This paper discusses two software packages used in kinematics courses at Purdue University, Calumet (Indiana) and some algorithms written by students for cam design. The first software package, 4BAR, requires the user to define the particular four bar linkage in terms of lengths of the individual links and the angle and distance to the coupler…

One purpose of this research is to develop models of cognitive processes in understanding mechanical systems. A particular focus was on the processes in mentally animating the representation of a mechanical system, and the contribution of animation graphics in comprehension. Several studies, involving eye fixations, verbal protocols, and process…

In a nontraditional engineering course students participated in internships in which they worked in teams for local industry or government clients to develop an engineering solution to an open-ended problem. This paper focuses on one of the teams as it solved the problem and explores the organization of the team's work within the constraints of…

Minority engineering programs (MEPs) were established in the late 1970s to recruit minority students to engineering education and reduce their dropout rate. MEPs at 20 engineering schools were examined in relation to institutional environment; pre-enrollment activities; and services that encourage community building, provide academic support, and…

This paper examines the relationship among technology, science, engineering, and mathematics in the context of education. It strives to shape a perspective on how future citizens should best be educated to live in an increasingly more complex technological world? The eight sections of the paper cover the following: (1) the history of technology,…

This guide, the second in a set of nine, presents a summary of financial assistance available to students of engineering for obtaining a certificate, diploma, or degree after Standard 10 at a university, college, or technikon located in South Africa. The bursaries, loans, and other forms of financial aid appear under the heading "Awards"…

This document provides the keynote address and papers delivered at the 1991 California State University Conference on Innovation in Engineering Education which focused on the pre-engineering curriculum. The conference was convened as a collaborative effort by faculty to address the following issues in engineering education: (1) the attraction and…

The Summer Science Camps (SSC) Program supports residential and commuter enrichment projects for seventh through ninth grade minority students who are underrepresented in science, engineering, and mathematics. Eligible organizations include school districts, museums, colleges, universities, and nonprofit youth-centered and/or community-based…

Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has developed a series of minority science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) programs to address the growing need for students receiving college and advanced degrees in science-based career fields and the underrepresentation of minorities in these fields. The goals of the SEM programs are to interest more women…

Many are concerned that America will not have a sufficient supply of scientists and engineers in the workforce for the 21st century. Five regional workshops were held to provide a forum for all those concerned with issues involved in the underrepresentation in science and engineering of students with disabilities. This document is one of two…

This master's thesis describes the development of an expert system and interactive videodisc computer-based instructional job aid used for assisting in the integration of electron beam lithography devices. Comparable to all comprehensive training, expert system and job aid development require a criterion-referenced systems approach treatment to…

This paper examines the methodological literature of cross-cultural research to establish whether the means exist to identify culturally biased preconceptions implicit in human-computer interfaces, and to develop interfaces more attuned to the cultural differences of the users. It is the premise of this paper that cultural conditioning affects…

A study evaluated the feasibility of introducing unheated outside air into the airstream of a cross-flow welding exhaust system to reduce heating energy costs of a school welding laboratory. The physical facility used was the agricultural mechanics laboratory at the University of Arizona, which is similar to facilities in which instruction in…

Noting that work is partly a social activity, and that workers' psychological and emotional needs influence their productivity, this paper explores avenues for improving human-robot cooperation and for enhancing worker satisfaction in the environment of flexible automation. The first section of the paper offers a brief overview of the…

Plant scientists and science policymakers from government, private companies, and universities met at a convocation on the genetic engineering of plants. During the convocation, researchers described some of the ways genetic engineering may be used to address agricultural problems. Policymakers delineated and debated changes in research funding…