Developing an Environmentally Friendly Engineering Ethic: A Course for Undergraduate Engineering Students

An undergraduate course designed to develop a new, environmentally-friendly, engineering ethic is described. The various components of the course are: individual and societal values clarification, the current state of the environment, critical and creative thinking skills development and conflict resolution. For each component, the rationale is given along with activities and evaluation of the unit.     

Practitioner and Student Recommendations for an Engineering Curriculum

Abstract For over 100 years studies have consistently recommended that the engineering curriculum should stress underlying principles and have a considerable range of cultural studies. Nevertheless, some employers continue to state that they are not totally satisfied with the average engineering graduate. The findings of this study, however, suggest that practicing engineers and students are generally satisfied with the civil engineering curriculum. Nevertheless, both groups recommend that the credits allocated to surveying, graphics, and computers should be increased. Practitioners, in general, believe that there should be a decrease in mathematically oriented subjects such as calculus, statistics and numerical methods. Older graduates, in particular, recommend an increase in business courses such as law, accounting, and personnel management. They also believe that technical writing and oral communication skills should be a vital part of the program. It appears to be difficult to design a curriculum, requiring a reasonable number of credits, that satisfies all age groups. Therefore, at commencement, an engineer must expect to initiate a life-long process of informal/formal education to supplement the knowledge obtained by satisfying the civil engineering degree requirements.     

The Development of an Undergraduate Distance Learning Engineering Degree for Industry - A University/Industry Collaboration

This paper documents the pioneering effort associated with the development of a Corporate Engineering Degree Program (CEDP) made available to industry personnel who desire to receive a traditional bachelor's degree via distance learning. This program, a model of a close university/industry collaboration, provides a broad vision for industry needs and makes a quality education available to adult learners. The paper explains the motivation in implementing the program, profiles students, faculty, and industry personnel, examines the challenges in implementing the program, and details accomplishments and continuing developments that have resulted since the program's inception in 1988. The paper also describes the dynamic processes of faculty enrichment and curricular development that resulted during the planning, implementation, and evolvement of the program, all of which have also had an impact on the traditional, on-campus program and students at the University of North Dakota.     

工程制图课程的工程性改革实践

在教学内容上,分析了现代工程图学的教学要求,提出了工程制图课程新的教学体系.在教材上,以贯彻国家标准为出发点,重新组织了相关教学内容.在教学过程中,强调了制图课程的工程性,调动了学生学习工程知识和进行工程实践的积极性.     

Ethics Teaching in Undergraduate Engineering Education

This paper asks how undergraduate engineering education supports students' ethical development, broadly defined, in a diverse sample of U.S. engineering schools and offers an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of those efforts. The paper draws on observational case studies that were based on site visits to undergraduate mechanical and electrical engineering programs at seven universities or engineering schools in the U.S. It begins by proposing professional codes of ethics in engineering as a useful framework for thinking about the goals for student learning in the area of ethics and professional responsibility. The paper then discusses how and to what degree these goals are being addressed in the case study schools, with additional context provided through reference to published research in the field. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening the teaching of engineering ethics and professional responsibility.     

Mathematical and Scientific Foundations for an Integrative Engineering Curriculum

All fields of engineering, whether chemical, civil, electrical, materials, mechanical, etc., encompass a common body of essential mathematics and science. In the freshman year of Drexels E⁴ program, this common mathematical and scientific foundation is cultivated in the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Engineering I, II and III (MSFE I, MSFE II, MSFE III). In an integrated fashion, MSFE I presents the essential calculus, physics and engineering mechanics vital to the freshman engineering student. In the first two quarters, MSFE II presents chemistry with clearly defined engineering applications and significance: in the third quarter, MSFE II presents living systems with the same thrust. Also in the third quarter, MSFE III presents basic circuits and circuit elements, and a brief introduction to electromagnetic theory.     

