The National Science Foundation (NSF) is providing funds for coalitions of engineering educational institutions to improve the quality of undergraduate engineering education. A hypothesis that is being tested is that people can learn better in environments that allow self-paced and/or collaborative learning. The main tools for providing this environment are incorporated in what will be known as the National Engineering Education Delivery System (NEEDS). The NEEDS concept includes a fully networked distributed multimedia database for storing, searching, and retrieving this information, electronic classrooms for learning and teaching with the information, and authoring studios where the information is massaged into modules for instruction. These tools are initially being developed for use by students and instructors in engineering education. They will eventually be used by instructors and students at the opposite ends of the education spectrum, K-12 and continuing education. These multimedia modules will consist of the full range of graphical materials (interactive software modules, video segments, pictures and graphics, outlines and text). The recent federal commitment to the National Research and Education Network (NREN) will provide the networked electronic infrastructure on which to build NEEDS and help accomplish a major node in the vision of a Digital Library System. This report focuses on the activities of the Synthesis Coalition, one of four coalitions of universities involved in different aspects of the overall project. (BBM)