Discusses a study of the authors' initial semester matching technical communication students with teams of engineers in a capstone, client-based experience. Notes incredible growth in students' abilities to discuss design, teamwork, and client projects within the pre- and post-surveys. Concludes that there is the potential in moving toward a more…

Notes that the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has shifted its focus to the documentation of student learning outcomes. Considers how this shift has prompted changes in the work of technical communication departments and programs that serve engineering, from the development of new courses to increased collaboration…

Examines one exemplar discipline, mechanical engineering, to see how classroom discourse and practice construct professional identities for students (as future engineers) and their customers. Suggests that although students' conceptions of the customer provided glimpses of professional identity, design processes in these classrooms were ultimately…

This article explores the impact of the mapping work of the Human Genome Project on individuals with mental retardation and the negative effects of genetic testing. The potential to identify disabilities and the concept of eugenics are discussed, along with ethical issues surrounding potential genetic therapies. (Contains references.) (CR)

Evaluates Samuel Chandler Earle's 1911 presentation to the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education. Demonstrates Earle's role in the shift of technical writing courses that combined both the goals of an engineering curriculum with the real-world needs of the graduated engineer. Finds that Earle's "Tufts Experiment" provided…

Discusses needed changes in the training of doctoral science and engineering students to prepare them for the jobs they are likely to find. Discussion includes introducing flexibility in the conduct of science, better career information and guidance, and a new class of education and training grants. (MKR)

Describes a pregraphics course for freshman engineering majors weak in three-dimensional spatial visualization skills. Freshman students scoring less than 60% correct on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R) were counseled into the course. Gain scores for students after the course on the PSVT:R were shown to be statistically…

Discusses the formation requirements for British engineers to work effectively within the framework of a European manufacturing industry. Highlights the importance of language skills and cultural awareness. Outlines various scenarios for education and training to be integrated within degree courses. (JRH)

Discusses the viability of cognitive apprenticeship for learning science in relation to findings from an investigation of a research project involving high school students working in a university chemical engineering laboratory under the mentorship of a university-based scientist. Reports that students were empowered to seek empirically viable…

Discusses matters that arose from the implementation of a national scheme to provide better career management for research staff. Proposes recognition of a role for researchers in the wider educational functions of a university. (DDR)

Describes and evaluates a four-session training program for Multidisciplinary Engineering Laboratory (MEL) teaching assistants at the Colorado School of Mines. The sessions focus attention on student development approaches to learning. (EV)

Explores the ideas that students aged 16-19 associate with the terms 'biotechnology' and 'genetic engineering'. Indicates that some students see biotechnology as risky whereas genetic engineering was described as ethically wrong. (Author/ASK)

Investigates the metacognitive development of students in a second year chemical engineering course which had such development as an explicit goal. Concludes, among other results, that there is a shift in student approach from a focus on solving problems towards a stronger valuing of conceptual understanding. (Author/MM)

Describes the multidisciplinary teaching approach implemented at Rowan University's engineering department. Explains how emerging technologies are integrated into the curriculum. (Contains 19 references.) (YDS)

Since its inception, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported two distinct yet interwoven missions: research and education. Education has been especially affected by changes in ideology, economic trends, and new technologies. Cogent lessons from this experience reveal avenues in need of attention now and in the decade to come. (Author)