We have previously reported in this journal that spatial ability influences academic performance in engineering. We have also reported that spatial ability is trainable, and can be increased through instruction focused on using perception and mental imagery in three-dimensional representation. In this article, we present the results of a…

This paper shows how a study in educational sciences focused on the concept of "competence" can bring about changes in the pedagogical methods used when training engineers. Instead of using personality traits to understand innovators, a PhD study focused on practices and competencies revealed that, amongst other things, self-directed…

Driving innovation and continuous improvement with regard to ecological, environmental and human sustainability is essential for win-win globalization. That calls for research on strategic and monitoring planning to manage globalization and technological and scientific change. This paper describes a new basic function of the university institution…

One of the principal objectives of engineering education is to prepare graduates for the practice of engineering in industry. Industry involvement in the educational process can be very helpful in devising programs to meet this objective. Yet, engineering education has a number of other stakeholders including students, faculty, academic…

This paper describes the international co-operation experience in teaching control engineering with laboratories being conducted remotely by students via the Internet. This paper describes how the students ran the experiments and their personal experiences with the laboratory. A tool for process identification and controller tuning based on…

The present research refers to the assigning of a hands-on group project to freshman engineering students, evaluating their performance, and deriving conclusions on student benefits and educational advances. The research procedure included action plans for the instructor and the students, instructions to the students on performing the work,…

This paper describes an active learning game that addresses different motivational styles including intrinsic, social, achievement, and instrumental. The game is loosely based on the CBS television series Survivor and involves breaking the class into student teams (tribes) and allowing them to compete at solving chemical engineering problems. In…

This article describes instructor use of tablet computers for personal use, research activities and teaching practices within the Faculties of Science and Engineering at UOIT. The benefits of tablet use were evaluated on the basis of types of usage, personal and professional productivity and the "richness" of the overall computing…

In this study we created an environment for peer learning, where students teach students by making oral presentations in groups about solving mathematical problems and explaining the theoretical background in mathematics, during the first year of an undergraduate engineering programme at the Norrkoping campus of the Linkoping University. In order…

Recent research studies have reported on how novices and experts differ in storing, organizing, and retrieving subject matter knowledge and on how they apply their knowledge to solve new problems. These findings have been integrated and implemented in a computer environment to help novices improve their problem-solving skills. An outline of this…

The "Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005" created two new grant programs for undergraduates: the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program. The ACG program is intended to encourage students to take challenging courses in high school and thus…

As part of its annual program review process, the Department of Engineering Technology at the Community College of Allegheny County, in Pennsylvania, conducted a study of computer usage in community college engineering technology programs across the nation. Specifically, the study sought to determine the types of software, Internet access, average…

The University of Alabama is one of seven schools participating in the Foundation Coalition, a National Science Foundation-sponsored partnership looking at educational reform within the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Participants incorporate curriculum integration, human-interface development (active and cooperative learning), and…

A study was conducted to develop the electronic technical competencies of duty and task analysis by using a revised DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) method, a questionnaire survey, and a fuzzy synthesis operation. The revised DACUM process relied on inviting electronics trade professionals to analyze electronic technology for entry-level…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) is responsible for providing national leadership and support for improving the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SME&T) education from kindergarten through graduate school. The ultimate goal is to achieve excellence in the…