Software Optimization for Improving Student Motivation in a Computer Architecture Course

This paper presents a learning activity designed to improve student motivation towards learning certain topics in computer architecture, particularly assembly-level machine organization. This activity applies a pedagogical method suitable for computer architecture courses. The method improves motivation by allowing students to verify by themselves, on real platforms, that they can apply their architecture knowledge to improve software performance and also by showing them the improvements achieved in complete applications. The activity is compared to other such activities based on different motivation and learning techniques.     

The Impact of Computer Availability on Engineering Education in Hungary

This paper presents a mosaic-like picture of the impact of computer availability on electronics engineering education in Hungary. A few related problem areas are discussed including educational form and content modifications, the role of small computers, terminals, digital/computer laboratories, and the use of calculators in electronic engineering education.     

Microprocessor Education in Industrial and Systems Engineering

The microprocessor represents one of the most important technological advances of the past decade. The engineer who understands the microprocessor and knows how to use it in industrial applications will be a leader in his firm. Many industries are installing microprocessors for automating plant production functions such as assembly, production control, inventory accounting, and quality control. Since most industrial and systems engineers will be working in environments where such systems are designed, sold, or installed, it is extremely important that they have a working knowledge of microprocessor oriented systems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an introductory course on applications of microprocessors offered by the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at the University of Florida. Substantial effort was required to develop teaching materials and laboratory equipment to support the course. The authors hope that the information presented in this paper will aid other faculty and schools in developing their own courses in this area.     

Brain–Computer Communication: Motivation, Aim, and Impact of Exploring a Virtual Apartment

The step away from a synchronized or cue-based brain-computer interface (BCI) and from laboratory conditions towards real world applications is very important and crucial in BCI research. This work shows that ten naive subjects can be trained in a synchronous paradigm within three sessions to navigate freely through a virtual apartment, whereby at every junction the subjects could decide by their own, how they wanted to explore the virtual environment (VE). This virtual apartment was designed similar to a real world application, with a goal-oriented task, a high mental workload, and a variable decision period for the subject. All subjects were able to perform long and stable motor imagery over a minimum time of 2 s. Using only three electroencephalogram (EEG) channels to analyze these imaginations, we were able to convert them into navigation commands. Additionally, it could be demonstrated that motivation is a very crucial factor in BCI research; motivated subjects perform much better than unmotivated ones.     

电厂环境评价中的工程分析

阐述了在火电厂环境影响评价工作中，如何做好工程分析，为环评提供准确的基础数据，以及如何在工程设计上提出应采取的经济、合理、可行的污染物治理措施。     

Student Engagement in a Structured Problem-Based Approach to Learning: A First-Year Electronic Engineering Study Module on Heat Transfer

Problem-based learning has been at the core of significant developments in engineering education in recent years. This term refers to any learning environment in which the problem drives the learning, because it is posed in such a way that students realize they need to acquire new knowledge before the problem can be solved. This paper presents the experience of a structured problem-based learning approach to the teaching of an introductory study module on heat transfer in the first year of an Electronic Engineering graduate program. A heat sink design problem was posed to students at the beginning of the module. Small groups of students worked on a cooperative learning project for eight weeks, while the teacher acted as the coach and the facilitator of knowledge acquisition. Partial, though not extensive, written reports were collected each week and the student assessments of the learning environment were measured. The paper closes with a list of recommendations intended to assist academics interested in adopting a similar approach.      

Integrating Hardware and Software in a Computer Engineering Laboratory

A systematic approach to the design of a multipurpose computer engineering laboratory is presented. An essential ingredient of a successful computer engineering program, and of an effective laboratory servicing that program, is that the hardware and software aspects of the curriculum be truly integrated. The laboratory described here is designed around a central resource-sharing minicomputer to which are connected minimal microcomputer stations. This configuration is proposed as the most cost-effective and the most educationally effective approach to the integration of hardware and software in a microcomputer curriculum.     

The Impact of Engineering Technology Programs on Engineering and Engineering Education

Over recent decades, there has been an enormous expansion in the amount and complexity of scientific and engineering knowledge. Space exploration was climaxed by landing on the moon; solid state electronics has had significant impact in computers, controls, and a myriad of other devices; and nuclear fission is being used for the generation of significant quantities of electrical power. Besides learning about these expanded areas of knowledge, the engineering graduate must know the timeless basics as always. Also, it has become apparent that the public, with the increased complexity of our society, is asking that engineering solutions be related to society goals.     

