(All abstracts are taken from JEE.)

Over the past five years, many faculty members from Gateway institutions have contributed papers to the Journal of Engineering Education. Addressing such issues as paradigm shifts in engineering education, Drexel�s E⁴ program, collaboration in the engineering classroom, and integrating engineering subject matter with other disciplines, these papers indicate Gateway authors� diverse interests and dedication to the advancement of engineering education.

Bordogna, J., E. Fromm, and E. Ernst, "Engineering Education: Innovation through Integration," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 82:1, 1993, pp. 3-8.

The several reports and papers of the past decade suggesting paradigm shifts in engineering education are shown to reveal a common theme, to wit: engineering is an integrative process, and thus engineering education, particularly at the baccalaureate level, should be designed toward that end.

Suggesting a change in intellectual culture, the roots of contemporary collegiate education in the United States are traced to their origin, and attention is given to discussing the current emphasis on reductionism vis-a-vis integration or, said another way, a course-focused education compared to a more holistic approach in which process and knowledge are woven throughout the curriculum.

A new construct for systemic change in baccalaureate engineering education is suggested in terms of a taxonomy of intellectual components connected holistically with a core focus on developing human potential, as opposed to the present system in which students are passed serially through course filters.

Quinn, R., "Drexel�s E⁴ Program: A Different Professional Experience for Engineering Students and Faculty," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 82:4, 1993, pp. 196-202.

In 1988, Drexel began a project which involves a comprehensive restructuring of the lower division engineering curriculum. The program provides an early introduction to the central body of knowledge forming the fabric of engineering: the unifying, rather than parochial, aspects of engineering; experimental methods; the computer as a flexible, powerful professional and intellectual tool; the importance of personal communication skills; and the imperative for continuous, vigorous, life-long learning. The subject matter is organized in four major components replacing and/or integrating material in thirty-seven existing courses in the traditional curriculum. The theme of all activities is a central focus on the students as emerging professional engineers and the faculty as their mentors from the very beginning of their education.

To date, 500 students and 50 faculty have participated in the project. Preliminary results of evaluations are encouraging. Retention rates and achievement levels are high. Performance tests indicate that most students develop excellent levels of computer and laboratory skills. Their written and oral presentations demonstrate achievement of superior levels of communication skills. Personal interviews and evaluations indicate that student response is quite positive, and they place a high value on faculty participation in a team effort. Both faculty and students indicate that this different experience has given them an insight into the importance and scope of the engineering profession and a sense that its practice can be exciting, rewarding and enjoyable.

Quinn, R., "The E⁴ Introductory Engineering Test, Design and Simulation Laboratory," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 82:4, 1993, pp. 223-226.

At a time when we can least afford it, mastery of experimentation among practicing engineers is fast becoming a lost art. Within the undergraduate engineering curriculum, there has been a continuous decrease in emphasis in the study and practice of experimentation over the past several decades. The Introductory Engineering Test, Design and Simulation Laboratory is an important and unique component of the "Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers"�Drexel�s E⁴ program�which attempts to reverse this trend in a substantial way. It is based on three premises: that experimentation is a critical and distinguishing element of the profession, that experimental skills require time to develop, and that entering students are interested in laboratory work. Thus it provides early, continuous and significant laboratory experiences for all students regardless of major throughout the freshman and sophomore years. The program and facilities are based on a perspective which recognizes the rich diversity of engineering experimentation yet emphasizes its common elements. The laboratory facilities and program can be incorporated in most lower-division programs, creating the potential for significant improvements in the upper division. The results of our experience since 1989 indicate that the laboratory provides a rich learning environment in which most students achieve or exceed the educational and performance objectives. Equally important, student response is enthusiastic, and they have found the laboratory to be a place for them to have a lot of fun becoming engineers!

Arms, V., "Personal and Professional Enrichment: Humanities in the Engineering Curriculum," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 83:2, 1994, pp. 141-146.

The Drexel E⁴ approach to engineering education has evolved from emphases on teamwork and course integration to include an emphasis on faculty development through the Personal and Professional Enrichment component. One of the four components of the curriculum described elsewhere, the Personal and Professional Enrichment Program encompasses a short orientation course and the year-long Humanities sequence. The orientation course, taught by all the team members, provides a forum for faculty as well as students to discuss personal and educational goals. It also provides faculty with a social arena which has become important in developing and maintaining the strong sense of community the team shares. The faculty have profited from talking about themselves as individuals, as much as the students, who have discovered professionals as role models�concerned citizens, parents, and lifelong learners. Students are introduced to engineering as a profession that requires not only technological skills but also an awareness of ethics, of the need for lifelong learning, and of the importance of Humanities. It is important to note that the technical faculty teach the introductory course and thus themselves attest to the value of humanistic concerns throughout the entire program. Continuing the integration of goals as well as subjects, the Humanities curriculum includes the traditional sequence in reading, writing, and research skills with an emphasis on technical writing, visuals and oral presentation skills. Meritorious texts are chosen to highlight humanistic concerns about the impact of technology so that students recognize the engineers� obligation to the world we all share. By enhancing communication skills, developing an awareness of audience and expanding their imagination, students gain confidence in expressing creative and responsible attempts at solving engineering problems.

