The role tradition played in preindustrial societies has been supplanted by the decisions of countless specialists organized by means of an intellectual and professional division of labor shaping a knowledge infrastructure that sustains these decisions. Three limitations of this knowledge system are discussed: (a) on the macrolevel, it imposes an…

The Unit Operations Laboratory offers 2 courses in unit operations. One is a 2-semester course for chemistry and food engineering students that is more demanding because it considers more unit operations and places more emphasis on solving exercises. The other is a 1-semester course for chemistry and pharmacy students that considers fewer unit…

Purpose: To expose engineering students to using modern technologies, such as multimedia packages, to learn, visualize and solve engineering problems, such as in mechanics dynamics. Design/methodology/approach: A multimedia problem-solving prototype package is developed to help students solve an engineering problem in a step-by-step approach. A…

The BSc in computer aided product design (CAPD) course at the University of Wolverhampton was conceived as a collaborative venture in 1989 between the School of Engineering and the School of Art and Design. The award was at the forefront of forging interdisciplinary collaboration at undergraduate level in the field of product design. It has…

Educators question whether performing a laboratory experiment as an observer (non-hands-on), such as conducted in a distance education context, can be as effective a learning tool as personally performing the experiment in a laboratory environment. The present paper investigates this issue by comparing the performance of distance education…

A peer tutoring scheme has been introduced into the Department of Engineering at the University of Liverpool to help 2nd year undergraduate students tackle conceptual design problems. Conceptual design is an iterative process consisting of a series of generative and evaluative stages, which gradually converge on a preferred conceptual solution.…

This paper outlines an approach taken to produce computer-based formative assessments for two modules in a one-year taught MSc programme in Road Management and Engineering. It presents the aims of the assessments, the taxonomy adopted to ensure that the formulation of the questions addressed learning outcomes related to the development of higher…

Initiatives to integrate engineering design within the field of technology education are increasingly evident. The National Science Foundation has encouraged and funded opportunities for technology educators and engineers to work collaboratively. However, perspectives regarding the role engineering should play within the discipline of technology…

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

This article describes instructor use of tablet computers for personal use, research activities and teaching practices within the Faculties of Science and Engineering at UOIT. The benefits of tablet use were evaluated on the basis of types of usage, personal and professional productivity and the "richness" of the overall computing…

In this study we created an environment for peer learning, where students teach students by making oral presentations in groups about solving mathematical problems and explaining the theoretical background in mathematics, during the first year of an undergraduate engineering programme at the Norrkoping campus of the Linkoping University. In order…

Recent research studies have reported on how novices and experts differ in storing, organizing, and retrieving subject matter knowledge and on how they apply their knowledge to solve new problems. These findings have been integrated and implemented in a computer environment to help novices improve their problem-solving skills. An outline of this…

This report looks at trends from 1973 to 1993 in new science and engineering doctoral degree recipients' post-graduation plans in order to note changes in the proportion planning postdoctoral appointments (postdocs). Examination of this question found that between 1973 and 1993 the proportion of doctoral graduates with "definite plans" at the time…

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) nurtures building of community by bridging science and technology with traditional Native values. AISES educational programs provide opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives to pursue studies in science, engineering, and other academic arenas. The trained professionals become…

This guide contains information and hands-on activities to guide students through the problem-solving process needed in engineering (problem solving, presentation, and impact analysis) and information to help the instructor manage the program or courses in Virginia. Following an introduction, the guide contains a program description that supplies…