Describes a project that surveyed a stratified sample of college seniors who took the Graduate Record Examinations General Test in 1990 and who were majoring in natural sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, and engineering. Women earned lower test scores than men and rated many of their abilities lower. Differences among ethnic groups were…

Three American Indian college graduates describe how they benefitted from the "INROADS to the Stars Scholarship" program. A multi-year scholarship and summer internship program, INROADS places talented minority group students in internships with global corporations and provides leadership training. Students must major in geophysics,…

Student evaluation of instruction in college and university courses has been a routine and mandatory part of undergraduate and graduate education for some time. A major shortcoming of the process is that it often relies exclusively on the opinions or qualitative judgments of students rather than the learning or transfer of knowledge that takes…

The Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach enables the student to construct knowledge in his/her own way. Piaget, the founder of constructivism, saw the development of intelligence as a process involving the relationship between brain maturity and individual experience. The technology PBL (TPBL) approach confronts the student with a personal…

The Virtual Grand Tour (VGT) is a paradigm for integrating a presentation of an overview of a larger subject with the possibility of launching at any time an exploratory study of a given sub-topic. The name derives from the paradigm's emulation of those 18th-century travels intended to educate (especially) young, affluent British men; today, with…

The primary objective of this paper is to apply the educational theories of Kolb's experiential learning and Bloom's educational taxonomy in restructuring the course "Renewable energy engineering". The steps of the research procedure investigate the application of learning theories to the restructuring of the course and the introduction of…

The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) is immersed in an educational system mainly based on master classes, and although graduates benefit from a good preparation, there is an appreciable rate of failure among the students. The UPV is aware of the restructuring requirements of the current system and consequently, and in accordance with the…

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…

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…

The role of motivation and collaboration in STEM learning and performance is paramount. A learning community represents an educational approach that can engage students in learning in a motivated, thoughtful, active, and collaborative way. The focus of this article is on the nature of students' interest, attitudes, learning experiences and…

Taking advantage of the convergence of technology and new insights of teaching and learning, the Ministry of Education of Malaysia has implemented a new educational reform primarily to revise the current curriculum, establish new learning standards, and incorporate the use of technology as an integral part of the learning process. This new…

The Oregon Pre-engineering Learning Outcomes Project was conducted by the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) with grant funding from the Engineering and Technology Industry Council (ETIC). The study sought to improve student preparation and success in pre-engineering programs through the development of the Oregon Pre-engineering Learning…

Over the past three decades, American higher education has witnessed a shift in demographics which has created a more diverse student body. However, many university campuses remain unsupportive or even hostile to minority faculty and students. This anthology introduces to readers the Difference, Power, and Discrimination (DPD) Program, a…