Early Intervention At Secondary School To Increase University Enrollments In Computing And Science

Globally, the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are competing for enrolments in universities with an increasing range of options, to their detriment. The Australian Mathematical Science Institute revealed that basic mathematics was growing in popularity among secondary students to the detriment of intermediate or advanced studies. This has resulted in fewer universities offering higher mathematics courses, and subsequently there are reduced graduates in mathematics. Educators are therefore continuously looking for innovative ways to attract students to STEM university courses.

First, an examination of causes for the low interest in STEM university programs revealed the following: An October 2011 report from the Georgetown University's Centre on Education and the Workforce (CEW) reported that American science graduates viewed traditional science careers as "too socially isolating." In addition, a liberal-arts or business education was often regarded as more flexible in a fast-changing job market. Secondary students had the perception that computing and information technology careers were outsourced and not a career path at the local level. They had the belief that the only IT careers available were "backroom" jobs, such as data entry. The challenge, says Professor Ian Chubb, head of Australia's Office of the Chief Scientist, in his Health of Australian Science report (May 2012), is to make STEM subjects more attractive for students. As he points out, mathematics and science are studied in secondary school, but engineering and technology is not. Therefore students in secondary school are not receiving a "taste" for STEM subjects in a practical and applied context.

To address this situation, on an experimental basis, secondary schools in Australia are undertaking a pilot program in computer science and technology. In the state of Victoria, in southern Australia, secondary schools will trial the country's first computer science and technology subjects in Year 12, the last year of secondary school. The premise is that the pilot program will provide students with a taste for the subject, applied to real situations, in order to examine whether it produces increased interest and enrolments in related subjects at university level. The pilot is viewed as a form of early intervention.

Twelve secondary schools will take part in the pilot program. Hence, up to 120 secondary students will undertake the computing program developed by computer science and engineering academics at Melbourne University and Monash University in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Melbourne and Monash universities are conducting workshops for teachers and educators on the pilot program, as well as promoting the pilot to parents.

The pilot program is one subject added to the senior curriculum in the twelve Victorian state government schools. The subject is a modified version of the first year computer science syllabus of the two collaborating universities, taught in two modes: face-to-face classroom teaching in the targeted twelve secondary schools, and through online topics.

The pilot computer science subject is not teaching students how to use technology, because they already know this. The subject aims to extend their thinking to a level of academic rigor equivalent to senior secondary and pre-university standards. Hence, students will be able to create software and focus on specialized skills, such as complex analysis, sought by high tech employers, thereby exploring a multi-disciplinary approach to computer science and engineering. An introductory to the skills required at university level is expected to increase student confidence in the applied techniques.

Melbourne University graduates in both computer science and information communication technologies (ICT) courses have a 90% employment rate within six months of graduation. The high employment rate is also expected to enhance the program's rate of secondary schools transitioning to computer science and STEM courses at university.

The United States and the United Kingdom have had computer science programs in their secondary school curricula for twenty years and the subject is taken as part of the International Baccalaureate. However, Australia has lagged behind in the introduction of computing science and engineering subjects in secondary school. If the pilot proves to be successful, the subject will be included in the national schools secondary curriculum.

India - Growing in Information Technology, Healthcare and Real Estate Sector

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Electro-Mechanical Technologies and Mechanical Maintenance Engineering

For many individuals, an office job provides an anathematic working environment. These individuals are likely to want to work with their hands, to exert significant physical effort during their daily travails, and to use their minds and bodies to solve problems on the job. Prior to the collapse of American steel and auto manufacturing in the 1980s, individuals who desired careers outside of the office-job norm found success in various labor professions, many involving manufacturing. It is a common stereotype that all labor jobs are unstable and outsourcable. This still rings true of manufacturing work; however, careers in electro-mechanical technologies and mechanical maintenance engineering require skilled American workers to perform challenging and diverse maintenance, repair, design, and management tasks.

Individuals interested in mechanical and electrical careers have several training options available to them. These education and career training programs range in length from 10 weeks to four semesters (or, two academic years). The training course that is most appropriate for an individual will typically depend upon what he or she can afford, what his or her schedule permits, and what length of time the individual wishes to devote to training.

Shorter courses of study are more likely to concentrate specifically on electro-mechanical technologies, which is the study and application of various electrical and mechanical principles, sans a liberal arts or general education component. Courses of study are separated into classroom lecture, which covers theories and principles of electrical and mechanical work; and laboratory exercises, which allow students to apply lecture principles to real-life situations.

Because these shorter courses of study are more direct, and usually lack the liberal arts education component, they can typically be completed in one academic year or less. Many training institutions offer classes on staggered day schedules, weekend schedules, or evening-only schedules, enabling students who must work full time to attend sessions. Other institutions offer full-day, accelerated schedules, which permit students to study without taking significant time off from the workforce. Many shorter-study training courses offer career placement assistance for students finishing the program, as well.

The class work offered in short-duration electro-mechanical technologies education tracks will vary, but most programs offer foundation classes in basic mechanical and electrical principles. Students are likely to take more advanced classes in HVAC and air conditioning technologies and applications; wiring and electrical applications, and sometimes, classes in mechanical motor work as well. Lab practicums enable students to work through classroom theories and scenarios. Better training programs often place emphasis on trouble-shooting and maintenance techniques, which are assets in the workplace.

Mechanical maintenance engineering courses of study are typically longer, taking two years or more to complete. (Two-year courses of study are also offered in electro-mechanical technologies at some schools.) Upon completion of a longer training program, the student is often granted an associates degree in engineering or electrical/mechanical studies. Many institutions offer degrees that are transferable to four-year colleges and universities; students might continue working in the field while training for bachelor's degrees in electrical or electronics engineering, physics, or applied science.

