This paper presents an overview of the fundamental characteristics of the teaching and learning environment of a computer language class course designed for college-level engineering and computer science education. Characteristics include training teachers, student evaluation, learning environment, and integrating disciplines. (Contains 16…

Rube Goldberg is famous for his very complex machines that accomplish everyday tasks. In this activity, students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine that will accomplish a simple task in no less than 10 steps. This activity requires a 120-360 minute time period for completion. (Author/SOE)

When asked to list some strong materials, people think of steel, concrete, and wood. In this activity, students learn about the force of compression and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group problem. Using everyday products such as paper, toothpicks, and tape, students construct a structure that will support the weight of a…

In 1997, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research started an initiative to promote e-learning in Germany by installing an extensive research program. The Virtual University of Applied Sciences in Engineering, Computer Science and Economic Engineering is the most prominent and best-funded of the more than 100 projects in the field…

This commentary focuses on reforms in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SME&T) education since 1986. A snapshot of these programs at the end of the 20th century is presented, and steps to take into the next decade are outlined. The report contains sections that discuss the status and desired directions for our…

This report covers one segment of a larger professional development program for transportation professionals that addresses the need to develop a larger cadre of transportation professionals capable of designing, planning, managing, operating, and maintaining the transportation infrastructure nationwide. Three specific tasks were undertaken and…

This report is part of an annual national survey that examines salaries of full-time teaching faculty in 54 selected disciplines. Data for the study as a whole were collected from 305 public and 403 private institutions for the baseline year of 1997-1998 and the trend year of 1999-2000. This portion of the study covers salary data for faculty in…

This booklet is intended for teachers in grades K-12, guidance counselors, school administrators, preservice teachers and their college instructors, and interested parents. The information included in this publication has been gathered from the research and programs developed and refined by hundreds of dedicated teachers and researchers in the…

This study examined salary data for 2,356 college faculty in the field of engineering-related technologies for both public and private institutions for the years 1995-1996 and 1998-1999. The study reflects data obtained from the 279 public and 386 private institutions that participated in both study years. The study found that the average faculty…

This Science Resources Studies Data Brief reports on statistics related to graduate enrollment in science and engineering in the United States for 1998. The data presented here were obtained from the National Science Foundation's 1998 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, which collected data at 601…

This autobiography recounts the life story of an African American educator at the University of Iowa from 1965 to 1991, as its first African American professor and then as its first African American administrator. The book recounts his childhood and family relations, his student years at the university and his graduation as an electrical engineer,…

Discusses the engineering career guidance program developed at the University of Nebraska on the basis of results from freshman student surveys. Indicates that dissemination of positive'' aspects of engineering to the public is the first step toward completion of an effective program. (CC)

Fifty successful young Texas farmers evaluated agricultural mechanics skills (in the broad areas of farm power and machinery, farm shop, farm electricity, buildings and conveniences, and soil and water management) in terms of their importance. Teachers can use the findings to plan course content relevant to their students' needs. (AJ)

Discusses the characteristics of the Rensselaer design educational programs which emphasize the use of computer-oriented laboratories and linear algebraic equations as analytical tools. Effects of the Sloan Foundation grant are studied. (CC)

The energy conservation policy for public office buildings includes experimental designs of new federal office buildings in Manchester, New Hampshire and Saginaw, Michigan, as well as immediate energy conservation efforts. (Author/MF)