Teaching entrepreneurship in senior design courses.

A senior design capstone course can provide students with the opportunity to develop communication, interpersonal, and design skills and to learn about the product development process and project management. It is an excellent tool for preparing students for careers in biomedical engineering, especially those interested in employment with medical device companies. The author suggests that educators and design instructors should provide the opportunity for students to develop the skills and acquire the knowledge needed for successful careers in biomedical engineering. This includes development of (i) communication, interpersonal, teamwork, and design skills, (ii) an understanding of the legal, regulatory, and economic aspects of healthcare and the medical industry and (iii) basic business literacy. For additional in-depth entrepreneurial education, a graduate management degree with concentration in entrepreneurship might be the best approach. In order to develop an entrepreneurial perspective in all biomedical engineering students, "teachable moments" that are themselves in many of these courses should be taken advantage of.     

Educating for innovation and management: the engineering educators'dilemma

Research on ways to improve engineering education has identified management and innovation skills as important to success in an engineering career. This paper explores the nature of those management and innovation skills through presentation of some original research on a community of innovative engineers and managers and some published research on personality differences between engineers, managers, and entrepreneurial innovators. This paper suggests the key to producing engineering graduates with a penchant for managing and innovating lies in developing a special kind of individuality (authenticity) in engineers toward the end of their tertiary studies. It suggests this individuality involves the courage to break with one's engineering paradigm as required and to operate pragmatically and “unscientifically” in the “public world” rather than theoretically and “scientifically” in the “special world” of engineering. It outlines an optional new curriculum for engineers and scientists developed by an Australian university to encourage authenticity and to prepare science and engineering graduates for careers in management and innovation     

Engaging High School and Engineering Students: A Multifaceted Outreach Program Based on a Mechatronics Platform

If we aim to enhance the interest of students in engineering and therefore produce the best engineers, it is essential to strengthen the pipeline to high school education. This paper discusses several outreach activities undertaken by the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa (UO), Ottawa, ON, Canada, to help the transition between high school and engineering education and to make students aware of the engineering profession. At the heart of these activities is mechatronics education, which demands an interdisciplinary approach, connects to fundamental math and science concepts, and promotes collaborative project-based learning (PBL). Connected to this focus, a multifaceted program of outreach activities has been initiated. The program includes creation of design-simulate-and-build projects by engineering and high school students, as well as an interactive presentation program whereby engineering students connect with high school students through the sharing of projects that they create in their engineering courses. The survey results indicate that for the high school students, these programs promote students' awareness of engineering and how the mathematics and science they take in school connects to engineering concepts. For the engineering students, they are provided with a meaningful context within which to share their projects and explain their own understanding of engineering principles.      

Practicing engineering in a freshman introductory course

This paper discusses a teaching experience obtained in the undergraduate course of Control Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Brazil. The course endeavors to introduce the students to the university and to the real world of engineering and to develop an understanding of basic engineering concepts and foster professional skills. By introducing practicing engineering to the course from day one, student motivation is increased, and the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of engineering is demonstrated more clearly. This "hands-on approach" allows the student a greater insight into the life of an engineer. It strengthens a weakness found in established teaching methods, allowing the individual to embark on his or her engineering education with greater confidence in his or her ability as an engineer.     

A computer-aided, total quality approach to manufacturing educationin engineering

This paper describes an ongoing study in improving entry-level engineering education through the deployment of new teaching and learning tools. We introduce a computer-aided interactive multimedia manufacturing courseware. To improve manufacturing education we need to change not only the process of teaching and learning, but also provide new tools and technology that promote efficient learning and make it widely available and continuously improving. To address this manufacturing education challenge, we are presently designing a program based on a new computer-aided education paradigm that embodies total quality management (TQM) and critical thinking (CT) concepts. An interactive multimedia manufacturing courseware lies at the heart of this new computer-aided education paradigm. The manufacturing engineering multimedia courseware (MEMC) includes: on-line lectures, audiovideo education tools, interactive computer software, on-line assignment and exams, information about faculty, and on-line evaluation tools to obtain users' feedback to enhance teaching. It also makes access available to related academia, industry, and government research and education information through the World Wide Web. In this paper, we briefly review the status of engineering education in the United States and describe the appropriateness of unifying the concepts of TQM and CT. Additionally, we provide details of how these concepts can be used in an educational model     

Restructuring an electrical engineering program in Quito, Ecuador

The Department of Electrical Engineering at the Escuela Politecnica Nacional, in Quito, Ecuador, has undertaken the task that started two years ago, of bringing engineering education into the next century in a very limited environment. The problems to be faced are first described, starting from dealing with a severe shortage of funding and resources due to lack of interest by government and industry, to having to work with students with large amounts of knowledge of physics and mathematics, but with very little creativity due to all their educational background. A new curricula is discussed, where there is a special emphasis on reducing student course load, bringing together classes and lab work, fully integrating a variety of new computational tools to the teaching-learning process, and giving students more freedom to choose from a diversity of specialized fields. The new Department structure is also presented, eliminating the current departmentalized organization based on three major electrical engineering fields, i.e., power systems, control, and communications. The issue of lack of funding is finally addressed, as are some of the creative ways that are being used to solve this problem     

