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Modern Mathematics Requirements in a Developing Engineering Program Abstract

This project is a collaboration of math and engineering educators ___, meant to closely analyze the educational relationship between math and engineering as part of the development of a new innovative electrical and computer engineering program. The main objective is to optimize the curriculum for efficiency in educating engineers with skill sets that allow them to compete effectively in the global economy and to pursue successful careers.

Mathematics education in engineering curricula has undergone very little progress within the past century, while the field of engineering and the educational demands of the engineering workforce have changed quite significantly. Much effort is needed in improving the mathematics content to provide closer correspondence with and support of engineering education. One particular aspect of modernization is increased integration of powerful and widely available computing tools in education. New technologies have rendered many topics still taught in mathematics somewhat obsolete while bringing to the forefront the need and ability to teach different areas of mathematics in increased depth. This article discusses several issues related to mathematics education for engineers.

I. Introduction

The design of a new curriculum has led to the analysis of several related issues. Of particular importance is the preparation in mathematics of engineering students and the creation of course work in mathematics that better serves the needs of a sound and effective modern education for today’s students.

The need to reform engineering education, particularly the mathematics content, stems from several pressing issues. In recent years, close attention has been given to the desired characteristics of engineering graduates and to their skill sets, leading to new accreditation requirements from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Within all engineering disciplines, a broad education in the arts, humanities, and the sciences is deemed necessary, along with sufficient engineering training. This has led to increased curriculum overcrowding and there is danger that students may be insufficiently prepared in their main career choice area of engineering. In fact, the ability to complete an undergraduate degree in engineering within four years is now restricted only to the most hard-working and motivated of students and even so it is only possible by taking extra summer or winter courses where available.

The technical difficulty associated with engineering greatly restricts the number of qualified high school graduates who want and are able to undertake engineering studies. In the United States, about 5% of all bachelor’s degrees are in engineering compared to Asia, where 20% are in engineering, and the percentage exceeds 10% in many other countries worldwide1. First university engineering degrees in the US have decreased compared to 1985. At the same time, there has been a significant increase in engineering degrees in other countries. Analyses of test results show that only a small percentage of students have math and science skills at or above the

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Manseur, Z., & Ieta, A., & Manseur, R. (2010, June), Modern Mathematics Requirements In A Developing Engineering Program Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16997