The properties of German as a special language of mechanical engineering are examined on the basis of a newly compiled corpus including samples from all important disciplines and discourse styles. The syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic aspects of passive voice are the chief research goal. (Contains five references.) (Author/LB)

An adequate supply of engineers is essential to maintain a competitive position in a highly sophisticated global economy. Population dynamics and student career choice trends are discussed. Actions to alleviate the predicted shortage of bachelors and doctoral engineers in the United States are included. (KR)

Discussed is the recruitment and demand for civil engineering students in Germany. Described is the German engineering education system and the possibility of a joint-venture building industry between the two German states. (KR)

A study of students formerly enrolled (n=198) and currently enrolled (n=282) in an undergraduate engineering program found that students' present characteristics and situations were more predictive of persistence than past or future factors; and few differences between men and women emerged. The best overall predictor of persistence was grade…

The results of an investigation concerned with sequential reasoning in interpreting the current flow in d.c. electric circuits are presented. Analysis of the results of a questionnaire completed by 236 college sophomores shows the presence of a common misunderstanding based on a "local" interpretation of the current flow. A copy of the…

Describes the Sacred Mountains Scholars Program, a collaborative training program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Northern Arizona University that gives American Indian undergraduates the opportunity to explore engineering, business, and space science careers during summer on-the-job…

Described is a course that focuses on theory and techniques for ideation and refinement of geometric models used in mechanical engineering design applications. The course objectives, course outline, a description of the facilities, sample exercises, and a discussion of final projects are included. (KR)

An investigation of alternative methods of managing lower division graphics courses is described. Nonexam grading time was reduced to nearly zero, creating time for professional growth, proposal development, and meaningful research. Grade profiles and attitudes of students taking the altered course are discussed. (KR)

Honest errors appearing in textbooks, articles, and instructor-generated assignments are used as meaningful vehicles of instruction. Missing information, corrected printing errors, deliberate errors, and difficult written passages are discussed as sources of errors. How to use errors in assignments, classroom examples, examination questions, and…

A set of educational materials that have been developed which deal with chemical engineering applications in emerging technologies is described. The organization and the content of the supplemental textbook materials and how they can be integrated into an undergraduate reaction engineering course are discussed. (KR)

A demonstration used in a heat and material balances class that explains how a reusable heat pack works is described. An initial homework problem or exam question is provided with its solution. A discussion of the solution is included. (KR)

Described are improvements for the computer efficiency of the two midpoint scan-conversion algorithms used to draw ellipses. Included are computer programs written in C programing language. (JJK)

The implementation and results of the use of videotapes in introductory biochemical engineering classes are discussed. The topics of the videotapes and the results of a questionnaire about this instructional method are presented. (CW)

Describes the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that is designed to increase the number of African Americans, especially males, who enter and succeed in undergraduate, doctoral and professional programs. (PR)

Describes the interactions and applications of three models of learning: Bloom's taxonomy, the Jungian or Myers-Brigg's Typology, and William Perry's model of attitude toward learning. (PR)