Balancing technical and social issues: a new first-year designcourse

The new ABET EC2000 accreditation guidelines call for greater emphasis on social and ethical issues in the education of engineering students. Universities are responding in varied ways - generally through increased liberal arts content and, in a few instances, through design activities, but generally, design education focuses primarily on the technical and process aspects. This is especially true in the new first-year engineering design courses that have evolved in the 1990s. A first-year “Introduction to Engineering Design” course has been developed at the University of Dayton that seeks to achieve a balance between technical, social and ethical issues throughout the design process to help ground the education of engineering students with the ideals of social and ethical responsibility as part of their profession. This grounding has been achieved through interdisciplinary projects, which teach students, through self-discovery, the relevance of social, environmental, cultural, political and ethical factors to their normal engineering functions     

Electric Power Engineering Education through Effective Laboratory Experience

A successful engineering laboratory experience requires the same pedagogic attention, and generally more time and money, than a corresponding classroom lecture. Substituting small size units and modern electronic instrumentation for large equipment and electromagnetic instruments results in a viable electric machines laboratory operation. These changes produce an efficient and rewarding mode of experimental electric power engineering education. While most of these innovative concepts relate directly to the electric machines laboratory in particular, many of these concepts might serve as guidelines for other upper level instructional laboratories.     

An evaluation of an instructional system for engineering taskestimation

As a result of prior research into the estimating and planning skills of experienced engineers, a number of observable goal-directed expert practices were identified. A computer assisted learning package was developed to teach these to less experienced, practicing engineers. The primary teaching mechanism required the learner to infer how alternative practices differed. This was reinforced both by demonstrating practices in analogous domains, and by showing learners how different practices make different assumptions about the task environment. An evaluation program was conducted with 35 participants in nine organizations, with a number of findings. Individual differences occurred in a variety of ways and proved problematic both for the design of the interface and that of the learning mechanisms. Learners' preconceptions were also problematic in some instances, but seem to be unavoidable in teaching empirical practices to experienced learners. Nonetheless the learning mechanisms worked well, except in isolated instances, particularly the use of analogies. Analogies appeared to be effective both in helping learners transfer practices between everyday tasks and engineering estimation tasks, and in helping them reflect on their current practices     

A forward-looking electronics and computer engineering technologyprogram

A successful electronics and computer engineering technology program has been offered at Arizona State University (USA) since 1973. Engineering technology programs graduate students who can readily contribute to the workforce in industry and society, The immediate contribution is achieved by imparting state-of-the-art knowledge and skills; continued success and lifelong learning are assured by a knowledge of the fundamental concepts in engineering and the physical sciences acquired in their studies. A balanced combination of courses in engineering technology, mathematics, natural sciences and general studies produces these results, Core courses provide a working knowledge in a broad category of subjects. The breadth acquired through these basic courses is complemented by a depth of optional elective courses. Graduates are trained in engineering design, are taught appropriate communication skills, and are given extensive hands-on laboratory experience, The curriculum mandates all students develop a design project from definition through final product fabrication and submit a formal project report, Both the undergraduate and graduate programs provide opportunities to do research and analysis and to develop technical skills required for a successful career. To meet the challenges imposed by the changing demands of industry, continuous refinements to keep the program current and viable have been ongoing in the curriculum since its inception     

金沙江溪洛渡水电站工程建设的技术和管理创新与实践

溪洛渡水电站是目前世界上已建成的第三大水电站,综合规模和技术难度在世界大型水电工程中名列前茅,建设过程中解决了大量技术难题并取得丰富的管理创新成果。本文采用案例研究方法,系统介绍了溪洛渡300m级高拱坝智能化建设技术、大体积混凝土和衬砌混凝土温控防裂技术、大流量高流速泄洪洞和巨型地下厂房建设技术的创新成果,深入分析了采用绿色水电建设理念和环保规划设计、施工技术创新取得的成效;提出了大型水电工程"规范、有序、协调、健康"建设管理理念、六目标九支撑项目管理体系、产学研用协同创新管理模式、工程规划设计和建设组织优化方法,以及复杂岩体工程变形协调动态分析方法。上述成果确保了溪洛渡水电站安全、优质、高效的按期建成和稳定运行,取得巨大的社会和经济效益,为类似大型水电工程建设技术和管理实践提供有益借鉴。     

The impact of the “Americans with Disabilities Act” onengineering education

In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law affecting an estimated 45 million Americans who, for different reasons and conditions, may fall under the category of persons with disabilities. The law has produced a major impact regarding the way that our society views and provides services to this segment of the population. While religious institutions, including those involved in higher education through universities, colleges, and programs are exempted from the ADA, almost all other public and private institutions must comply with the law that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and requires that special accommodations be made to integrate these individuals into the work place. Among other things, the law requires “modification of examinations, training materials, or policies, the provision of qualified readers or interpreters and other similar accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities”. The impact on engineering education is enormous with ramifications to admissions policies, curricular structure, testing, accommodations of students and faculty, and many other matters of importance. This paper presents an overview of the ADA, its impact on engineering education, some guidelines for compliance, as well as some actual cases that illustrate some of the typical instances of “reasonable accommodations” that engineering programs need to consider     

