Conference Session

Curriculum Reform with Cooperative Education

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bryan Dansberry, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

fundamental research experience. Documentationrequirements beyond those typically used in co-op will be discussed including, tracking ofauthorship and presentation opportunities during co-op as well as written and oral presentationrequirements of the students following co-op experiences. Finally, methods of marketing thisprogram to attract talented HS students into engineering majors and ultimately research careers,will be discussed. Page 12.79.2

Conference Session

MentorNet

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mary Jo Wellenstein, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Sandra Courter, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Susannah Sandrin, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Karen Showers, Wisconsin Technical College System; Leslie Wilkins, Maui Economic Development Board; Jennifer Chou-Green, MentorNet; Carol Muller, MentorNet; Laurie Mayberry, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Ann Bloor, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Isla Yap, Maui Economic Development Board

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

importantengagement strategy to encourage women and girls to pursue STEM education and careers, otherstates can benefit from the story of the Wisconsin and Hawaii collaboration.Hawaii’s Maui Economic Development Board and Wisconsin’s Milwaukee School ofEngineering have partnered under a Women in Technology grant from the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. This grant is toencourage women and girls in rural areas to pursue STEM education and careers.Because students at the Hawaii and Wisconsin partner campuses were enthusiastic about theirMentorNet experience, the Women in Technology grant funded a two-year contract to waivemembership fees for MentorNet for all four-year and two-year University of

Conference Session

Perspectives for Women Faculty

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University; Mara Wasburn, Purdue University; Valarie young, Ohio University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

1980s, Hall and Sandler3 observed that the source of women’s relative lack ofrepresentation in high-level academic and faculty positions on college campuses, was rooted intheir higher education experience. They coined the now-famous term "chilly classroom climate"to refer to the effects that male-dominated university campuses have on undergraduate women.They argued that male professors' use of sexist humor, belittling albeit bantering commentsabout women's intellectual abilities, and their use of "he" to refer to scholars in their fields canconsiderably dampen women's career aspirations. Almost twenty years later, Martin4 assertedthat the campus climate remained chilly, resulting in “an under-representation of women in thehighest ranks of the

Conference Session

Perceptions of Women's Success in STEM

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maria Brunette, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; paula rayman, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; meg bond, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Lu Yuan, University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

expectations, which limit women’s scientific careers; d. Discrimination, which has compromised the opportunities and needs for scientist women due to the issues related gender, race, ethnicity, etc.; e. Work family balance, which has forced scientist women to balance between work and family; f. Practices and policies, which drive the changes for women in the STEM fields; g. Job design, detailing the job content, supervisor and co-worker support, and women’s roles, etc.; h. Organizational factors, which include different kinds of organizational issues surrounding scientist women’s development; i. Quality of working life, describing job satisfaction; j. Evaluation

Conference Session

Learning Needs and Educational Success

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wei Lin, North Dakota State University; G. Padmanabhan, North Dakota State University; Robert Pieri, North Dakota State University; Floyd Patterson, North Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Society of Engineering Education conferences. Dr. Padmanabhan is a member of ASEE. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.Robert Pieri, North Dakota State University Dr. Robert Pieri is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in North Dakota State University. He served as the Chair of the department from 1996 through 2002. Prior to coming to NDSU, ten years of his teaching career were spent as an instructor/professor at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Dr. Pieri has a ten-year involvement with the American Society for Engineering Education and has served as a co-chair for ASEE’s new Engineering Educator Division. Dr. Pieri has worked with the tribal college

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Outreach Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Schwartz, Cornell University; Catherine Norton, Cornell University; Sue Schwartz, The Learning Web

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2007-2032: OUTREACH WITH GAME DESIGN EDUCATIONDavid Schwartz, Cornell University After finishing his dissertation in Civil Engineering and writing two textbooks as a graduate student in 1999, Cornell's Computer Science department made an offer David I. Schwartz couldn't refuse. Schwartz has made a career in researching and developing new curricula and educational technology. Over the past five years, he has collaborated with faculty and staff to build the Cornell Library Collaborative Learning Computer Laboratory (CL3) and the Game Design Initiative at Cornell (GDIAC; http://gdiac.cis.cornell.edu). CL3 currently hosts Cornell's new game courses, which now belong to a new

