Investigates how and when novice employees (who are also seniors at a cooperative engineering college) learn to write like engineers. Finds that students perceive abstract rules and training as least useful and view the embodied experience of models and interaction with experts as most productive, particularly when combined with practice and…

This symposium issue presents nine articles that discuss the U.S. Air Force STINFO (Scientific and Technical Information) Program, which was developed to improve the effectiveness of collecting and disseminating scientific and technical information concerning Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force research and engineering efforts. (LRW)

Describes Women in Science Project at Dartmouth College, designed to encourage women with high interests in science (including mathematics and engineering) to pursue their interests and consider careers in science and engineering. Explains primary component of project as program of first-year research internships offered in biology, biochemistry,…

Describes commitment made by Schools of Engineering at Purdue University in 1968 to increase participation of women in engineering by hiring academic advisor with part-time responsibilities to begin Women in Engineering Program. Focuses on interventions appropriate to the mission of higher education, while also noting that issues in socialization…

Claims that curriculum planning and effective advising will help students develop intellectual connections across their individual courses and thus enhance their college experience. Explains how nine colleges now use interdisciplinary teaching to improve their engineering programs by making connections across department boundaries, college…

Considers some foundational, historical issues that led to the formation of a technical-communication pedagogy in the first place. Evaluates shifts in an engineering curriculum from roughly 1850 to 1960 that made possible the development of a technical-communication curriculum. (SC)

Engineering students accessed assignments during cooperative education work placements via a website and interacted with faculty and students via e-mail or conferencing software. A virtual reflection seminar was conducted throughout the work term rather than afterward, resulting in greater integration of co-op and academic experiences. (SK)

In engineering and visual arts, visualization and manipulation of objects is necessary. Describes effective factors on performance which include spatial skills. Describes a project that is designed to increase engineering students' visualization skills. Lists objectives, hardware, and software requirements for the project and considers long term…

Describes the author's research that explores the role of language, particularly texts, in the engineering design process. Notes that results of this case study support a new "mediated" model of engineering design as an inventional activity in which designers use talk, written language, and other symbolic representations as tools to think about…

Presents a local approach to encourage women to go into a field where they have hitherto been underrepresented. Discusses two measures for encouraging and retaining women in electrical engineering that have been designed and implemented. (ASK)

The views of Dutch women on the implications of the analysis of the human genome were studied by questionnaire and interview. Although a serious lack of knowledge about the topic was found, interviews produced a broad range of problematic issues. Attention to gender implications of gene technology is needed. (Author/EMK)

States that the periodic engineering report (a fixture of engineering classrooms and engineering practice) can become a source of conflict when North American engineers collaborate with colleagues abroad. Relates experiences of a writing consultant on such a project. Finds differences in tone and reader expectations caused misunderstandings. Uses…

Industry and education should work together to familiarize children with engineering and promote career possibilities. Technology-education departments should become involved in continuous engineering education from preschool to university. (SK)

Researchers in molecular biology are discovering an increasing genetic basis for a wide range of mental diseases, moods, behaviors, and personality traits. Findings are creating the context for a new sociobiology favoring a genetic interpretation of human motivations and drives. Genetic engineering will give some people unprecedented power over…

Comparison of training and qualifications in engineering and construction in Germany and Britain showed that National Vocational Qualifications have not improved training activity in Britain. Britain lags behind Germany in production of intermediate engineering skills and craft qualifications in the building trades. (SK)