Our department has redesigned its electrical and computer engineering programs by adopting a learning methodology based on competence development, problem solving, and the realization of design projects. In this article, we show how this pedagogical approach has been successfully used for learning probabilities and their application to computer…

Presented is a problem solving strategy emphasizing the definition step. Detailed analysis of the process of problem definition is included. (SL)

Between May 2003 and January 2004, Education Development Center's Center for Children and Technology (CCT) undertook a formative evaluation of Design and Discovery, a hands-on, project-based design and engineering curriculum being disseminated as part of the Intel Innovation in Education initiatives. The Design and Discovery curriculum invites 11-…

The study was carried out within the framework of a project that provided afterschool mathematics tutorial sessions to 10th-12th grade students by engineers in an informal setting. The participating students were selected from advanced level mathematics classes according to their need for additional support. The main goal of the study was to…

The paper presents literature related to the problems and promises of interdisciplinary work. Important characteristics of effective work groups are described, and origins of difficulty in groups are discussed. Most work on groups has been based on research on groups that come together only in the laboratory. These groups are different from…

This paper presents implementation details related to the freshman integrated curriculum at Texas A&M University. Specifically, the need for strong integration between physics, calculus, engineering problem solving, engineering design graphics, and English is emphasized. The paper presents a brief summary of the design and pilot implementation…

This article describes the purpose, development, and implementation of a cognitive-based instructional intervention and its impact on learning motivation. The study was conducted in a programming-based problemsolving course for first-year engineering students. The results suggest that the instructional intervention developed based on the…

Discusses the use of varied resources to conduct undergraduate systems design courses at the Drexel University with the support of the Sloan Foundation. The purpose is to provide students with an ability to develop solutions to problems encountered in a real, living, and dynamic situation. (CC)

Describes a systematic study of skills for solving problems in basic physics. Also discusses how detailed observations of individuals were used to formulate models for problem-solving processes in mechanics and applications for teaching basic college physics or engineering courses. (HM)

Describes secondary-school minicourses which provide an opportunity for examination of the interactions between science, technology, society and the investigation of science principles. The need for such minicourses is justified through the demands placed on citizens to rationally evaluate alternate solutions to problems confronting society which…

Describes the problem-solving approach implemented in the University of Manitoba's first-year technical communication course. Considers technical writing as a process which can be broken down into steps: classify, analyze, test, and solve. Explains that this process offers students the methodology and flexibility they need to solve either…

Three mathematics software packages, MathCAD, Point Five, and TK Solver Plus, are described and compared. The packages were rated on the accompanying documentation, ease of learning, ease of use, matrix operations, equation solving capability, versatility, use of units, generation of graphs and tables, readability of output, and overall…

An approach that may be used to introduce the fundamental ideas of thermodynamics using a mathematical background with the knowledge of the behavior of matter is described. The physical background, conservation of energy, predicting the behavior of a system, and solving problems are topics of discussion. (KR)

Describes the development of a program for providing young girls at an all-girls school opportunities to problem solve by constructing their solutions using tools and materials unlikely to be part of their home or school experiences. The program combines analytical and problem solving skills with basic engineering concepts. Notes problems…

Experiments with exercises that are distinguished from those employed with elite students by reducing competition and increasing cooperation through the use of tests against nature, large dynamic ranges in performance, initial prototype designs, and alternative methods of recording and presenting results. Finds that formulating easily understood…