A laboratory, project, and field experience matrix is used to identify achievement of learning outcomes in an engineering physics course that stresses teamwork and creativity in an interdisciplinary context. The interactive/experiential lab develops transferable skills for the technological workplace. (SK)

Discusses whether the discovery in 1956 that humans have a chromosome number of 46, as opposed to 47 or 48 as previously thought, fits into a paradigm shift of the Kuhnian type. Concludes that Kuhn probably would not have considered the chromosome number shift to be large enough to be a focus for one of his paradigms. (AIM)

University-industry partnership give companies opportunities to observe prospective employees and access to research innovations at lower cost. Faculty increase their familiarity with the state of the art and gain additional funding sources. Barriers include intellectual property issues, publication of proprietary information, and conflicting…

Results of a study of 31 women majoring in engineering and 43 women majoring in mathematics education showed the following variables distinguished between the two groups: success expectations for traditional and nontraditional occupations, self-efficacy for traditional occupations, and outcome desirability. (SK)

Investigates student approaches to learning in a second year chemical engineering course by means of a qualitative research project which utilized interview and journal data from a group of 11 students. Identifies three approaches to learning: (1) conceptual; (2) algorithmic; and (3) information-based. Presents student responses to a series of…

Tested the hypothesis that the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices test has the same construct validity in African university students that it does in non-African university students. Differences in results for 294 engineering students in South Africa show that differences are not attributable to cultural peculiarities of the test, but are a…

Presents an interview with Dr. Lorraine Maxwell, an expert in human-environment relations, about important comfort and health issues to consider when looking at the furniture used as computer workstations in U.S. schools. (EV)

Profiles two women from student engineering teams who participated in a study on collaboration and the role of gender. Shows that men and women alike displayed both gender-linked and non-gender-linked behavior, and that successful collaboration was influenced less by gender and more by such factors as a strong work ethic, team commitment, and…

Explores the perceptions of gifted girls with regard to how the family, home, and school environments influenced their choices to take extracurricular science classes. Uses qualitative and quantitative methods to measure girls' attitudes toward science. Specifically addresses gender differences of gifted girls and women in engineering. (Contains…

Investigates National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology (NCSSSMST) graduates' school and major preferences at the college level focusing on gender and ethnicity issues. (YDS)

Describes a new curriculum for the final two years of a B.S. program in physics. Defines junior progress from a descriptive, lower-division understanding to an advanced analysis of a topic by phenomenon rather than discipline. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/YDS)

Presents findings of the evaluation of a participative approach to summative assessment of coursework in an honors-year module on manufacturing strategy. Discusses the objectivity of using a combination of staff, self, and peer assessment. (KHR)

Employs the concept of discursive positioning to explore the narrative construction of professional identities among women engineers. Provides an analysis of interviews with 15 women engineers which suggested that they adopt a variety of distinct and contradictory positionings to present themselves as qualified professionals. Proposes that…

Examines the writings of an engineer employed by a large manufacturing firm. Argues that the engineer's writing, although not the final product, is the essential means by which the product is created. Suggests that, because a report reflects final, agreed-upon knowledge about a product, the product and the document become one in the engineer's…

Argues that Nassi-Schneiderman (NS) charts, when used to diagram human procedures, can eliminate prose ambiguities. Asserts that these devices provide most of the advantages of decision tables and trees. Suggests using NS charts in testing the logic and completeness of traditional procedures, or even in place of many traditional publications. (SG)