Describes the Educational Technologies Working Group of the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, which is charged with identifying technology-related activities that promise to improve science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education; developing resident expertise; and sharing information. Milestones to…

Overcoming the education obstacles facing women, minorities, and the disabled is discussed. A report published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on the topic of bringing underrepresented groups back on track for careers in science, math, and engineering is examined. (KR)

Discussed are the objectives of higher technical education, and computer hardware and software requirements for engineering education. One approach to meeting these objectives is described using a Belgian university as an example. (CW)

Two issues related to computers and health are discussed: ergonomics/work habits and radiation hazards. Several approaches that colleges and universities might use to promote workplace safety are suggested, including education, training, and more informed purchasing. San Francisco's new worker safety ordinance is presented, and carpal tunnel…

Explains that, although African-American women are making the greatest strides in science and technical fields, these fields still remain underrepresented with minorities. Related issues involving gender stereotyping and the difficulty of breaking into a sexist field are examined. (GLR)

A study extends recent research on college-faculty research productivity by examining the relationship between research productivity and institutional factors, drawing on recent National Research Council data on research universities and their programs in four broad fields: biological sciences, engineering, physical sciences and mathematics, and…

Data from a national higher-education database were used to analyze gender inequality among bachelor's-degree recipients. Women continue to receive degrees from institutions that fall below average on several criteria. However, gender differences are small and accounted for by women's relative absence from selective engineering programs and…

Reports the results of a meta-analysis that integrates research on undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education since 1980. The meta-analysis of 39 studies demonstrates that various forms of small-group learning promote achievement, improve attitudes toward learning, and increase persistence in these fields. Contains…

Presents interviews with four minority women who were close to or had recently completed degrees in civil or mechanical engineering. Interviews reveal issues of class, race, and gender that affect school success in general and science success in particular. Makes recommendations for K-12 educators. Contains 36 references. (Author/WRM)

Interviews and roundtable discussions with 32 junior and senior female students majoring in math, science, and engineering (MSE) identified factors contributing to MSE retention and graduation, including: (1) support networks and university acclimation; (2) faculty associations; (3) financial assistance; and (4) university support programs that…

Describes a study of three parts: (1) the application of a statistical technique for predicting performance; (2) a computer program for teaching basic problem-solving skills; and (3) evidence for the value of teaching with complex homework problems in an introductory physics course required for engineering majors. (Contains 42 references.)…

From dynamic spreadsheets through "microworlds" to virtual reality, the convenience and, in many instances, the seemingly intrinsic appeal of simulated environments exist in some tension alongside concerns regarding the relationship of the simulated to the "real" and the possible consequences for human thought, learning, and behavior. A selection…

Describes an empirical evaluation that investigated the criteria by which designers of human-machine systems evaluate design information. Professional designers of nuclear power plant control rooms rated hypothetical information search questions in terms of relevance, importance, cost, and effort based on Rouse's model of information search…

Women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). One factor contributing to this underrepresentation is the graduate school experience. Graduate programs in STEM fields are constructed around assumptions that ignore the reality of women's lives; however, emerging opportunities may…

This article draws on the transcripts of focus group interviews held with three groups of students, all in their final year of four-year Bachelor degrees. All had completed the professional experience requirements for their course. One group comprised education students, one group comprised nursing students, and the third was studying engineering.…