Search

Higher education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has been in a turbulent period for several decades. Pressures for reform include declining STEM student enrollments, high attrition rates from STEM curricula, and the rise of powerful alternative teaching strategies shown by cognitive science and educational research to promote learning and curricular retention better than traditional teaching methods do. In addition, research has shown that online and face-to-face courses on average produce comparable learning outcomes, and hybrid courses that combine the best features of both are more effective than either face-to-face or online courses by themselves. Motivated by these and other pressures, many faculty members have adopted the new teaching methods, and distance education had become widespread well before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced most educators at all levels to teach online. As might be expected, however, many faculty members and administrators have resisted change, arguing that the traditional approach has always worked well and needs no major revision. Before the pandemic, most STEM courses were still being taught using the traditional methods, and many course instructors are eager to return to them. These different responses to calls for education reform have led to heated debates among university instructors and administrators regarding how STEM curricula and courses should be designed, delivered, and assessed, and the role technology should play in all three functions. This essay outlines two competing paradigms on each of these issues--the traditional paradigm, which has long dominated STEM education, and the emerging paradigm, which has become increasingly common in the last 30 years but is still not predominant at most universities and colleges. The essay concludes with speculation about the eventual outcome of the competition.

A new chemical engineering faculty member can get a significant career head start by team-teaching the material and energy balance course with a mentor--an excellent instructor who has taught that course many times. The experience gives the mentee modeling and guided practice in research-validated teaching practices, and substantially reduces the burden in time and effort of his or her first new course preparation. This paper summarizes benefits and costs of this mentoring model and offers recommendations for making its implementation effective.

This two-part series describes the structure of the stoichiometry course at North Carolina State University. The course had a variety of learning objectives, and several nontraditional pedagogies were used in the course delivery. The first paper outlined the course structure and policies, the preparation given to the teaching assistants who played an integral part in the course delivery, and the course assignments. This paper summarizes the methods used in the course instruction and assessment. (For Part 1, see EJ829445.) (Contains 1 table.)

This two-part series describes the structure of the stoichiometry course at North Carolina State University. The course had a variety of learning objectives, and several nontraditional pedagogies were used in the course delivery. This first paper outlines the course structure and policies, the preparation given to the teaching assistants who played an integral part in the course delivery, and the course assignments. The next one describes the methods used for classroom instruction and assessment. (For Part 2, see EJ829453.)

An experienced faculty member and a relatively new one describe a semester spent in a mentoring partnership in which each taught a section of the same course. They reflect on the lessons the experience might hold for other mentor-mentee pairs. (SLD)

Summarizes ideas gathered from classroom experiences and from colleagues encountered in cooperative learning workshops and presents them as answers to questions from workshop participants who have been exposed to the basic principles and methods of cooperative learning. Information for college instructors covers forming teams, dealing with dysfunctional teams, grading, distance learning, and avoiding discouragement. (EV)

After 30 years of failing to live up to the promises of its proponents, instructional technology has finally started to play an effective role in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education. Asserts that students in courses delivered entirely with technology have begun to outperform students in traditional lecture-based courses, a trend that will most likely accelerate with time. (Author/MM)

Describes a faculty development program designed specifically for engineering faculty and implemented on an eight-campus coalition of engineering schools. Reports that, in the five years of the program's existence, a large percentage of the faculty has participated and adopted proven but nontraditional teaching practices. Offers suggestions to faculty developers, such as keeping programs practical and emphasizing disciplinary relevance. (Contains 13 references.) (AUTH/EMH)

Explains the status of undergraduate instruction at research institutions in the past half century and discusses effective teaching strategies and methods. Lists components to create a positive teaching climate for instructors. (Contains 28 references.) (YDS)

Questions teaching effectiveness in higher education and focuses on five points for the appraisal of teaching effectiveness: (1) educational goals; (2) performance criteria; (3) assessment process; (4) evaluation process; and (5) educational scholarship. Explains how to evaluate teaching effectiveness. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Describes the changes in teaching methods in engineering classrooms over the last 60 years and implementations by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in curriculum not only of mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals, but also communication and lifelong learning skills. Lists ABET Engineering Criteria required skills. (Contains 52 references.) (YDS)

Discusses the quality of instruction for communication skills and creative thinking skills in engineering education and the difficulties caused by the single-subject approach in different engineering majors. Provides alternative solutions to the problem such as irrelevant teaching methods, difficulties in implementing technology in classrooms, and the use of theoretical-based literature in engineering education. (Contains 79 references.) (YDS)

Discusses the importance of the first few days of a new college course, and offers teachers suggestions for getting off to a good start, including pre-class preparation, establishing and meeting expectations, establishing student-professor and student-student communication mechanisms, and motivating interest in the course material. (MSE)

