size, and means of college control. Instructors of every thirteenth science course section offered in Fall 1977 were surveyed. Of…