Summarizes the author's experiences with undergraduate research in polymers at Purdue University. Suggests that such experiences may assist students in considering graduate study in chemical engineering. Presents data on 37 past participants' current positions and summarizes their answers to selected questions evaluating their undergraduate…

Reports results of a survey of chemical engineering departments on the effects of increasing enrollments on financial support; instructional laboratory and research facilities; graduate assistant teaching support; student-faculty ratio and faculty workloads; and the individual department's assessment of its most critical needs. (SK)

Discusses the evolving role of minorities in the engineering profession, including the goals of a national effort to increase representation in the profession. Also discussed are college enrollments, roles of corporations, private foundations, and government, and outlooks relative to increased minorities in engineering. (RE)

One effort which has contributed to the enhanced representation of minorities in engineering careers has been the program entitled Minority Introduction to Engineering (MITE). The elements, activities, and outcomes of their program are discussed. (RE)

Although an increasing number of minority students are entering engineering schools, the attrition rate for this group is considerably higher than for majority students. Attempts to deal with this problem are discussed, including remedial programs, recruiting and counseling, and seeking federal support. (JMF)

Describes an undergraduate chemical engineering course which has been offered at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The objectives, structure, instructional materials and content of this course, which emphasizes the structure and usage of computer-aided design systems, are also included. (HM)

Examines the differences in the characteristics of developing and developed countries, the technological framework and projections of economic growth of developing countries, and the features of the engineering educational systems of developing countries. Discusses the compatibility of socially relevant engineering education with that of…

Reports on a study of the mathematical needs of engineering apprentices in the United Kingdom. Finds that mathematical skills learned in general education programs do not meet requirements of the engineering profession. Recommends changes in mathematics education. (CFR)

Presents the framework for a chemical engineering course using ordinary differential equations to solve problems with the underlying strategy of concisely discussing the theory behind each solution technique without extensions to formal proofs. Includes typical class illustrations, student responses to this strategy, and reaction of the…

Reports on a study to determine whether the presence of coordinate axes in a test of spatial-visualization ability affects scores and response times on a mental-rotations task for students enrolled in undergraduate introductory graphic communications classes. Based on Pavios's dual-coding theory. Contains 36 references. (DDR)

Discusses the quality of instruction for communication skills and creative thinking skills in engineering education and the difficulties caused by the single-subject approach in different engineering majors. Provides alternative solutions to the problem such as irrelevant teaching methods, difficulties in implementing technology in classrooms, and…

Reviews the current goals of a laboratory course and describes experiences in using laboratory time to cover several important topics related to industry and academia. Discusses several subjects and presents related experiments. Contains 184 references. (DDR)

Engineering students were given a mental rotation test at the beginning and end of their first-year engineering course and again several years later to assess the relationship between spatial visualization skill and retention in engineering. No relationship was found between task scores and retention; however, a course in design and graphics…

Argues that the unit operations laboratory provides an ideal setting to help chemical engineering students become better engineering practitioners. Describes a summer program at the Colorado School of Mines that incorporates experience into a unit operations laboratory. (DDR)

With the development of XML Web Services, the Internet could become an integral part of and the basis for teaching computer science and software engineering. The approach has been applied to a university course for students studying introduction to computer science from the point of view of software development in a stateless, Internet…