UW-Madison Engineering
Class Studies Functionality of Palm Pilot for Student Users
by Jennifer
Smith, TTT Editor
As part of an arrangement between Palm, Inc., and the UW System, several UW faculty members around the state incorporated Palm Pilots into their spring classes to gauge their educational usefulness. One such project involved Dr. Leah Newman's industrial engineering seminar at UW-Madison, "New Technology and Human Factors." Newman's students gathered reponses from a focus group of fellow students about their use of the Palm IIIx and thoughts about its design and functionality. Read a summary of their findings here, and don't miss the related story below on the use of the Palm in a chemistry laboratory. (May 2001)
Master of Engineering in
Professional Practice Reaches Working Engineers at a Distance
by Jennifer Smith, TTT Editor
Working engineers who are seeking a graduate degree to benefit their professional development have a new option to choose from. The Master of Engineering in Professional Practice (MEPP) program at UW-Madison gives students a chance to earn a master's in two years of focused coursework. Strong student support is one of MEPP's hallmarks. Students progress through the program as a cohort, and a full-time counselor is available to assist students with a range of issues. Faculty seasoned in distance ed and professionally accomplished students round out the program. (Jan. 2001)
Support
for Distance Learning Programs: Is Technology Really Enough?
by Karen Al-Ashkar, M.A., Counselor,
Master of Engineering in Professional Practice Program, UW-Madison
Learn more about the student-support aspect of the MEPP program featured above. TTT directs readers to the American Society of Engineering Education's site to read MEPP counselor Al-Ashkar's paper. Related to her current dissertation research, Al-Ashkar's paper won an award at the ASEE's 2000 annual conference. (After following the link above, scroll down to "Best PIC-V Paper.") (Jan. 2001)