Quinn, R., "The Fundamentals of Engineering: The Art of Engineering," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 83:2, 1994, pp. 120-123.

This sequence of courses is a major component of Drexel�s E⁴ experimental program which spans the freshman and sophomore years. It is based on the premise that there exists a central body of knowledge, methods and attitudes which constitute the "Art" of Engineering. Further, exposing students to this art at the very beginning of their education is an excellent way to introduce them to the profession. The subject matter emphasizes design as the critical professional essence, interdisciplinary and common fundamentals, the pivotal roles of the computer and experimentation, and the imperative for superior communications skills. The methodology is experiential, consisting of several practicums, experiments and projects. The achievement and growth of participating students have been impressive. Evaluations indicate that the program also generates considerable interest and enthusiasm among the students and a sense of pride in their accomplishments. It appears that most students begin to understand what it means to be an engineer, and many begin to enjoy the practice of the profession.

Larson, D., C. Weinberger, A. Lawley, D. Thomas, and T. Moore, "Fundamentals of Engineering," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 83:4, 1994, pp. 325-330.

Three new Fundamentals of Engineering courses, entitled Energy, Materials, and Systems, are presented in the sophomore year of the Drexel University E⁴ program. The first focuses on the concept, manifestations, uses, conservation, storage, transformation, and transfer of energy. The second focuses on materials to establish, interpret and utilize the relationships that exist between processing/synthesis, microstructure, properties, and performance�for metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. The third focuses on systems, capitalizing on the up-front-engineering theme of the E⁴ curriculum and the extensive use of computer methods to equip students with concepts and methods of analysis which are common to all branches of engineering. All courses integrate mathematics, science, and engineering as central themes. The subject matter builds upon the freshman courses to prepare a common strong foundation in the fundamentals of engineering for all students regardless of major. Faculty from science and engineering collaborate in preparing and presenting these courses. This interdisciplinary communication, frequently lacking in the traditional program, is an important feature of the E⁴ program. Student performance in these and upper-division courses indicates that the educational objectives are being achieved. Surveys of student opinions show a high degree of interest in the subject matter and satisfaction with the methodologies adopted.

Carr, R., D.H. Thomas, T.S. Venkataraman, A. Smith, M. Gealt, R. Quinn, and M. Tanyel, "Mathematical and Scientific Foundations for an Integrative Engineering Curriculum," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 84:2, 1995, pp. 137-150.

All fields of engineering, whether chemical, civil, electrical, materials, mechanical, etc., encompass a common body of essential mathematics and science. In the freshman year of Drexel�s E⁴ program, this common mathematical and scientific foundation is cultivated in the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Engineering I, II, and III (MSFE I, MSFE II, MSFE III). In an integrated fashion, MSFE I presents the essential calculus, physics and engineering mechanics vital to the freshman engineering student. In the first two quarters, MSFE II presents chemistry with clearly defined engineering applications and significance; in the third quarter, MSFE II presents living systems with the same thrust. Also in the third quarter, MSFE III presents basic circuits and circuit elements and a brief introduction to electromagnetic theory.

Byrd, J., and J. Hudgins, "Teaming in the Design Laboratory," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 84:4, 1995, pp. 335-341.

A sequence of senior design courses for electrical and computer engineering emphasizing the team concept is described. These courses build on the technical information and concepts developed in lower-level required courses and add reality to the design process by using engineering teams. Each team in the class uses the same design specifications based on the IEEE Region 3 Student Hardware Design Contest. A discussion of grouping, managing, reporting, and evaluating teams for five successful semesters of this design experience is presented. Benefits of team-structured design courses are presented and discussed.

Fentiman, A., and J. Demel, "Teaching Students to Document a Design Project and Present the Results," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 84:4, 1995, pp. 329-333.

Knowing and being able to apply the design process are important to the practicing engineer. Being able to thoroughly document the design process and present the results effectively are skills that employers and clients expect engineers to possess. Students have an opportunity to learn and practice the design process throughout their engineering studies. While they are often asked to document their design projects and present the results, they rarely receive instruction on how to do so effectively. At The Ohio State University, in courses developed as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Gateway Engineering Education Coalition, students are taught to document their design projects and present the results in a professional manner. They produce a variety of documents including laboratory notebooks, a design schedule, progress reports, and a final report. In addition, they make an oral presentation on the project. Instruction on producing a particular document is provided when students are ready to begin work on that document. This paper outlines the instruction on documentation provided at each stage of the design process and discusses evaluation of the documents prepared by the students.

Millan, H.L., "Poetry in Engineering Education," Journal of Engineering Education, vol 85:2, 1996, pp. 157-161.

An important element of integrating disciplines and enhancing creativity in Drexel University�s engineering curriculum is an assignment which combines poetry and engineering. For this assignment, students choose an artifact, research it, create a one-page annotated visual explaining how it works, and then write an original poem about it. Although the poetry instruction, based on a transactional model, takes place in the Humanities classroom, student poems become a component of a concurrent engineering assignment and are read aloud in an engineering lecture, attended by humanities faculty, designated as the "Poetry Reading." Short in length and having a distinct design on the page, poetry is a particularly suitable literary medium for engineering students to explore. Students relinquish stereotypes about engineers when they see their engineering professor endorse poetry. They also begin to broaden their educational and professional goals.