North Carolina State University (UNC) has been on the forefront of long-distance education by offering a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a Mechatronics Concentration at its remote campus located at UNC Asheville. The program demonstrates that long-distance laboratories are feasible and should not be a stumbling block to offering…

Undergraduate engineering students (n=123) collected and analyzed engineering job ads from newspapers and the Internet and prepared reports. Many began with inaccurate conceptions; 86.2% reported change in their understanding of engineering. Some learned how to increase their employability. Initial concepts of engineering as focused on technology…

Reports the results of practicing engineers' descriptions of the importance of oral communication. Suggests that engineering practice takes place in an intensely oral culture and while formal presentations are important to practicing engineers, daily work is characterized more by interpersonal and small group experiences. Notes that communication…

Investigates whether replacing a single traditional laboratory activity with a widely-used, non-microcomputer-based laboratory, research-based activity could produce improved conceptual understanding of a topic in electricity. Shows that a single instructional experience utilizing the research-based tutorial materials is superior to a traditional…

Reports the results of a survey of graduates, employers, and instructors of engineering technology programs for the essential topics in mechanical engineering technology, mechanical drafting/design technology, manufacturing engineering technology, and industrial engineering technology. Identifies the proficiency level suggested for classwork and…

Presented are the findings of the Engineering Manpower Commission's twenty-second enrollment survey which covers all engineering programs and all engineering technology schools with approved curricula. Survey methodology and the special cases of women, minorities, and foreign nationals are discussed. (CW)

Reviews major organic and inorganic chemicals, their products, and the sociocultural impact of the chemical industry. Provides the following learning activity components: objectives, list of materials and equipment, procedures, student quiz with answers, and three references. (SK)

Office automation has introduced new hazards to the workplace: electrical hazards related to computer wiring, musculoskeletal problems resulting from use of computer terminals and design of work stations, and environmental concerns related to ventilation, noise levels, and office machine chemicals. (SK)

The biotechnology revolution is making contributions to the improvement of health care. Some of the biotechnology-based pharmaceuticals in the marketplace include human hormones, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, vaccines, immunomodulators, growth factors, and monoclonal antibodies. Many new diagnostics will appear and be used by patients in their own…

Discusses a change in engineering education emphasizing human responsibility for environment, natural resources and reactions concerning technology. Describes the Swedish education system and a change in the curricula at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. (Author/YP)

Asserts that many people who change their jobs in middle age move to less skilled and lower paying work. Discusses two methods of preventing this phenomenon: retraining by methods designed to take account of learning difficulties in those past normal apprenticeship age and applying principles of ergonomics, fitting the job to the worker.…

Discusses the evolution of mainframe and personal computers, and presents a case study of a network developed at the University of Iowa called the Iowa Computer-Aided Engineering Network (ICAEN) that combines Macintosh personal computers with Apollo workstations. Functional objectives are stressed as the best measure of system performance. (LRW)

Described is a simple technique for isolating DNA from halophilic bacteria. Materials, procedure, and additional experiments are outlined. It is stated that the DNA obtained will be somewhat contaminated with cellular proteins and RNA. Offers a procedure for greater purification. (RT)

Consists of eight articles on the theme of school-industry partnerships in agricultural mechanics. Topics include (1) educational quality, (2) the industry perspective, (3) industry involvement, (4) the industry-agricultural mechanics relationship (5) an experiential learning project, (6) industry and teacher education programs, and (7)…

Presents an annotated bibliography of outstanding children's science trade books published in 1995 and intended primarily for kindergarten to eighth grade. Sections include biography, environment and ecology, fiction, life science, medicine and medical research, paleontology, and technology and engineering. (JRH)