Quality assurance in engineering education is a multifaceted problem further augmented by the stakeholders of engineering education. Students, parents and employers are rightfully questioning the quality of the curriculum, the instructional delivery, the learning environment, accessibility to learning technologies and equipment, employability as…

The EUR-ACE Socrates-Tempus project (September 2004/March 2006) proposed a decentralized European system for accreditation of engineering programmes in the "Bologna process" area (European Higher Education Area) at the First and Second Cycle (FC and SC) level (but including "Integrated Programmes", i.e. programmes leading…

In the present paper, we propose an alternative, based on constructivism, to the conventional way of teaching basic physics courses at the university level. We call this approach "coherent teaching" and the underlying philosophy of teaching science and engineering "need-based learning". We have been applying this philosophy in…

A realistic applied chemical engineering experimental design and statistical analysis project is documented in this article. This project has been implemented as part of the professional development and applied statistics courses at Villanova University over the past five years. The novel aspects of this project are that the students are given a…

An open-ended student conference project involving sophomore, junior, and senior chemical engineering students is described. The project is designed to address outcomes in each of the courses in which those students are enrolled, as well as broader "soft skills" including multidisciplinary teamwork, communications, lifelong learning, and…

Robotics is a rich and exciting multidisciplinary area to study and learn about electronics and control technology. The interest in robotic devices and systems provides the technology teacher with an excellent opportunity to make many concrete connections between electronics, control technology, and computers and science, engineering, and…

The authors describe three initiatives designed to increase the academic achievement and retention of historically underrepresented students (including females and underrepresented students of color) in engineering. (Contains 2 tables.)

In this message from the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) president, Andy Stephenson stresses the need for technology, innovation, design, and engineering (TIDE) education. He cites the recent report--"Preparing for the Perfect Storm, a Report on the Forum, Taking Action Together: Developing a National Plan to Address the…

Key New England industries including information technology, defense technology, biotechnology, environmental services, health care and university research rely upon people with skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Yet, just 20 percent of New England high school students who took the SATs in 2005 indicated a desire to…

As American manufacturing moves increasingly overseas and immense growth is forecast in modernizing countries like India and China, engineers need to understand those cultures before designing products for them, say supporters of international-engineering programs. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which accredits…

Technical education is, by definition, a field that requires hands-on practice and experience by the student. When it comes to distant learning, technical education suffers from lack of such practical study, given the fact that e-learning is based on theoretical material being provided remotely to the student. This article presents the idea of…

Low rates of women's enrolment in engineering programs has been identified as a global problem within the general concern to enable women to attain parity in education in all areas. A Western women in engineering meta-narrative is identified which contains a complex of obstacles that typify the situation of Western women. The question is asked…

There is a big boom in manpower requirements in IT industries in India in recent years. Presently India is aiming at becoming the major source of manpower in IT and other technical fields in the global scenario. To achieve this target, enhancement of employability of graduates coming out of engineering colleges are very important. A study has been…

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University Technology Malaysia is currently moving towards a Problem-Based Laboratory implementation rather than the conventional instructional-based laboratory for final year students. The laboratory has commenced session with about 500 students' registration in the 2007/08/1. The Problem-Based Laboratory…

Earning an engineering degree is viewed as a challenging undertaking. So what drives engineering students to continue to navigate the difficult path? Many researchers have asked this question as evidenced by an exceptionally large number of literature citations containing the terms "engineer" and "motivation." Yet, the answer remains uncertain.…