The two-year programs cover electrical and mechanical concepts in greater depth than is possible during shorter courses of study. Some programs focus extensively on advanced electrical and mechanical concepts, while others incorporate mathematics and applied physics course work into the curriculum. Still other programs add information science or computer applications classes; English or technical composition classes, or psychology and business classes to the degree requirements.

Many of the core degree lecture classes are accompanied by labs or practicums where students can refine their skills and learn how to apply them to the workplace. Topics covered in classes can vary and might include: electronics concepts such as voltage and amperage; the science and design of pumps and mechanical motors; pneumatics and compressors; the heating and cooling cycles; and the properties of different metals, chemicals, and elastomers.

Graduates of shorter certification programs or longer degree programs that focus on engineering are eligible for numerous jobs in the HVAC, electrical, and mechanical maintenance fields. Some students begin careers in HVAC, refrigeration, or air conditioning maintenance and repair. Others begin careers in electrical work, and some advance to positions such as electrical journeyman. Some students might specialize in electronics maintenance and repair, including television, small appliance, and computer work. Others still might work as assistant engineers, air-quality controllers, or facilities managers. Students with entrepreneurial drive and talent might wind up as owners of their own businesses.

With the correct training program, intellectual curiosity, and a good work ethic, a graduate of an electro-mechanical technologies or mechanical maintenance engineering program often finds that he or she has many career options.

Chemistry and Technology

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Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

By 1900, only 124 years after declaring independence, the United States had grown and expanded into one of the most prosperous and influential countries in the world. The economy was strong, driven by the power of steel locomotives, steam engines, electricity, and the beginning of automated manufacturing. But the burgeoning economic productivity, along with the complexity of 20th century machinery, created problems when different manufacturers had to work together. Disagreements arose over the units of measurement and how to apply them. For example, one company's "gallon" might not be the same as another company's. Without standards, the parts or containers made by one company did not fit another company's items, resulting in chaos.

On March 3, 1901, the U.S. government chartered the National Bureau of Standards to remedy this problem. Beginning with a staff of 1 2, the new bureau quickly went to work, improving the standards of length and mass measurements, and establishing new standards of temperature, time, and light. Time was especially important, as it synchronizes the activities of so many people. How do railroads, radio and television networks, and other time-conscious organizations know what time it is - and keep the same time? The bureau has provided time signals from a radio station, WWV, since 1 923. Governing this timekeeping is an atomic clock so precise that it will not gain or lose a second in 60 million years!

The National Bureau of Standards changed its name to the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 1988. Today, the NIST has facilities in Gaitherburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, and employs about 2,800 scientists, engineers, and staff. The NIST continues to improve measurement technology and standards, helping promote economic and technological progress. Laboratories at the NIST include the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, the Information Technology Laboratory, the Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, the Physics Laboratory, and others.

Science and Technology - Definition by Real Life Examples

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Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

And the process is also very simple: An online form is presented to you in order to capture details that will help them determine your rate. Shortly after you will receive rates from a number of insurance companies that are licensed to provide auto insurance in Florida. When you're done with obtaining as many online Florida auto insurance quotes as you can from several sites, contrast them to pick the best price to value ratio.

It is Comforting to Know That There Are Minds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Thinking

It is comforting to know that there are minds at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology thinking up ways to commercialize many new renewable energy technological developments for the solar, hydrogen, and energy storage.

The 2010 MIT Energy Conference was an open house to all of the research projects being conducted by both faculty and students of the institute. The main goal of the research according to MIT Energy Initiative director, Ernest Moniz, is to work with the renewable energy and power industries to commercialize groundbreaking technologies. He noted that their energy technology ideas cannot be commercialized in a garage like you can with Internet Technology (IT).

Exactly 20% of the MIT faculty is involved in some form of energy research. Energy is a big business at MIT. The 2010 MIT Energy Conference was not just some science fair. MIT has been very involved in the energy sector having already formed companies in the industry. The most notable of which is 1366 Technologies.

MIT is also home to one of the 40 nationwide Energy Frontier Research Centers that are solely funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through stimulus funds.

Of their many research projects, developing storage technologies may be one of the most important to the industry. Large scale or utility scale energy storage systems must be commercialized in order to ensure national energy security. Only 2.5% of the American energy grid capacity can be stored compared to 10% in Europe and 15% in Japan. This could be a foreshadowing of further energy troubles for the U.S. if the proper technology is not developed. Energy storage is vital for incorporating solar and wind energy into the grid which are renewable but intermittent energy sources.

The 2010 MIT Energy Conference is a bright spot in the timeline toward our energy independence and security. We can also be sure that there are other academic institutions, companies and organizations that are putting forth the same level of effort in bringing the best possible ideas on energy to fruition.

Status of Science in India

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Getting a good number of online Florida auto insurance quotes will only require a few minutes. This way, you will even lift your savings to a new height as you will be able to contrast rates and packages and be able to make truly informed decisions on what's best for your vehicle insurance. Add the ease of use and you will realize that there's no reason to get your quotes any other way.

Apart from the ease of online Florida auto insurance quotes, you'll also receive lower rates than if you buy elsewhere. Why this is the case is beyond the scope of this article.

With sites that return online Florida auto insurance quotes you won't have to flip through the Yellow Pages or call anyone. You can, with just one request, get assorted rates from up to five insurers on several of these insurance quotes websites. To ensure you get all the help you need, some even provide live chat facilities.

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