Conference Session

Engineering in High Schools

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sibel Uysal, Arizona State University; Sharon Kurpius-Robinson, Arizona State University; Dale Baker, Arizona State University; Stephen Krause, Arizona State University; Chell Roberts, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

students and such an educational programwould support an informed citizenry, meet the needs of an expanding, yet highly specializedworkforce, and lead to responsible innovations for the world we live in. Engineering education Page 12.902.2should be an integral part of the overall educational program offered to students in K-12 for avariety of reasons. First, technology is changing rapidly and this requires that students becomemore knowledgeable about it. Second, there is a need for a significant increase in the number ofstudents pursuing engineering degrees as a career path. The latest research demonstrates thatengineering education, if started in

Conference Session

Potpourri Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jessica Buck, Jackson State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

Educational institutions are increasing their efforts to integrate females into non-traditional technical programs. Adjustments, such as curriculum and recruitment andretentions efforts, are being made to ensure that females feel welcome and a part of theprogram’s standard regimen. Industrial Technology stands at the vanguard of successfulparadigms that prepare females in such non-traditional areas as managerial and technicaldegree programs. Marshall (2000)26 contended that the common goals of IndustrialTechnology programs are to increase enrollments and to offer a curriculum designed toprepare students for management and technical careers. O’Meara & Carmichael (2004)34added that emphasis should be placed on both recruitment and retention efforts

Conference Session

Best Practices for Campus Representatives

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig Gunn, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Campus Representatives

see no reason NOT to join ASEE unless you are: a) not interested in professional development, intellectual discourse, or career advancement, or you are b) professionally comatose.Faculty members can provide endless support in the campus representative’s efforts toincrease membership. One should never feel alone in the process. But one does have toface obstacles that may take much more effort than expected. One would assume thateveryone should feel that an educational society would have people breaking down thedoors of the organization to become members. As I alluded to earlier, this is not alwaysthe case. It is a reality all campus representatives must face an obstacle that occurs in theold saying

Conference Session

The Impact of Curriculum on the Retention of Women Students

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Keathly, University of North Texas; Robert Akl, University of North Texas; Ryan Garlick, University of North Texas

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

reviews? • What impact did the camp activities have on the performance of the participants as they return to their secondary school, form both the student and parent perspectives? • What impact did the camp activities have on the higher education and career plans of the participants? • What were the demographic characteristics of students enrolled in each type of activity and how do they compare with demographic characteristics of students in the department as a whole?Specific Evaluation ResultsGeneral TrendsOverall these programs coincided with a rise in our new student and continuing studentpopulations as compared from Fall 2004 thru Fall 2006, as indicated in Table 1, as well as aconcurrent rise in the

Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Sicker, University of Colorado at Boulder; Tom Lookabaugh, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

inclusion of such policy issues be part of a standalone course or integratedinto existing courses? 3) Who should teach this material? 4) Could such knowledge help astudent advance in their career? and 5) Would you favor hiring students with educationalbackground in public policy? In this paper, we report on the findings of this survey. Of note, wefound statistically significant differences based on the engineering discipline and on the job titleof the survey participant.1. IntroductionAs part of the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program (ITP) curriculum (a master’sdegree program in the Engineering College at the University of Colorado at Boulder), studentshave been required to take course work that includes public policy material and attend

Conference Session

K-12 Engineering Outreach Programs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leo McAfee, University of Michigan; Andrew Kim, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

. An explicit initiative of eachsummer program is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who aremotivated and prepared to choose careers in science, math, and engineering; Table 2 data bearout the results of this initiative to ensure generous participation of underrepresented minoritiesand females. Financial assistance has been provided for students as needed.Table 2 contains some demographic information about the summer programs for each of theseven summers. Total counts are provided, along with female and minority sub-counts. Thefemale and minority counts (percentages) are especially appealing. Table 2 --- Demographics of WIMS Pre-College Summer ProgramsYear Number Total

