Describes the development of a program for providing young girls at an all-girls school opportunities to problem solve by constructing their solutions using tools and materials unlikely to be part of their home or school experiences. The program combines analytical and problem solving skills with basic engineering concepts. Notes problems…

Discusses the factors that seem to be significant in the development of visualization skills, and examines gender differences in background and visualization ability for students enrolled in United States, German, and Polish technical universities. Findings indicate significant differences in spatial visualization ability between male and female…

Experiments with exercises that are distinguished from those employed with elite students by reducing competition and increasing cooperation through the use of tests against nature, large dynamic ranges in performance, initial prototype designs, and alternative methods of recording and presenting results. Finds that formulating easily understood…

The paired-learner interview, in which learners take both the role of the interviewer and interviewee, has been used as a variation of the oral-proficiency interview since the 1980s. The purpose of this article is to show that the paired-learner interview is an effective means to reduce communicative stress for the nonnative learner and one that…

A study examined correlations between Scholastic Assessment Test scores and measures of cognitive skills, college adjustment, and motivation among 48 minority students in engineering education, all participating in a support program for students having academic difficulty. Results suggest that lack of positive interactions with teachers plays a…

Discusses the needs of freshmen chemical engineering students in terms of courses related to the field. Describes the nature and content of a course designed to involve freshmen in a chemical engineering curriculum. (DDR)

Artificial Intelligence for Technology, a distance learning course at the Open University, is based on a learning model that combines conceptualization, construction, and dialog. This allows a practical emphasis which has been difficult to implement in distance education. The course uses commercial software, real-world-based assignments, and a…

Describes initiatives such as project-based learning, student-generated examinations, and peer assessment that have been implemented at Queensland University of Technology to prepare graduates for professional practice and equip students with attributes for lifelong learning. Also states that assessment procedures should promote and reward the…

In an approach to balancing work and personal life that benefits organizations and individual employees, managers are guided by three principles: (1) clarify what is important; (2) support employees as whole people; and (3) experiment with how work is done to enhance the organization's performance while creating time and energy for employees'…

Details the incorporation of safety procedures and issues into the curriculum of an undergraduate chemical engineering unit operations laboratory course. Includes checklists and sample reporting forms. (DDR)

Outlines the model for postsecondary reform of mathematics, science, engineering, technology, and communications education developed by the South Carolina Advanced Technological Center for Excellence. Presents an integrated, problem-based curriculum; collaborative teaching strategies; and extensive active learning techniques designed to increase…

Includes five articles: (1) discusses Library of Congress efforts to include digital materials; (2) describes the National Science Foundation (NSF) digital library program to improve science, math, engineering, and technology education; (3) explains Dublin Core grammar; (4) measures the impact of electronic journals on library costs; and (5)…

Describes strategies used to teach mathematics to engineering students at Loughborough University (United Kingdom). Explains a combination of traditional instruction with computer assisted learning in an open learning environment that motivates students by providing a more flexible approach to be responsive to individual needs. (LRW)

In an engineering technology course at Coventry University (England), the utility of computer-assisted tests was compared with that of traditional paper-based tests. It was found that the computer-based technique was acceptable to students, produced valid results, and demonstrated potential for saving staff time. (Author/MSE)

This article describes aspects of classroom acoustics that interfere with the ability of listeners to understand speech. It considers impacts on students and teachers and offers four possible solutions: noise control, signal control without amplification, individual amplification systems, and sound field amplification systems. (Author/DB)