In communication courses, the focus has traditionally been on text: how to craft good news or bad news messages, proposals, reports, and so on. However, rapid developments in printing and computer technology have meant that communication has become more visual than ever before. Words alone are not enough; students need to be able to communicate…

This paper outlines reasons why current school improvement efforts in the Miami-Dade (Florida) school district are inadequate and offers an approach that will both build on the formal structure already in place and add a methodology to make it more effective. The text focuses on the field of system dynamics and how this method of analyzing…

To facilitate an integrated 10-year development plan, a Colorado Girl Scouts council collaborated with an architecture firm to create computer-generated maps of its camp properties, with links to relevant information. Maps and software provided unprecedented accuracy and access, were easily updated, and facilitated funding presentations. Sidebars…

The use of the computer, and specifically the mathematics software package Maple, has played a central role in the authors' abstract algebra course because it provides their students with a way to see realistic examples of the topics they discuss without having to struggle with extensive computations. However, Maple does not provide the computer…

Last fall, when Mastercam, the leading manufacturer of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, announced the winners of its Innovators of the Future (IOF) contest, first, second and third prizes went to students in the advanced manufacturing program of Vincennes University's (VU's) Machine Trades Technology Department. The contest called for…

Hagerstown Junior College's advanced technology program enables entrepreneurs to take an idea from computer-assisted design and manufacture, through prototype development and test-marketing, to full-scale production. An interactive video facility and the financial expertise of economic development agencies combine with the technology center to…

Discusses the use of simulations in education and suggests ways in which they can be made more cost effective. Highlights include electronic performance support systems; smart tools; examples of the use of simulations in an electronics laboratory and for interpersonal problem-solving skills; and computer-aided instructional design. (Contains 11…

The Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing Systems at Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia) is part of a nationwide network of teaching factories where manufacturers can learn new, more competitive production technologies. The institute has helped several local manufacturing companies develop computer programs to…

Discusses VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) technology and some of its possible applications, including creating three-dimensional images on the Web, advertising, and data visualization in computer-assisted design and computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM). Future improvements are discussed, including streaming, database support, and…

This paper describes RaPiD, a computer-aided assistant for the design of dental prostheses called removable partial dentures. The user manipulates icons directly to indicate the desired design solution to a given clinical situation. A developing design is represented as a logic database of components in a design; expert rules are applied as…

Discusses the use of a computer-illustrated text (CIT) with integrated software to teach electric circuit theory to college students. Examples of software use are given, including simple animation, graphical displays, and problem-solving programs. Issues affecting electric circuit theory instruction are also addressed, including mathematical…

Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) is a course that is required during the third year in the mechanical engineering curriculum at Binghamton University. The primary objective of the course is to educate students in the procedures of computer-aided engineering design. The solid modeling and analysis program Pro/Engineer[TM] (PTC[R]) is used as the…

Computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing, computer-aided analysis, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping are tools that play an important key role within product design. These are areas of technical knowledge that must be part of engineering and industrial design courses' curricula. This paper describes our teaching experience of…

The Engineering Technology Academy (ETA) program at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, Vermont, offers benefits beyond the conventional high school learning experience. In September, at the beginning of the program, students learn the traditional skills of using tools, line weights and lettering. Once they develop these basic skills, students…

Tu Tran, Robert Baker, and Margo Pensavalle present e-portfolio technology as an effective tool in teacher preparation. Because e-portfolios chronicle students' learning outcomes, they provide a picture of students' development that can be used in response to increased demands for assessment of student teachers and increasingly standards-based…