工程制图精品课程建设中CAI课件的开发与应用

工程制图CAI课件的开发是精品课程建设的一项重要内容,以多媒体技术为手段,利用先进的图形软件CAXA、SolidWorks等构建课件的图形脚本,再以PowerPoint为平台,设置和合成CAI课件。工程制图CAI课件突显教与学结合的特色,具有实用性、直观性和开放性。利用CAI课件进行网络教学,可以改革工程制图的教学方法,提高学生的积极性和主动性。     

The Development of a Shared Interdisciplinary Intelligent Mechatronics Laboratory

This paper describes experience in developing an interdisciplinary mechatronics laboratory and success in using the lab to support academic instruction. It emphasizes the strategies and procedures that were important in creating an interdisciplinary laboratory in a traditional discipline-oriented academic institution. The strategies address objectives, acquisition and allocation of funding, and exploiting the existing infrastructure. Procedures such as the formation of a managing body and support for staff are also an important aspect of successful interdisciplinary laboratory development. The specific use of the lab is illustrated by two case studies, and its various benefits are discussed.     

The Non-Use of Computers in Undergraduate Engineering Science Courses

Based on visits to twelve institutions spread across the United States, a survey was made of how engineering science courses have been influenced by the ready availability of computers. Although the sample was too small to support general conclusions, the findings were so consistent that they are presented as a possible stimulus to faculty members and others to make the same observations at other institutions. The survey supports the conclusion that computers are usually not used effectively in undergraduate engineering science courses. Often, they are not used at all. Problem-solving approaches and calculation methods are little influenced by the availability of computers. Typically, faculty members reacted to this conclusion with disbelief and denial until they made their own observations. Speculation is offered on why faculty members do not use computers effectively in engineering science courses and why they initially deny the conclusion above. The challenge suggested for faculty members and industrial advisory board members is to make similar observations. The results may be eye-opening.     

Specification of a Systems Engineering Framework for a Seamless Systems Engineering Process

ABSTRACT

While putting a systems engineering methodology and associated processes in place, it was determined that computer automation was essential; manual techniques were complicated, time consuming, and generally not feasible. A project has been established to define, prototype, and demonstrate a viable concept to specify a systems engineering environment. A core capability, the requirements management process, was selected as the starting point, with provisions for integrating the other systems engineering elements. An evolutionary development approach is planned based on a successful proof-of-concept prototype demonstration. Special attention will be given to the integration of software management within a systems engineering structure.     

关于教育技术学本科专业课程体系建设的思考

课程体系如何反映出学生所选专业领域的未来发展，是高等教育必须解决的一个现实课题。文章分析了教育技术学专业课程体系的形成与发展，阐述了主干课程的设置原则。在分析比较目前课程体系的基础上．提出了自己的构建方案。     

系统工程的建模问题

建立系统模型解决实际问题是系统工种的重要研究课题之一,模型的可行性必须要有正确的理论依据和严密的推理过程来支持,本文介绍了一般的建模思路和建模应注意的问题,并通过分析一个实例的3种建模方法从正反两方面进行说明。     

The Sunrayce '95 Idea: Adding Hands-on Design to an Engineering Curriculum

During the 1994-95 academic year, Catalano taught a first-time senior capstone design class with the goal of entering a student-designed and built, solar-powered race car in the Department of Energy's Sunrayce '95 competition. This course came from an effort to move toward a more fully integrated mechanical engineering curriculum designed to supplement the learning experiences of students in their more traditional engineering courses. In this paper, we summarize the planning for the course, the design and construction phases of the class—especially how students and faculty perceived their design work, the cadets' perceptions of their learning during the class, and experiences of the students and faculty during the race. Teaching this new course provided insights into some of the dilemmas raised when changes to an existing curriculum are made.     

Redesigning an Aerospace Engineering Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century: Results of a Survey

This paper describes the development and results of a mail survey to determine the views of industrial, government, and academic aerospace professionals on the required content of future aerospace engineering curricula and on the skills that will be needed by aerospace graduates in the early twenty-first century. The survey is one step in an ongoing process by the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Cincinnati (UC) to restructure its aerospace engineering curriculum. This paper discusses the development of the survey, its results, and the preliminary conclusions that have been drawn from the results. The survey included questions on such issues as introducing design experience to the students throughout the curriculum and presenting some topics using a more interdisciplinary approach than has traditionally been followed. While the survey was constructed primarily to gather information specific to the UC curriculum redesign effort, its results are relevant to other aerospace engineering programs considering or pursuing curricular redesign.