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 two-course engineering design graphics sequence on introductory design and graphics topics. The first course focuses on conceptual design and the development of visualization and sketching skills while the second one concentrates on detail design and parametric modeling. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/ASK)

Math-education reformers encourage the incorporation of mathematical modeling activities into K-12 curricula. Many of the purported educational benefits derive from the authenticity of the activities-how well they reflect the everyday and occupational mathematical practices of adults. But a paucity in the literature of observational descriptions…

This article introduces Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) as a form of case study team problem-solving. MEA design focuses on eliciting from students conceptual models that they iteratively revise in problem-solving. Though developed by mathematics education researchers to study the evolution of mathematical problem-solving expertise in middle…

Presented is a descriptive account of guided design, an educational strategy in which students work together in small groups to solve open-ended problems designed to provide experience in applying the subject matter content of a course. The essential elements of this instructional strategy are described, and the instructor's role clarified as…

Few early intervention efforts have improved the representation of women in computer science and engineering (CSE) disciplines, but pair programming has shown promise for reducing gender differences among college students. The current study is the first to examine this promising practice in middle school. In an effort to better understand what…

Presents the view that formal assignments such as problem sheets to be solved at home within a given amount of time are detrimental to the development of a mature outlook in college students. Presents an alternative to this approach. (GS)

We show a new approach, based on the utilization of Mathematica, to solve gas permeation problems using membranes. We start with the design of a membrane unit for the separation of a multicomponent mixture. The built-in Mathematica function, FindRoot, allows one to solve seven simultaneous equations instead of using the iterative approach of…

Outlines the academic responsibilities connected with the nation's transition to the metric system and indicates how these responsibilities relate to the general task of problem solving. (GS)

Oriented for higher education students, researchers, practicing engineers and planners, this book surveys the state of the art of water resources engineering. A broad spectrum of issues is embraced in the treatment of water resources: quantity aspects as well as quality aspects within a systems approach. Using a rational mode for water resources…

Tests developed for the evaluation of Control Technology, a basic engineering course of study in Great Britain, prove useful for the formative evaluation, but reflect the difficulty of assessing ability to solve technological problems. (Author/KM)

This article (the 1971 Presidential Address to the Mathematical Association of U. K.) makes a plea that college teachers of mathematics should be better aware of the applications of mathematics in other subjects. As an example, the author describes the use of differential equations to solve certain vibrational problems in mechanical engineering.…

By providing an example problem in solving sets of nonlinear algebraic equations, the advantages and disadvantages of two methods for its solution, the tearing approach v the Newton-Raphson approach, are elucidated. (CS)

Spreadsheet programs are used increasingly by engineering students to solve problems, especially problems requiring repetitive calculations, as they provide rapid and simple numerical solutions. This article shows how advanced spreadsheet programs are used in the learning of numerical solutions of two-dimensional diffusion equation using the…