Conference Session

MIND - Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibironke Lawal, Virginia Commonwealth University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

policy that might address the gaps.Until recently, the inequality has been explained as being consistent with the natural differencesbetween the sexes. One school of thought believes that women’s innate capability limits them tothose disciplines or careers seen to be more attuned to female characteristics. The other school ofthought believes that there is no difference between female and male intellectual capability andwomen can be as successful in the hard sciences as men. The difference, they say, only exists inindividuals and not tied to sex. The history of the general belief that engineering is not forwomen could be traced back to the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. After theSecond World War, enrollment in science and

Conference Session

Cooperative Education Addresses ABET

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jess Godbey, Jacksonville State University; Terry Marbut, Jacksonville State University; Dale Broyles, Jacksonville State University & Honda MFG of AL

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

cooperative education programhave resulted such as participation on the department’s Industrial Advisory Council,development of courses, courses video streamed directly to the industrial partner’s site and planttours for recruiting new students considering a career in manufacturing.III. Cooperative Education ProgramThe distinctive aspects of this industry-based partnership and cooperative education experienceare evident beginning with the selection of participating students. Interested students submitresumes to the university placement office. The university placement office ensures that thestudent is eligible for the cooperative education program and coordinates the scheduling andcontacting of students for interviews. The interviews are conducted in

Conference Session

Influence of Race and Culture

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leslie Wilkins, Maui Economic Development Board; Sheryl Hom, isisHawaii and Women in Technology; Jenilynne Gaskin, Maui Economic Development Board; Kawailehua Kuluhiwa, Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.; Christine Andrews, Maui Eco Dev Board

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

Economic Development Board, Inc. (Maui, Hawaii) and is funded in part by theDepartment of Labor as a workforce development project. Research indicates that the transitionfrom middle school to high school is a critical time when girls often lose interest in math andscience. They view these career fields as boring, not relevant to their lives, and Caucasian male-dominated―thus they do not pursue them. WIT has worked with Native Hawaiian culturaladvisors and Kupuna (native teachers) in conjunction to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory(which has oversight of the Maui astronomical assets) to address the dual barriers of gender andethnicity facing Native Hawaiian girls by exposing them at this pivotal point in their lives totechnology in the context

Conference Session

New Trends in ECE Education I

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Lord, University of San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2007-541: EFFECTIVE “WRITING TO COMMUNICATE” EXPERIENCES INELECTRICAL ENGINEERING COURSESSusan Lord, University of San Diego Susan M. Lord received a B.S. from Cornell University and the M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. She is currently Associate Professor and Coordinator of Electrical Engineering at the University of San Diego. Her teaching and research interests include electronics, optoelectronics, materials science, first year engineering courses, as well as feminist and liberative pedagogies. Dr. Lord served as General Co-Chair of the 2006 Frontiers in Education Conference. She has been awarded an NSF CAREER and ILI grants. Dr. Lord’s industrial experience includes AT&T

Conference Session

An International Perspective

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hasmik Gharibyan, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2007-751: GENDER GAP IN COMPUTER SCIENCE: STUDYING ITSABSENCE IN ONE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICHasmik Gharibyan, California Polytechnic State University Dr. Hasmik Gharibyan is a Full Professor in the Computer Science department at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The first 15 years of her career (1981-1996) she held faculty positions in the Applied Mathematics and Informatics department at Yerevan State University, Republic of Armenia (USSR). Then she moved to San Luis Obispo, USA, and in 1998 joined the faculty of the Computer Science department at Cal Poly. Dr. Gharibyan teaches undergrad and grad courses, including such courses as Theory of Computing, Data

Conference Session

Perceptions of Women's Success in STEM

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Metz, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

AC 2007-436: IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OFENGINEERINGSusan Metz, Stevens Institute of Technology is Senior Advisor of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) at Stevens Institute of Technology. Throughout her career, Susan has worked to increase the participation of women in engineering and science. As the founding executive director of the Lore-El Center for Women in Engineering and Science at Stevens she developed and implemented pre-college and college level programs to increase the representation of women in STEM fields at Stevens and nationally, serving more than 15,000 women. In recognition of this contribution, the Lore-El Center