Enhancement of Student Learning in Experimental Design Using a Virtual Laboratory

This paper describes the instructional design, implementation, and assessment of a virtual laboratory based on a numerical simulation of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, the virtual CVD laboratory. The virtual CVD laboratory provides a capstone experience in which students synthesize engineering science and statistics principles and have the opportunity to apply experimental design in the context similar to that of a practicing engineer in industry with a wider design space than is typically seen in the undergraduate laboratory. The simulation of the reactor is based on fundamental principles of mass transfer and chemical reaction, obscured by added ldquonoise.rdquo The software application contains a 3-D student client that simulates a cleanroom environment, an instructor Web interface with integrated assessment tools, and a database server. As opposed to being constructed as a direct one-to-one replacement, this virtual laboratory is intended to complement the physical laboratories in the curriculum so that certain specific elements of student learning can be enhanced. Implementation in four classes is described. Assessment demonstrates students are using an iterative experimental design process reflective of practicing engineers and correlates success in this project to higher order thinking skills. Student surveys indicate that students perceived the virtual CVD laboratory as the most effective learning medium used, even above physical laboratories.     

Curricula Development in Computer Science and Engineering

This paper reviews some of the most recent efforts in the development of undergraduate curricula in Computer Science and Engineering. Emphasis is placed on the curricula that have been proposed by the Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society. The relationships between the two sets of recommendations are discussed.     

Learning Conditions in Engineering and Technology Programs

In an earlier writing [1], Dr. J. D. Forman called for "realistic and honest" efforts to assess the worth of Bachelor of Technology programs. Because of the great variety of these newly developed programs, it appears that such assessment should relate to those aspects of Bachelor of Technology programs which are common to most. It is suggested here that properly designed engineering technology programs will provide a highly credible base for an efficient learning process and that this experience can lead to advanced study. Although subsequent or more comprehensive assessments might well consider anticipated differences in the kinds of students entering the various programs, contemporary retrospect suggests that the engineering technology graduate has an advantage in transferring theoretical content to future tasks. The paper identifies valuable learning attributes of engineering technology programs, in the hope that an apprizal of this approach may eventually benefit B.S. in engineering programs.     

浅析光污染对学生视力的膨响及应对措施

日常生活中离不开光，正确地应用光和处理光，能够使生活丰富多彩和带来美的享受，但如果应用不正确，反而会给生活在其中的人们的健康带来负面影响。光污染就是其中的一个方面。我国学生的近视率居世界第二，不科学的室内装潢、不科学的室内照明、光亮如镜的光污染以及屏幕光污染等是造成学生近视的主要因素。该文对这些方面进行分析，并提出相应的预防措施。希望能对学生及其家长有所帮助。     

IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering 2008

The annual IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering (CCECE) provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of high-quality technical papers that encompass a wide range of disciplines within electrical and computer engineering. The 21st episode of the CCECE very well matched the conference theme ?Wonders of Technology,? featuring seven mini-symposia that included about 90 technical paper sessions. There were new initiatives in this conference, and they included full-paper submission and elaborate technical review; and a technical focus in the form of symposia. We sincerely hope that a new era is born for the Canadian flagship conference CCECE with its focused approach and peer-reviewed, high-quality, full-paper submissions.     

Implementation of a Computer Engineering Program: Some Fundamental Questions and a Curriculum

Eady in 1977, the first report by the Model Curriculum Subcommittee of the IEEE Computer Society was published [1]. This report, which presented in considerable detailarecommended curriculum in computer science and engineering, came at a fortunate time for a committee in the Department of Electical and Computer Engineering (E& CE) at aemson Univemity. Although the Department of E&CE had been so named since the eady 1970's, this committee was in the process of prepaing the proposal for a computer engineerng degree to accompany the long-existing elctnical engineerng degree. This committee, along with the entire E& CE faculty, the faculty of an emerging Department of Computer Science, and the university administration, was to face, within the next two years, many problems associated with computer education. As evidence that solutions to most of the problems were found, final permission to offer the computer engineering degree, along with the computer science degree, was granted in early 1980. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the citical questions that arose during this period, and to discuss the partial answers as determined at Clemson, in the hope that such information can be helphul to otha departments and universities encountering similar situations.