Discusses how the mining of gold has impacted the development of both Australia and Papua, New Guinea. Outlines the essential chemistry of small scale mining, the impact of gold on the economy, and the environmental effect of mercury on both the miners and the environment. (Author/CCM)

Students' needs and research on learning should inform teaching practices. Makes suggestions for improving instruction such as using students as ombudspersons to provide feedback on class concerns, focusing on process skills, and incorporating problem-based learning into the curriculum. Also includes examples of successful programs and summaries…

Describes an investigation of students' problem-solving strategies as seventh-grade students (n=10) attempted to design a solution to a technological problem. Concludes that novice designers use highly iterative rather than linear strategies, develop their ideas using three-dimensional materials rather than two-dimensional sketches, and develop…

The goal of technology education is universal technological literacy. Technology study in middle school must be more than an added science curriculum unit. Three instructional approaches predominate: student projects, technological problem solving (design under constraint), and modular technology education. The National Middle School Association's…

Using technology can empower students, but most U.S. schools fall short of this goal. The power of technology as related to other school subjects and problem solving is well documented in projects promoting integration of technology education with mathematics and science. National Science Education Standards are summarized. (26 references) (MLH)

Summarizes the nature of deliberative theory and examines how it arises in theories of improvement in business and related activities. Deliberation plays a key role in organizational design and high-involvement ergonomics. The concept could be easily applied to educational settings. Those closest to problems should solve them. Contains 47…

Presents the need for a systems and process perspective of logistics, and develops a template for a logistics education course. The template addresses functional, process, and supply chain needs and was developed by a number of university partners with core skills in different traditional disciplines. (Contains 31 references.) (Author/WRM)

Describes the evolution of scientific visualization in technical and engineering graphics. Outlines a scientific-technical visualization curriculum illustrated with applications. Discusses the role of technology education in the new curriculum. (SK)

Cross-disciplinary teams formed by 29 engineering and 45 business/statistics/human ecology students conducted quality improvement projects. Different levels of commitment and interest were apparent; most had difficulty scheduling meetings with team members, clients, and instructors. Nearly all spoke highly of the learning experience. (SK)

Explores reasons for the continuing underrepresentation of women in science and engineering using interviews with 46 women and 30 men. A poststructuralist approach, with aspects of discourse theory, is used to examine subject choices and occupational decision-making processes of female students of software engineering. (SLD)

Presents an open-ended project tailored for a senior kinetics and reactor design course in which basic reactor design equations are used to model the digestive systems of several animals. Describes the assignment as well as the results. (DDR)

Describes how interaction with several polymer manufacturing companies through industrial short courses and research projects has led to the development of dynamic and up-to-date undergraduate and graduate curriculums in polymer science and engineering technology. (DDR)

Business students (n=254) were assessed on their knowledge of computers, health and safety, radiation, workstations, and ergonomic techniques. Overall knowledge was low in all categories. In particular, they had not learned computer-use techniques. (SK)

Describes Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a national program that has formed partnerships among public schools, institutions of higher education, and industry to increase the quality and quantity of students graduating from engineering and engineering technology institutions. (Author)

Offers a case study examining what happened when a production worker tried to improve manufacturing documentation, and how her success depended upon both her craft knowledge and the rhetorical skills she attributes to a Writing Across the Curriculum program she experienced in college. (SR)