Data for almost 2000 students allow us to contrast learning outcomes for courses in three different modes of delivery (completely online, mixed, and completely on campus). The analyses are based on three different factors: course level (graduate vs. undergraduate), course type (more technical computer science and engineering courses vs. less technical courses in CIS, humanities, and management)...

The objective of this paper is to convey the results of a first effort to use LEGO Mindstorms kits in an introductory course in Technical Systems Management (TSM), at the department of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Illinois. Four groups of students built Robotic Agricultural Machines using LEGO Mindstorms kits, with Robolab as the programming environment. The projects were carri...

This research was performed within a software engineering workshop. In addition to standard technical issues, this workshop was designed to enhance students' capabilities related to non-technical knowledge areas, such as critical thinking, interpersonal and team-based skills. An important objective of outlining the importance of software maintainability issues was achieved through team-based co...

For over a decade, the IS discipline has been struggling to increase student enrollment. The enrollment problem is exacerbated by the fact that females/minorities are graduating college in increasing numbers and the IS discipline has historically attracted white males. This study assesses the effectiveness of the many enrollment interventions recommended in the IS literature by reporting on how...

A long-standing issue in higher education in engineering and other technical fields has been that of recruitment and retention of female students. The arguments for this are many, and here we will restrict our interest to recruitment with the support of virtual coaches. Baylor and collaborators demonstrated (Baylor & Plant, 2005; Baylor, Rosenberg-Kima, & Plant, 2006) that the use of virtual co...

1 Jeff Matocha, Xavier University of Louisiana, Computer Sciences and Computer Engineering, 1 Drexel Drive, Box 50A, New Orleans, LA 70125-1098 [email protected] Abstract  Technical writing and use of the scientific method are two skills necessary for Computer Science students. This paper presents a set of laboratory experiments for students to perform experimental verification in the context ...

Remote Access Laboratories (RAL) are tools that provide off-campus students with video supported access to practical activities on campus. A key success factor of any online activity is the quality of the student experience. As these systems use the Internet, quality depends not only on the learning activity design but also on access speed, geographical location and network traffic. Currently o...

A description is given of the CAPTEAP system that generates English proficiency tests (EPTs) automatically. Because the work is targeted at non-native, graduate students who need to develop technical writing skills, CAPTEAP tests the student's ability to understand and produce technical writing in English, also helping him/her develop the schemata for the academic discourse. For this reason the...

Calls for engineers to communicate more effectively are ubiquitous, and engineering education literature includes numerous examples of assignments and courses that integrate writing and speaking with technical content. However, little of this literature examines in detail how engineering students develop communication skills and how those learning mechanisms influence classroom practice. To add...