In recent years, nanoscience and nanotechnology have been drawing enormous attention due to the numerous applications of nanomaterials. In an attempt to nurture interest towards these areas in young minds and to develop the next generation of environmentally conscious scientists and engineers, this new laboratory module focuses on the green and…

The "U.S. News and World Report Survey" of graduate engineering programs is structured around four areas and nine indicators. Area A addresses quality assessment, Area B addresses student selectivity, and Area C addresses faculty resources, lastly Area D addresses research activity. The nine indicators categorized under the areas are:…

This mixed-methods study researches the effects of the implementation of a STEM-garden curriculum as part of collaboration between a non-profit organization and two public schools. This study seeks to understand the processes and funding generated through this partnership between a private and public organization, as well as to evaluate how…

Professional ethics instruction in engineering is commonly conducted by examining case studies in light of the code of conduct of a suitable professional body. Although graphical presentations of spectacular failures, sobering stories of the repercussions and the solid framework provided by the tenets of a code of ethics may leave a lasting…

Understanding the global, societal, environmental and economic (GSEE) context of a product, process or system is critical to an engineer's ability to design and innovate. The already packed curricula in engineering programs provide few occasions to offer meaningful experiences to address this issue, and most departments delegate this requirement…

Cyber-physical systems are a genre of networked real-time systems that monitor and control the physical world. Examples include unmanned aerial vehicles and industrial robotics. The experts who develop these complex systems are retiring much faster than universities are graduating engineering majors. As a result, it is important for undergraduates…

Lecturers of first-year mathematics often have reason to believe that students enter university studies with naïve conceptions of mathematics and that more mature conceptions need to be developed in the classroom. Students' conceptions of the nature and role of mathematics in current and future studies as well as future career are pedagogically…

Concerns with the retention of women in engineering have led to the implementation of numerous programs to improve retention, including mentoring programs. The college of engineering at Washington State University (WSU) started a novel women's mentoring program in 2008, using professional engineers who graduated from WSU as mentors. The program is…

An analysis of the main tendencies in the development of engineering and technical education in Russia during the last 100 years shows that earlier strengths have been lost, and that currently technical education in Russia is far behind modern world standards.

Complex numbers are essential in many fields of engineering, but students often fail to have a natural insight of them. We present a learning object for the study of complex polynomials that graphically shows that any complex polynomials has a root and, furthermore, is useful to find the approximate roots of a complex polynomial. Moreover, we…

Microcontrollers are used extensively in transportation and communications technologies, in automobiles to monitor and control engine speed and performance so as to maximize fuel economy and efficiency, and by manufacturing industries to produce "smart" technology. The flexibility, imagination, and spirit that make these tiny devices so…

Scholars and professionals alike contend our nation's competitive position and economic growth depends considerably on the acumen of its science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent pool. In spite of current economic conditions and high national unemployment, there is an increasing demand for those skilled in technology and…

By 2009, the percentage of women who graduated with general undergraduate degrees had increased to almost 58% of all students who completed 4-year degree programs (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009a). These percentages, however, have not been reflected in the enrollment rates of females into undergraduate engineering programs. In…

Background: Cross-cultural studies contribute to engineering education as a globally interconnected field. The methodological challenges posed by research across cultural boundaries must be explored to ensure the quality of such studies. Purpose: This article explores challenges and opportunities for insight by examining the effects of…

Background: A report from the American Society for Engineering Education (Jamieson & Lohmann, 2012) identified career-long professional development for faculty, teacher training in graduate programs, departmental climates that value and support educational innovation, and reward systems that recognize achievements in educational innovation as…