In this unit, elementary students design and build a lunar plant growth chamber using the Engineering Design Process. The purpose of the unit is to help students understand and apply the design process as it relates to plant growth on the moon. This guide includes six lessons, which meet a number of national standards and benchmarks in…

The engineering profession still is a male domain. Many attempts to change this isolation and to call women into the profession failed. Neither the study conditions nor the social recognition were experienced as adequate for women. The focus on the development of deeper understanding, explicit connectedness, comprehension and social concern are…

This report is based on the analysis of initial interviews with the staff of the Freshmen Learning Community Program (FLCP). FLCP is a pilot program in engineering education that focuses on diversity and cultural change. The primary purpose of this evaluative study is to provide feedback while the learning community program is being implemented.…

Taiwan's senior high school technology education (TE) is moving from industrial arts (IA) to living technology (LT). However, senior high school LT faces two major challenges. First, LT, a required course, may be changed to an elective. Second, there is only a vague distinction between junior high school LT and senior high school LT. In terms of…

Warnings are coming from business leaders on a critical labor shortage, especially in information technology; however, representation of women, minority groups, and persons with disabilities in the U.S. science, engineering, and technology (SET) workforce could be improved. Preparing the nation for the evolving nature of work is important as well…

This report provides data on the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. The data and analyses can be used to track progress, inform the development of policies to increase participation in science and engineering, and evaluate the effectiveness of such policies. The…

This paper describes a project that was an arena for learning through three years (six semesters) of engineering education in computer technology. Project work accounted for approximately 20% of student work in five semesters, and 50% in the last semester. There were three categories of projects. The first type, in the first semester, had as its…

This report is the 11th in a series of biennial reports on the status of women and minorities in science and engineering. The reports are mandated by the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (Public Law 96-5 16) which was amended in 1998 to include persons with disabilities. The primary purpose of this report is to serve as an…

Increases in attrition rates among science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) majors have produced a variety of deleterious effects for society. This paper attempts to clarify and interpret the interaction of those characteristics of the structure and culture of undergraduate SME programs that perpetuate high loss rates among their first-year…

The National Institute for Science Education (NISE) is an organization in which scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds work collaboratively to address the important issues in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (SMET) education. This document reports on NISE Fellows' experiences based on these questions: (1) How did you…

Recently, when employers of entry-level engineers were asked to prioritize the need for further instruction, over 60% of these employers identified communication skills as the primary curricular element needing increased emphasis. Two of the top 10 required skills ranked as important to engineering practice related to making oral presentations.…

This report examines the matrix of support patterns of science and engineering doctorates in 1995, showing the distribution of various modes of support to individuals. The data provided in this report are intended to be a source of contextual and background information for those interested in examining the various types of graduate support modes…

This is a companion study to "Shaping the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (SMET)" (NSF 96-139). Both the original report and Volume 2 focus on a collaborative approach to developing and implementing strategies to improve undergraduate SMET education. The reports, compiled…

A 1982 British study examined the furniture needs of 16-19 year-old students. This report presented the findings on the technical and performance requirements in terms of durability and ergonomics. This report examines the furniture requirements in teaching spaces, social, refreshment and private study areas, storage requirements for pupils'…

This report is part of an annual national survey that examines salaries of full-time teaching faculty in 54 selected academic disciplines. Data for the study were collected from a total of 296 public and 390 private four-year institutions from the baseline year of 1996-97 to the trend year of 1999-2000. This portion of the study covers salary data…