This paper gives an overview of a new pre-engineering program--Robotics Technician Curriculum--that uses robots to solicit underrepresented students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The curriculum uses a project-based learning environment, which consists of part lecture and part laboratory. This program…

In this article, the underlying logic of experimentation is exemplified within the context of a photoelectrical experiment for students taking a high school engineering, technology, or chemistry class. Students assume the role of photochemists as they plan, fabricate, and experiment with a solar cell made of copper and an aqueous solution of…

A scholarship program offers enrichment, support, higher recruitment and retention, improved professional development towards employment, and increased graduate opportunities for underrepresented groups. In this paper, it is postulated that the development of a successful and competitive scholarship program is dependent on several variables…

This study was conducted under the grand scheme of nanotechnology education and was focused on examining the nanotechnology readiness of first-year engineering students. The study found that most students learned the term "nano" from popular science magazines or as a measurement unit; less than 5% of the students learned "nano" through…

This paper presents an assessment of how students perceive a typical classroom representation of center-of-mass. Participants were shown figures consisting of two filled black circles; they were told that these figures represented spheres or balls. They were then asked to indicate with a mark the point where the spheres would balance, i. e., they…

This study assesses the use of gaming to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in public education. The intent of the investigation was to identify attitudes about gaming and its use in education, as well as the need to utilize gaming as a platform to serve as an integrator of STEM subject matter. Participants included…

This paper introduces preliminary results that include both graduate mentor ratings and faculty mentor ratings of undergraduate students' self-reported assessments of their research experiences. In addition, researchers examined how these ratings differed under four circumstances: (1) the quality of the mentoring relationship, (2) the amount of…

This study examines archival data from a federally-funded mathematics and science program (NSF-MSP) where partnerships in the program provided pre-service and in-service education for mathematics and science teachers. Of particular interest in the present study was the breadth of participation by IHE Science, Technology, Engineering, and…

This paper describes a graduate level engineering education course, "Leadership, Policy, and Change in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education." Offered for the first time in 2007, the course integrated the perspectives of three instructors representing disciplines of engineering, education, and engineering education.…

As in other educational programs, scholarship programs offer mentoring to the recipients. In order to cultivate the maximum benefit, each recipient needs to be guided and appropriately advised, first to achieve the goals of the program and secondly, to benefit themselves from the scholarship. The purpose of the article is to investigate this…

University student internships can be an important pre-professional experience for the student and be an immense benefit to an employer. Because of the findings of a 6-Sigma project to reduce engineering errors, a design configurator was to be rebuilt to include updated design information and expanded product coverage. Lacking available full time…

In almost all the civil engineering programs in the United States, a student is required to take at least one design course in either steel or reinforced concrete. One of the topics covered in an introductory steel design course is the design of connections. Steel connections play important roles in the integrity of a structure, and many…