The is the first report from a study of a structured active learning approach to an analytical chemistry course. The purpose of the study is to assess the longitudinal outcomes of this approach and to provide feedback to curriculum developers about the effects of the changes being made in the chemistry curriculum. The data, collected from a cohort…

This paper reports on a unique assessment of a structured active learning approach to a freshman chemistry course. Faculty members (N=25) from 11 departments outside the chemistry department served as assessors interviewing approximately 200 students from the experimental and a comparison version of the course. The experimental section of the…

This commentary focuses on reforms in undergraduate science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SME&T) education since 1986. A snapshot of these programs at the end of the 20th century is presented, and steps to take into the next decade are outlined. The report contains sections that discuss the status and desired directions for our…

Describes advantages and disadvantages of undergraduate research in chemical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Also describes a five-year program designed to eliminate disadvantages and complement the graduate program. (SK)

Presented is an overview of the status of robotics education with information about activities and curricula for several European institutions. Some thoughts concerning the structure of a separate robotics curriculum at the university level are included. (Author/YP)

Presents survey results from freshman engineering students at Colorado State University. Identifies the highest levels of math and computer courses taken. Notes although most students took high school calculus, 48 percent failed the college's analytical trigonometry examination. Develops practical ideas for the future. (MVL)

A procedure where homework assignments are collected, graded, and returned each week is suggested. Students were used to grade each other's homework against copies of the solutions according to criteria established at the beginning of the course. Student response has been positive. (MVL)

Presents a model of the admissions process for a bachelor's degree engineering program at Brown University. The study used key nonfinancial-aid related criteria to develop student profiles and then correlated admissions decisions with applicant profiles to test admissions officer bias. Results indicated that admissions officer bias plays a strong…

Krishna Subramanyam arranged scientific and technical literature in a circular model in the 1970s. As a pedagogical construct, the circle conceptualizes the processes of producing and consuming information. This article presents the model, the revision, and its application to the information literacy curriculum for undergraduate engineering and…

The countries that signed the Bologna Declaration need also to modify their engineering programmes accordingly. In Hungary some modifications are necessary independently of the Bologna Declaration. The number of students has increased by a factor of three during the past decade without an increase in the number of staff. The consequence is…

This paper describes the pedagogical impact of real-world experimental projects undertaken as part of an advanced undergraduate fluid mechanics subject at an Australian university. The projects have been organized to complement traditional lectures and introduce students to the challenges of professional design, physical modelling, data collection…

This paper outlines the Southeastern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education's (SUCCEED) vision for designing and implementing a fundamentally new and experimental engineering curriculum with the engineering programs of its member institutions. The new curriculum, which emphasizes the process of engineering as well as the…

In collaboration with the National Research Council's (NRC's) Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education responded to a request from the National Science Foundation (NSF) by forming a project steering committee consisting of representatives from the NRC's four postsecondary boards…

The role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in supporting college science and engineering education at the undergraduate level is discussed, along with important factors in the national environment, including economic challenges facing the country, and the foundation's relationship to research and education. Because of a shift to a global…

Under a 1972 grant from the National Science Foundation's College Science Improvement Program (CoSIP), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) undertook a major educational experiment involving the total reorientation of its educational programs. The encompassing effort is referred to as the WPI PLAN. A major facet of the WPI PLAN involves student…