The ‘Design Procedure’ as a Means of Storing Engineering Knowledge

The author observes that, apart from work done in the area of some expert systems, there has been little discussion of the problems of storing the knowledge used by engineering designers. It is often assumed that this comprises only a knowledge of engineering science in conjunction with a certain inner ‘feel’ for materials and system behaviour. The author argues that the knowledge of how to design is different from these and merits a separate identity, with its own epistemology and philosophy. The idea of the ‘design procedure’ is introduced as the means by which certain engineering design knowledge and skill can be stored, communicated, learned, researched, and given its own history independent of engineering science.     

Effectiveness Ratings of Counselors without Teaching Experience

Counselors without teaching experience were compared with counselors from the same graduate counselor education program with teaching experience and with other first-year counselors raters had known. Ratings were made in school employment settings by supervisors, principals, and associates of the rated counselors by indicating their relative effectiveness on each of five dimensions. On the first three, counselors without teaching experience were rated as effective or more so than other first-year counselors the raters had known. On the fifth—overall performance—two-thirds of the nonteaching counselors were rated as more effective. It was concluded that teaching experience does not seem to be necessary for the preparation of competent school counselors. It is recommended that biases and requirements against the employment of counselors without teaching experience be eliminated.     

A Problem-based Learning Approach to Civil Engineering Drawing

Civil engineering drawing courses need to relate to the students expectations, and discipline and maintain their interest. The main objectives of the drawing course in the Department of Civil Engineering at Monash University are: to teach students the main drawing techniques; to enable students to read and transmit the details on these drawings into understandable information and instructions; to develop the visualization skills of students; and to teach them to present their ideas using drawings. These aims are not uncommon, the main innovation in teaching this material was the introduction of a problem-based learning approach in the progressive assessment. A problem was set and the students asked to solve it progressively. The course was built around a particular civil engineering structure; a house. This allowed many of the students to relate the drawing to their experience and expectations. The house was used as a basis for the development of ideas and the presentation of these ideas using a large number of drawing types. Students' reaction to the course was positive. Statements like “This course is real engineering” were common. Areas for further improvement in the approach are highlighted.     

Prediction of Human Relations Training Outcome by Traditional and Nontraditional Selection Indices

A variety of traditional and nontraditional selection indices were used to predict the outcome of a graduate-level course in counseling which was specifically designed to improve the students' human relations skills. Multiple correlations of .75 to .80 were found between a measure of training outcome and various combinations of predictors. A series of multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the traditional selection indices (GPA, GRE-Verbal, GRE-Quantitative, Miller Analogies Test) accounted for a very minor amount of the variance in ratings of the final taped interview. In contrast, a newly developed selection measure (trainability index) accounted for almost all of the predictable variance. The need for a new and more efficient predictive model for graduate-level counselor training is discussed.     

THE PASS-FAIL GRADING OPTION AT A STATE UNIVERSITY: A FIVE SEMESTER EVALUATION1

To evaluate the pass-fail grading option, course and grade data were generated each semester. Faculty and student attitudinal data were obtained once. Because pass-fail students were not identified to instructors, all students were given traditional A-E grades. During administrative data processing, the A-E grades of pass-fail students were converted to pass or fail. In comparison with traditionally graded students in the same classes, pass-fail students received lower grades on the average. The pass-fail option proved to be popular. Students favored the pass-fail option, although their reasons for electing the option were not necessarily in accord with the official rationale, to foster exploration. Perhaps because they perceived students as abusing the option, the small faculty sample had somewhat negative attitudes toward the pass-fail system.     

Recent University-Industry Initiatives in the United Kingdom

A number of new initiatives have been taken recently in the UK to not only bring the universities and industry closer together but to allow genuine collaboration. These range from industry-based research programmes to university groups entering the industrial world for themselves

This paper outlines these various programmes and then describes the experience at Cambridge with a research programme and a teaching programme which linked directly with manufacturing industry.     

ITEM-RACE INTERACTION ON A TEST OF SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE1

Several samples of black and white students were drawn from the 1970 PSAT administration in Georgia and studied for item x race interaction on both the verbal and mathematical sections of the test. When subsamples of candidates were drawn from their respective racial groups, matched on mathematical for the study of verbal items and matched on verbal for the study of mathematical items, there was an observable decrease in the size of the item x race interaction, suggesting that one factor contributing to that interaction was simply the difference in performance levels on the test shown by the two races. Further analyses demonstrated a moderate item x group interaction for blacks native to different cities and a moderate item x group interaction for blacks native to areas of different population density.     

BOOK REVIEWS

T HE C LEAVAGE IN O UR C ULTURE : S TUDIES IN S CIENTIFIC H UMANISM IN H ONOR OF M AX O TTO . Edited by Frederick Burkhardt.
A L AYMAN'S G UIDE TO E DUCATIONAL T HEORY . By Richard S. Romanoczy and Charles W. Coulter.     

Toward Accountability in Supervision: A Single-Case Illustration

This article illustrates the potential of a single-case research design as a method for demonstrating supervisor accountability. A supervisor in training employed a multiple baseline design to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief supervisory intervention. The targeted counselor behaviors were a decrease in the use of questions and an increase in reflections of feelings. The intervention consisted of counselor self-monitoring and supervisor reinforcement. The data showed marked decreases in counselor questioning, accompanied by increases in reflections of feeling. Concomitant changes in client behavior included more active participation in the session and more frequent discussion of feelings. The decrease in counselor questions was stable over a follow-up period. The process and decisions involved in using a single-case design to evaluate supervisor effectiveness are discussed.     

ACES' Members Attitudes toward Women and Work

A 50-item questionnaire designed to assess information on attitudes about women and work was mailed to a sample of ACES members. Responses from 128 males and 64 females were analyzed. On the basis of an earlier survey of school counselors, it was expected that females would be better informed and express more positive attitudes than males. It was also expected that younger members would express more positive attitudes than older ones. It was found that, in general, ACES members are well informed and express positive attitudes. However, substantial numbers of members made incorrect or unfavorable responses to at least 25 percent of the items. Such responses appeared as likely to occur for either sex and irrespective of age, but men appeared to be misinformed about more fundamental matters than women.