Discusses broadband communications; broadband coaxial cable and its utility in the media center; basic electronics of radio signals (radio frequency, radio band, bandwidth, MHz, skimming, decibels, sloped amplifiers); engineering basics (insertion loss, splitter, tap, and three beats); and factors to consider before designing a campus broadband…

Describes the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP), which places African American students on the path to careers in math, science, and engineering. As a result, 90 percent of its students go on to college, and more than 60 percent pursue technology degrees. (EV)

Provides advice for academic leaders in the early stages of considering making a major investment in facilities that support learning, teaching, and research in mathematics, technology, and the various fields of science and engineering. Addresses the institutional plan; building, program, and campus and environs analysis; description of needs;…

Examines form, color, and technology at the University of Ottawa's School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) building, focusing on systems (e.g., SITE is a data wired building, but with no expensive raised floors or cheap dropped ceilings); assembly rather than construction (replacing standard notions of construction with the process…

Studies six summer interns in an engineering development center. Shows that for the interns and their more experienced colleagues, learning did not precede activity but rather was the means by which they remained attuned to activity and able to function. Finds cognition was distributed not only among people but also among people and their tools;…

Investigates the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction in the chemical engineering curriculum. Explains how chemical process simulators can be successfully implemented into courses. (YDS)

North Carolina State University (UNC) has been on the forefront of long-distance education by offering a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a Mechatronics Concentration at its remote campus located at UNC Asheville. The program demonstrates that long-distance laboratories are feasible and should not be a stumbling block to offering…

Undergraduate engineering students (n=123) collected and analyzed engineering job ads from newspapers and the Internet and prepared reports. Many began with inaccurate conceptions; 86.2% reported change in their understanding of engineering. Some learned how to increase their employability. Initial concepts of engineering as focused on technology…

Reports the results of practicing engineers' descriptions of the importance of oral communication. Suggests that engineering practice takes place in an intensely oral culture and while formal presentations are important to practicing engineers, daily work is characterized more by interpersonal and small group experiences. Notes that communication…

Investigates whether replacing a single traditional laboratory activity with a widely-used, non-microcomputer-based laboratory, research-based activity could produce improved conceptual understanding of a topic in electricity. Shows that a single instructional experience utilizing the research-based tutorial materials is superior to a traditional…

Reports the results of a survey of graduates, employers, and instructors of engineering technology programs for the essential topics in mechanical engineering technology, mechanical drafting/design technology, manufacturing engineering technology, and industrial engineering technology. Identifies the proficiency level suggested for classwork and…

Presented are the findings of the Engineering Manpower Commission's twenty-second enrollment survey which covers all engineering programs and all engineering technology schools with approved curricula. Survey methodology and the special cases of women, minorities, and foreign nationals are discussed. (CW)

Reviews major organic and inorganic chemicals, their products, and the sociocultural impact of the chemical industry. Provides the following learning activity components: objectives, list of materials and equipment, procedures, student quiz with answers, and three references. (SK)

Office automation has introduced new hazards to the workplace: electrical hazards related to computer wiring, musculoskeletal problems resulting from use of computer terminals and design of work stations, and environmental concerns related to ventilation, noise levels, and office machine chemicals. (SK)

The biotechnology revolution is making contributions to the improvement of health care. Some of the biotechnology-based pharmaceuticals in the marketplace include human hormones, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, vaccines, immunomodulators, growth factors, and monoclonal antibodies. Many new diagnostics will appear and be used by patients in their own…