Conference Session

Faculty Development: Creating successful NEEs

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kam Jugdev, Athabasca University

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

needs that academics have at stages of their careers. The paperemphasises the importance of mentoring in faculty development programs and concludes withsome tricks of the trade, that I learned through my experiences.Tensions between Scholarship PrioritiesBoyer discusses four kinds of scholarship priorities for a professoriate – the scholarship ofdiscovery (research), the scholarship of teaching (pedagogy), the scholarship of practice(application), and the scholarship of integration (critical analysis and interpretation) 3. Mostuniversities focus on the first three priorities - research, teaching, and service. It is an ongoingchallenge for academics to balance their efforts in these three areas, particularly with thepressures to “publish or

Conference Session

IE Curriculum Design

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harvey Svec, South Dakota State University; Harriet Svec, South Dakota State University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

knowledge of material fatigue, durability,recycleability, disposability, availability, and aesthetics in addition to the traditional concerns ofstrength, sizing, and cost. Modern computer aided design software can render elegant functionalparts but the associated manufacturing costs for producing these pieces can be prohibitive. Theproject offers fundamentals for evaluating how materials and processes relate to the basics ofmanufacturing. In addition to being useful for students as they progress through their program, itsets the stage for their senior engineering design project and ultimately their career. This paperspeaks to the curriculum design needed to bring the project up to 21st century academicstandards.Changes in the curriculum design

Conference Session

Project and Model-Based Mathematics

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dennis Berkey, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Bogdan Vernescu, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

companies, businesses, and government labs. These projects serve to motivate studentsto study mathematics and prepare them for interdisciplinary work in their careers. With fundingfrom NSF, SIAM, the GE Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Intel, severalvertically integrated educational programs have been developed.IntroductionThe demand for professionals capable of modeling and simulating emerging technologies hasdramatically increased in recent years. As mathematics becomes more complex, and thenumerical modeling more sophisticated, the need for mathematically trained professionals isincreasing. Modeling, analysis, and computations performed by mathematicians in collaborationwith other professionals can provide technical advantages and

Conference Session

Professional Graduate Education & Industry

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Stanford, University of South Carolina; Donald Keating, University of South Carolina; Duane Dunlap, Western Carolina University; Roger Olson, Rolls-Royce Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

now have the capability ofmaking “learning the constant for professional competency” and “time the variable” inprofessional engineering graduate education. This paper presents the issues involved andrecommends changes required in implementing high-quality competency-based learning intofirst rate professional educational programs for working professionals.2. Competency-Based Education for Engineering ProfessionalsThe National Collaborative is effecting a dramatic change in the professional education ofpracticing engineers. This is being done with full recognition of the way in which practicingengineers grow professionally throughout their careers. This is, in many ways, a new paradigmbased on the understanding that receipt of a

Conference Session

Engineering Management Program Management

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Daughton, University of Missouri; Benjamin Dow, University of Missouri

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Management

including marketing, finance and legaldepartments. Traditionally, advance degrees in science are too academic, and MBAdegrees often focus just on management skills in non-technical disciplines.A Master’s degree with a mix of advanced technical courses and business/managementcourses was originally proposed by the Sloan Foundation and targeted at individualsholding science or mathematics Bachelor’s degrees and either now working in orpreparing for professional careers in industry. This idea gained rapid acceptance as thereare now over 100 PSM programs at about 50 universities in 26 states.1,2 California seemsto have the largest concentration of these degree programs with seven different locationsin the state providing PSM degrees.2 As an illustration

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Northern, Prairie View A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Minorities in Engineering

students after one year of engineering studies by providing them withacademic and peer support to facilitate their transition into the College of Engineering. FYIincludes workshops, design competitions and gatherings with industry mentors. The Year Two(Y2) program is designed to increase the retention rate of electrical and computer engineeringstudents through two years of undergraduate engineering studies. The Y2 program providesacademic and career support for second year electrical and computer engineering students andoffers mentoring and exploration opportunities designed to connect students to their area ofinterest and career options.Assessment: Number of work study positions taken and meetings attended.Evaluation: The First Year Initiative