Describes a sequence of five experimental courses in chemical engineering that are designed to meet the needs of students with various learning styles. The courses use a variety of teaching methods and are designed to develop and enhance creative problem-solving. (DDR)

Common faculty concerns about implementing student-centered learning are discussed, and useful techniques for addressing them are offered. Issues include budgeting in-class activity time, losing control of the class, uncompleted assignments, student understanding of open-ended problems, student dislike or abuse of group work, and helping at-risk students become involved. (MSE)

Discusses dimensions of a learning style model and proposes instructional methods that should reach students who span the spectrum of learning styles. (PR)

This article discusses college-level writing assignments designed to stimulate students to (1) explore initial student attitudes, (2) activate prior knowledge, (3) increase subject relevance, (4) clarify and organize course material, (5) connect new and previously known material, (6) improve critical thinking skills, and (7) develop and strengthen creativity. (MSE)

Describes the successful aspects of a three-day workshop on teaching effectiveness for engineering professors. Discusses participants' comments and suggestions about administrative support, communication of fresh insights and perspectives, establishment of a participatory structure, and teaching/learning mismatches. (JJK)

A teamwork survey was conducted at Oakland University, Rochester, MI, in 533 engineering and computer science courses over a two-year period. Of the 6435 student respondents, 4349 (68%) reported working in teams. Relative to the students who only worked individually, the students who worked in teams were significantly more likely to agree that the course had achieved its stated learning objectives (p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that roughly one-quarter of the variance in belief about whether the objectives were met could be explained by four factors: 1) student satisfaction with the team experience; 2) the presence of instructor guidance related to teamwork; 3) the presence of slackers on teams; and 4) team size. Pearson product-moment correlations revealed statistically significant associations between agreement that the course objectives had been fulfilled and the use of student teams and between satisfaction with teams and the occurrence of instructor guidance on teamwork skills. These and other results suggest that assigning work to student teams can lead to learning benefits and student satisfaction, provided that the instructor pays attention to how the teams and the assignments are set up. Index Terms--Correlation, evaluation, instructor, satisfaction, student, team, teamwork.

A group of 123 chemistry students completed five courses in chemical engineering, which incorporated active, inductive and cooperative learning techniques, with marked success and increased student enthusiasm. Among the benefits noticed with this approach was a greater number of As and Bs, better retention, a community developing between students and higher number of students going to graduate school. Other chemistry courses could adopt modified versions of the provided course design while maintaining the basic elements to improve chemical education.

An unstructured mechanical model explains substrate utilization, bacterial growth and lactic acid generation by Lactobacillus plantarum in cucumber juice. Lactic acid formation depends on NaCl concentrations and an equation linking specific death rate of bacterial cells and NaCl levels is derived. Mathematical simulations estimate the effects of changes in proton concentration death rate and buffer capacity of cucumber juice on fermentation.

Science educators must adopt unconventional teaching methods to prevent college students who initially intended to major in science from shifting to nonscientific fields. In general, science teachers employ the traditional teaching technique which favors reflective learners. Thus, active learners often find it hard to catch up with the lessons. Teachers must make sure that their lectures are appropriate to both types of learners. They can do this by using visual aids in explaining abstract concepts, providing lessons that would enable students to visualize, pointing out the practical application of concepts and encouraging groupwork.

The author argues that intelligence testing is an invaluable and irreplaceable tool for identifying gifted children and obtaining a measure of the urgency of their special educational needs. He also offers ideas for how parents of exceptionally gifted children can create an environment in which their children's gifts can flourish. (Author/CL)

Chemical engineering students were required to create an open-book final examination and to include questions reflecting analytical, synthetic (creative), and evaluative skills. Rationale for the assignment, sample student responses, and how the technique might be profitably adapted to any course on any subject are discussed. (JN)

Discusses eight steps to modify the way engineering schools operate. They include hiring some experienced engineers as faculty, incorporating peer and student review of teaching performance in faculty evaluations, reversing the tendency to make curricula increasingly narrow and specialized, and adopting a systems approach to engineering education. (JN)

An experimental interdisciplinary freshman course taught at North Carolina State University was intended to introduce principles of general systems theory; to provide examples through lectures and readings of applications of these principles in a wide variety of fields; and to introduce and provide practice in critical questioning and evaluation. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the incompatibility of learning and teaching styles in engineering education which results in society's potential loss of excellent engineers. Provides teaching techniques to accommodate learning styles. (RT)

Suggests methods for achieving creativity, including divergent and convergent thinking, in engineering education. Discusses creativity exercises, creating an atmosphere hospitable to creativity, and identifying the creatively gifted. (YP)

Offers perspectives and specific ways of developing and nurturing critical and creative problem-solving skills with engineering students. Provides examples of exercises and approaches that aim in stimulating creativity and in providing understanding of course material. (ML)

Provides an introduction to the chemical engineering department at North Carolina State University. (BB)