Describes some features in the changing landscape of activities intended to improve both quality and access in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) undergraduate education. Offers a framework for discussion of historical change endeavors as an aid in considering next steps. (Author/MM)

A survey of 120 administrators (59 aged 60+, 61 aged 35-50) found that both groups had similar perceptions of the association between office design and work activities. Older and younger workers ranked certain design features differently, and they had different perceptions of the privacy features of the work environment. (SK)

Describes an approach to engineering mathematics instruction that uses case studies, not as illustrations of applications after a mathematical topic has been discussed, but in a fully integrated, central role as vehicles for whole group discussion from which students discover the necessary mathematics, which is subsequently taught. Discusses…

To assist engineering students to "view" and access online engineering information sources in a layered manner, Engineering Information Sources and Access (EISA) was developed. Discussed are design features of EISA's front-end, ATEIS. The level of interoperability was compared across four controlled vocabularies on selected terms for targeted user…

Provides historical information on the science of eugenics beginning in ancient Greece. Discusses the use of "racial hygiene" by the Nazis' Third Reich and its effect on eugenics. Addresses the pros and cons of eugenics and genetic engineering. Includes an annotated bibliography. (CMK)

Two approaches to flexible learning were tried in an Australian college of technical and further education: in engineering, the industry enterprise approach focused on employers as clients; in office administration, the individual customization approach viewed the student as client. Each model fit different types of training needs and contexts.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between: 1) comprehensiveness of student developed model tests and final exam score, 2) the quality of student developed model tests and answer keys combined, and final exam score, and 3) student developed model test similarity to instructor final exam and final exam score.…

In recent years, the lack of underrepresented groups pursuing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines at the graduate level aroused the concern of some far-sighted advocates. When confronted with this noted absence, however, many colleges and universities traditionally responded with the argument that qualified students from…

This article is part of a larger scale project on some aspects of the process of academic socialization of a group of Iranian Ph.D. students studying in five UK universities, particularly focusing on the relationship between these students and their supervisors. The study included eight engineering and five social sciences/humanities students, as…

This paper is based on the results of the initial phase of a long-term study undertaken to identify some of the factors that contribute to 'good teaching' in the realm of higher education in engineering in India. Feedback from both students and teachers in an engineering institution in India points to the fact that 'good teaching' consists of much…

This study examined university engineering and physical science students' misconceptions of the nature of magnetic field. It is assumed that a significant knowledge of the sources of magnetic field is a basic prerequisite when students have to think about electromagnetic phenomena. To analyze students' conceptions, we have taken into account the…

This chapter presents an innovative framework for a mechanical engineering program of study termed desegregated learning. The goal is not desegregation but rather to promote a higher level of learning and to look for opportunities where desegregating the learning environment yields optimal results with reasonable costs and complexity. (Contains 3…

Five factors affecting student use of an eLearning management system in two Web-enhanced hybrid undergraduate courses are investigated using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This research represents a causal relationship existing between students' attitude toward WebCT and their actual use of the system. Students' perception of the WebCT…

This study examined the extent to which women and men majoring in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) fields engaged in a broad array of effective educational practices. Women in SMET fields were generally as, or more, engaged in educationally fruitful activities as their male counterparts. The results of this study, when combined…

Two techniques for determining a straight line fit to data are compared. This article reviews two simple techniques for fitting a straight line to a set of data, namely the method of averages and the method of least squares. These methods are compared by showing the results of a simple analysis, together with a number of tests based on randomized…