Engineering students in technical universities in Sweden, as probably in many other countries, tend to treat mathematics as a mechanical subject in which you do calculations and manipulations and there is very little explanation. In order to create deeper understanding, verbal or written explanations by students can be beneficial. In our study we…

This paper gives a synopsis of an extensive programme of case studies on real uses of computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials within UK engineering degree programmes. The programme was conducted between 2000 and 2003 and followed a questionnaire-based survey looking at CAL use in the UK and in Australia. The synopsis reveals a number of key…

In a world sustained and interconnected by technology, people make choices. Therefore, they have to consider that technology is subject to analysis and interpretation because it is designed by humans with varied histories, experiences and cultures. To generate an understanding of the technological phenomenon, this article proposes to view the…

Findings are presented from a study of undergraduate students' experiences of understanding in first-year engineering. At the end of their first year of study 86 Swedish students of electrical engineering and computer science were asked to reflect in writing on their experiences of studying and learning. Fifteen of them also took part in…

This study examines the interplay of institutional environments and organizational contexts in shaping the responses of four professional schools (public health, business, social work, and engineering) to diversity-related pressures, expectations, requirements, and incentives. The role of market demand in structuring postsecondary approaches to…

The overall goal of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is to have all students--100 percent--achieving at proficient levels by 2014. Between now and 2014, states, districts, and schools must take a series of specific steps toward that goal. The law requires that educators focus intensively on challenging academic standards and assessments in…

We describe the design and implementation of our Hierarchical Learning Ensemble (HLE) model, a pedagogy that assembles interdisciplinary teams of graduate, undergraduate, and secondary-level students to solve science and engineering problems. Our goal is to sensitize undergraduates to working in heterogeneous groups and thus better prepare them…

The General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ) in engineering was piloted in about 100 centers and with over 3,000 students in British further education colleges during 1994-95. A small-scale project monitored the introduction of the GNVQ in engineering in eight colleges: three each in the north and south and two in the Midlands. Findings…

This document records the oral and written testimony of witnesses who addressed the issue of how to strengthen research and education in engineering design and manufacturing at U.S. universities. The testimony includes a review of recommendations from two studies of the National Research Council and of the plans and programs of the National…

As part of its General Information Programme, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has for many years concerned itself with training in the use of information by preparing guides and organizing meetings and seminars on the subject. There are now an enormous number of specialized information users whose…

This paper illuminates experiences related to introducing finite element methods (FEM) in mechanical and civil engineering courses at the University of Camaguey in Cuba and provides discussion on using FEM in postgraduate courses for industry engineers. Background information on the introduction of FEM in engineering teaching is focused on…

This report is designed to pull together the data that are available on the status of blacks in undergraduate education for use in initiating methods to improve the allocation of human resources in science and engineering in the United States. The listings and tabulations used data from the CASPAR data base and the High School and Beyond…

This report describes a program which provided on-campus seminars and workshops at the College of Staten Island, Kingsborough Community College, and Hostos Community College in New York. The program was designed to improve recruitment and especially retention of women and minorities in associate degree science and engineering-related programs.…

Technical writing scholars have discussed, but not resolved, the ethical problems of ghost authorship (Should the technical editor have a place on the title page?) and multiple authorship (Can nine people really author an eight-page essay?). These ethical questions, however, are trivial when compared with the significantly more grave and…

Discusses the importance of student-teacher interpersonal relations, giving examples of how teacher talk can increase teaching effectiveness. Examines five categories of teacher talk and how these categories can be related to various classroom interactions. (MLH)