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Universal Student Computer Access — Requiring Engineering Students to Own Computers
Author(s) -
Crynes Billy L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of engineering education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.896
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 2168-9830
pISSN - 1069-4730
DOI - 10.1002/j.2168-9830.1997.tb00301.x
Subject(s) - curriculum , computer science , simple (philosophy) , engineering education , pencil (optics) , software , mathematics education , engineering management , software engineering , engineering , pedagogy , psychology , programming language , mechanical engineering , philosophy , epistemology
In 1992 only four engineering programs required student ownership of computers. Today that number is 14. However, a recent survey of United States engineering deans indicates in the next three years over 100 engineering programs may require student computer ownership in some form. Most faculty and administrators recognize that student computer ownership is simply the next step in the continuum of calculational power in engineering curricula having evolved from simple pencil and paper, then to slide rule, hand held calculators, and now computers. Everyone agrees that those who hire our graduates expect them to be fully comfortable and competent with the enhanced computational capabilities, modeling, simulation, word processing, spread sheeting, and other hardware and software tools available. However, the more exciting reason for ownership, and one that holds the greatest promise of drastically changing the teaching/learning enterprise, is that proper application of information technologies will permit us to change how students learn and to improve how faculty and student time is utilized.