Conference Session

Improving ME Education: Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laila Guessous, Oakland University; Qian Zou, Oakland University; Brian Sangeorzan, Oakland University; Xia Wang, Oakland University; Chris Kobus, Oakland University; Gary Barber, Oakland University; Alex Alkidas, Oakland University; Michael Latcha, Oakland University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

on automotive research. The Automotive Research and IndustrialMentorship (ARIM) REU program at Oakland University 1 aims to engage participants inrewarding automotive research experiences that excite and motivate them to pursue careers inscientific and engineering research, and seeks to address the nationwide problem of the under-representation of women and minorities in the sciences, technology, engineering andmath (STEM).The automotive focus of this program was a natural choice given OU’s close ties to and locationnear the world headquarters and engineering centers of the Big-Three automakers, as well asover one hundred automotive suppliers in southeast Michigan. So, in the summer of 2006, tenundergraduate engineering students from across

Conference Session

Curriculum Development in Civil and Architectural Engineering Technology

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vernon Lewis, Old Dominion University; Carol Considine, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

career path and that minors that are morerelevant to the construction industry business practices would probably serve them better. Basedon this student feedback, the CET faculty reviewed available minors and found that additionalexpertise was available in other academic units such as the College of Health Sciences and theCollege of Business and Public Administration.The College of Business and Public Administration offers the relevant minors in the areas ofmanagement, business administration and real estate. The College of Health Sciences offers anoccupational safety minor. Descriptions of these minors are provided below: • Management Minor - designed to develop the students understanding of management both as an art and a science

Conference Session

Educating Graduates in Engineering For A Flat World

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Williams, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Owe Petersen, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

International

for a Flat World”Co-Moderators: Stephen Williams and Owe Petersen Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WisconsinAbstractCompetency in your technical field of knowledge is not sufficient for success in professional lifein engineering. Graduates need more than what the normal degree/curriculum provides. ThomasL. Friedman – “The World is Flat - A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” – providessignificant documentation of the forces driving the rebalancing of relationships between nationsand industries. Professionals, including, engineers will have their careers shaped by those sameforces.From an engineering standpoint technology has provided the mobility that flattens

Conference Session

Educating Graduates in Engineering For A Flat World

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Williams, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Owe Petersen, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

International

for a Flat World”Co-Moderators: Stephen Williams and Owe Petersen Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WisconsinAbstractCompetency in your technical field of knowledge is not sufficient for success in professional lifein engineering. Graduates need more than what the normal degree/curriculum provides. ThomasL. Friedman – “The World is Flat - A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” – providessignificant documentation of the forces driving the rebalancing of relationships between nationsand industries. Professionals, including, engineers will have their careers shaped by those sameforces.From an engineering standpoint technology has provided the mobility that flattens

Conference Session

Educating Graduates in Engineering For A Flat World

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen Williams, Milwaukee School of Engineering; Owe Petersen, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

International

for a Flat World”Co-Moderators: Stephen Williams and Owe Petersen Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WisconsinAbstractCompetency in your technical field of knowledge is not sufficient for success in professional lifein engineering. Graduates need more than what the normal degree/curriculum provides. ThomasL. Friedman – “The World is Flat - A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” – providessignificant documentation of the forces driving the rebalancing of relationships between nationsand industries. Professionals, including, engineers will have their careers shaped by those sameforces.From an engineering standpoint technology has provided the mobility that flattens

Conference Session

Assessment of K-12 Engineering Programs and Issues

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Valerie Galarza, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Mariela Figueroa, UPRMUniversity of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Cristina Lugo, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Ricardo Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Francisco Rivera, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez; Alexandra Medina-Borja, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Page 12.818.2experience to look for improvement opportunities, and to take corrective action. The overall goalis to increase the retention and college success of students into engineering careers. We present the results of a series of focus groups undertook to elicit the high schooldeficiencies and other problems faced by pre-college students that are evident once they areadmitted into engineering, in the opinion of current industrial engineering students at theUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, UPRM. Attraction into engineering careers is not aproblem at all at the UPRM. At the UPRM we want to create a stronger network betweengovernment and the Department of Education of Puerto Rico to improve the educational systemin the areas