Researchers were the first adopters of digital resources available through the library. Online journals and databases make finding research articles much easier than when this author started as a librarian more than 20 years ago. Speedier interlibrary loan due to digital delivery means research materials are never far away. Making it easier for…

Design-based learning is a teaching approach akin to problem-based learning but one to which the design of artefacts, systems and solutions in project-based settings is central. Although design-based learning has been employed in the practice of higher engineering education, it has hardly been theorised at this educational level. The aim of this…

This paper introduces a graduate course, continuum mechanics, which is designed for and taught to graduate students in a Mechanical Engineering (ME) program. The significance of continuum mechanics in engineering education is demonstrated and the course structure is described. Methods used in teaching this course such as topics, class…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to define a community memory for a virtual communities of practice (CoP) based on organizational learning (OL) concept and ontologies. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on applying the OL concept to virtual CoP and proposes a framework for building the CoP memory by identifying several layers of…

Technology education transitions and trendsetting changes have occurred in the past two decades. Despite strong support from leadership, technology education curricular offerings continued to follow societal norms in terms of preparing students to be productive members of society. Although technology education as a school subject has gained…

Does the nation need K-12 engineering education standards? The answer to this question is paradoxically both simple and complex, and requires an examination of a rationale for such standards as well as the opportunities and barriers to developing and implementing the standards. In two decades since 1989, the idea of national standards for…

The importance of distillation in the separation field prompts the inclusion of distillation experiments in the chemical engineering curricula. This work describes the performance of an Oldershaw column in the rectification of a cyclohexane/n-heptane mixture. Total reflux distillation, continuous rectification under partial reflux, and batch…

We describe an intensive course that integrates graduate and continuing education focused on the development and scale-up of chromatography processes used for the recovery and purification of proteins with special emphasis on biotherapeutics. The course includes lectures, laboratories, teamwork, and a design exercise and offers a complete view of…

Informal education (IE) refers to activities that occur outside the school setting, and that were not primarily developed for school use or as part of a school curriculum. Informal education is an important component of the teaching of technology and engineering education, adding relevance to student experiences. The practice of informal education…

One of the goals of this study was to pose the engineering role in a way that allows engineers to understand the impact that professional requirements have on their career. For engineers making medical devices, requirements come from three principal sources, professional engineering, regulatory agencies, and their own organization. Engineering…

Over the years, many training methods for creativity and innovation have been developed. Despite these programs and research, further improvement is necessary, particularly in schools of technology and engineering education, where previous efforts have focused on developing solutions to defined problems, not in identifying and defining the…

Little is known about how the presence of women influences undergraduates' experiences in engineering. This paper presents results from a mixed methods, multivariate, and multi-institutional study to determine the impact of the numeric representation of women on the intent to be employed in engineering following graduation. Results from the…

This article describes a reverse engineering activity that gives students hands-on, minds-on experience with measuring tools, machine parts, and CAD. The author developed this activity to give students an abundance of practical experience with measuring tools. Equally important, it provides a good interface between the virtual world of CAD 3D…

"The ability of this nation to provide a growing economy, strong health and human services, and a secure and safe nation depends upon a vibrant, creative, and diverse engineering and science workforce" (Blue, et al., 2005, p.4). To contribute to technological advancements, engage in global collaboration, solve complex problems, encourage…

Conceptions of learning and teaching shape teaching practices and are, therefore, important to understanding how engineering professors learn to teach. There is abundant research about professors' conceptions of teaching; however, research on the conceptions of teaching of doctoral students, the future professors, is scarce. Furthermore,…