In this article, the authors present an activity that shows students how flight occurs. The "wing on a string" is a simple teacher-made frame that consists of PVC pipe, fishing line, and rubber bands--all readily available hardware store items. The only other materials/tools involved are a sheet of paper, some pieces of a soda straw, a stapler,…

When one mentions the word engineering, most people think immediately of high-tech items such as computers, or large-scale projects such as bridges, buildings, and roads. While these products represent the products of engineering, there are clear challenges to having students work directly on any of these projects in the context of a science…

The 9th International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2016) is held under the auspices of the International Educational Data Mining Society at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, in the USA. The conference, held June 29-July 2, 2016, follows the eight previous editions (Madrid 2015, London 2014, Memphis…

Undergraduates from chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and environmental science courses, together with first-year postgraduate research students in electrochemical technology, are provided with an experiment that demonstrates the reduction of dissolved oxygen in aerated seawater at 25°C. Oxygen reduction is examined using linear sweep…

PAPERS PREPARED FOR A SUMMER INSTITUTE ON EFFECTIVE TEACHING FOR TEACHERS OF ENGINEERING SUBJECTS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS CONFERENCE REPORT. GENERAL SUBJECT AREAS DISCUSSED ARE--(1) EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION, (2) LEARNING THEORY AND ITS APPLICATION TO CLASSROOM TEACHING, (3) LECTURE, DISCUSSION, AND LECTURE-DISCUSSION METHODS…

Offers a model for a performance-based training system based on job task analysis methodology that has been successfully implemented at a nuclear utility. Presents a flow chart of the training needs system and explains the steps involved in the process. (ML)

Describes design and production of the award-winning software used to control Great Britain's Open University Materials Science videodisc, the Teddy Bear Disc, which is used to teach undergraduate students about materials engineering. The disc is designed for use in one-week sessions, which students attend in July or August. (MBR)

Five years ago, an introductory chemistry course for chemists and chemical engineers was redesigned to stress the scientific method, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Describes: (1) changes made in the course; (2) impacts on student achievement; and (3) student ratings of the course. (JN)

Analyzes data collected from student and faculty groups which indicate that case method instruction in engineering is of more educational value than other teaching methods. A study to measure changes in students due to case work experience is underway and will be reported on later. (WM)

The Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago) has created a new exhibit, "Technology: Chance or Choice?," which emphasizes the human impact on technology. Development of and techniques used in the exhibit are discussed. The latter include microcomputers placed throughout the exhibit to pose questions about critical issues raised by particular…

Active involvement in society-related issues can elevate junior high school students' interest not only in the problem being solved but also in related scientific concepts. Examples of how scientific concepts and society-related issues can be taught in the same class are presented, focusing on genetic engineering, water shortage, and others.…

Describes an undergraduate automatic controls course in which the teaching-learning process is regarded as a closed loop feedback system. The three basic components of the system: the controller, the plant, and the learning sensors are identified as the teacher, the student, and student feedback respectively. (SMB)

Describes the use of professional technical journals in a seminar program taught in French at a technical school in Bucharest.

Explores how research on how people think, learn, and remember can be used as a guide in redesigning higher education, especially science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Asserts that such research suggests against lectures, "canned" laboratory work, and frequent testing. (EV)

Points out the diminishing demand for mathematics undergraduate programs and the strong trend in engineering education to make greater use of computer coursework such as Mathcad, Matlab, and other software systems for the mathematical and statistical components of engineering programs. Describes the changing role of mathematics learning centers…