Using Team Reporting Projects to Teach Concepts of Audience and Written, Oral, and Interpersonal Communication Skills

A series of team reporting projects is used to teach concepts of audience and written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills in technical and professional communication courses at the University of Texas at Arlington. Supplemental to conventional reporting assignments, the projects range from short exercises done in a single class period to extended out-of-class projects involving both a literature review and primary research. In each, students work in small, interdisciplinary groups to solve a problem, prepare a team-written report, and deliver an oral presentation. Short exercises are graded by the instructor; the more extensive reporting projects are graded by peers and by the instructor using evaluation checklists. Students have responded favorably to the projects, and as a result of their team work have enhanced not only communication skills, but problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and management skills as well. Team projects are an effective supplement to conventional reporting assignments.     

Web-based tutoring in power engineering

This paper deals with the application of web-based technologies to power engineering education in an interactive student/mentor environment. The modern teaching/learning concepts and new technologies to support these concepts have been developed. This project incorporates web-based tools, including Internet, videoconferencing, and educational intelligent system modules for power engineering education. Different student learning styles are adapted for power engineering applications. The proposed interactive learning environment allows the mentor and students to best utilize the facilities for effective teaching and learning.     

Using spreadsheets to teach problem solving in a first year class

The problem-solving portion of a two-semester first-year electrical engineering course is described. This course makes use of personal computers and spreadsheets to improve students' problem-solving skills. The goal is to give students a better understanding of engineering concepts and not just mathematical details. In addition to describing the course contents, a brief review of the rationale that was used in selecting the hardware and software used in the course is also given     

基于实用化安全约束经济调度扩展建模策略

安全约束经济调度是提高电网运行可靠率,实现节能减排,提高调度计划精细化管理水平的有效技术手段。现有安全约束经济调度研究多集中在常见目标与约束建模以及优化算法等方面,较少考虑实际生产因素,因此计划结果执行率偏低,安全约束经济调度在实际生产中实用化困难。针对上述问题,针对计划编制的优化目标,“三公”调度、计划出力曲线形状以及基础数据区间处理等实际需求,提出了基于实用化的安全约束经济调度扩展模型。将所提的建模策略应用于多个生产实例,证明了所提模型在增强“三公”调度准确率、改善计划出力曲线形状以及提高计划结果执行率上有着较好的工程实用性。     

Continuing engineering education for employees at Hitachi Instituteof Technology

The concepts underlying education at the Hitachi Institute of Technology (HIT), the course structures, and the methods of curriculum development and evaluation are described. An example of a state-of-the-art Japanese corporation continuing engineering education is provided. HIT dedicates itself to the overall advancement of the company's engineering prowess by using the highest level of engineering education. It offers the integrated engineering development program (IED), and the specialized engineering development program (SED). The software engineering education project of the whole company is also described     

Learning through Writing in an Engineering Course

In the fall 1982 semester, engineering report writing was integrated into the structure of a junior-level electrical engineering course at Howard University. The required homework consisted of engineering reports instead of the traditional textbook problem sets. A follow-up analysis of grades on examinations, on reports, and in later courses showed that 1) student understanding of engineering subject matter was not compromised by the course structure; 2) writing skills improved over the course of the semester; and 3) the correlation of student writing skills to problem solving skills was approximately 0.5.     

New partnerships in bioengineering education and research at theNSF

The world of the 21st century will be swifter, more complex, and more connected. Solutions to tomorrow's problems will require the contributions of many disciplines and points of view. There will be tremendous challenges and opportunities for engineers-all engineers-but especially those in the field of bioengineering. Consider the problem the nation now faces with respect to the health care system. Engineers can and must be part of the solution-but to be successful in this dynamic environment, engineering graduates will need more than first-rate technical skills. They must also be able to work in teams and communicate well. Equally important, they must be able to view their work from a systems approach-across disciplines-and within the context of ethical, political, international, environmental, and economic considerations. It is time that one addresses the adequacy of engineering education to meet these demands. To educate such graduates, engineering colleges must develop and strengthen partnerships with industry, government and the broader educational community. University leaders must provide vision and support for these efforts. Likewise, industry must become more involved in the education of their current and future engineers. NSF is and will continue to do its part to encourage partnerships and foster educational experimentation and innovation at every level. In sum, partnerships are the key to ensuring U.S. engineering education is relevant, attractive and connected to its clients and stakeholders and to the nation at large     

500 kV斗山变电站技术改造工程的若干技术和管理措施思考

500 kV斗山变电站技术改造工程规模大、技术复杂、实施难度高,对于参与这项工程的变电运行管理部门而言,既是一次严峻的挑战和考验,又是一次提升安全管理、运行管理、现场管理水平和人员技能水平难得的机遇.回顾了参与此项工程的过程中,为确保工程质量、工期的同时确保斗山站的运行安全而采取的技术和管理措施,以及对一些问题的思考.