Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force

[Excerpt] The increased presence of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs and in the scientific workforce has been and continues to be of concern to some in the scientific community. Enrollment of U.S. citizens in graduate science and engineering programs has not kept pace with that of foreign students in those programs. In addition to the number of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs, a significant number of university faculty in the scientific disciplines are foreign, and foreign doctorates are employed in large numbers by industry. Few will dispute that U.S. universities and industry have chosen foreign talent to fill many positions. Foreign scientists and engineers serve the needs of industry at the doctorate level and also have been found to serve in major roles at the masters level. However, there are charges that U.S. workers are adversely affected by the entry of foreign scientists and engineers, who reportedly accept lower wages than U.S. citizens would accept in order to enter or remain in the United States. NSF data reveal that in 2005, the foreign student population earned approximately 34.7% of the doctorate degrees in the sciences and approximately 63.1% of the doctorate degrees in engineering. In 2005, foreign students on temporary resident visas earned 30.8% of the doctorates in the sciences, and 58.6% of the doctorates in engineering. The participation rates in 2004 were 28.5% and 57.3%, respectively. In 2005, permanent resident status students earned 3.8% of the doctorates in the sciences and 4.5% of the doctorates in engineering, slightly above the 2004 levels of 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Many in the scientific community maintain that in order to compete with countries that are rapidly expanding their scientific and technological capabilities, the country needs to bring to the United States those whose skills will benefit society and will enable us to compete in the new-technology based global economy. The academic community is concerned that the more stringent visa requirements for foreign students may have a continued impact on enrollments in colleges and universities. There are those who believe that the underlying problem of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs is not necessarily that there are too many foreign-born students, but that there are not enough native-born students pursuing scientific and technical disciplines. Legislation has been introduced in the 110th Congress to attract foreign students in the scientific and technical disciplines. H.R. 1645, the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007, would provide, among other things, an expansion of the types of individuals who would no longer be subjected to the annual limits on legal immigrants. Included in this group would be those who (1) hold an advanced degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or technical fields and who have been working in the United States in a related field for three years on a nonimmigrant visa; and (2) been awarded a medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States

Multidisciplinary teaching of Biotechnology and Omics sciences

In the last years, there was a great boom in the Omics fields that have developed as multidisciplinary sciences. They use laboratory techniques related to Biology and Chemistry but also Bioinformatics tools. However, the developmental progress of these disciplines has led that much of undergraduate studies related to Biology have curricula that become outdated. From this point of view, it is necessary to focus the students to the fundamentals and techniques of complementary disciplines that will be essentials for the understanding of the Omics sciences. In the present work, we have developed a new teaching approach for Biochemistry, Biology and Bioinformatics students. They formed interdisciplinary working groups. These groups have prepared and presented communications about different techniques or methods in Molecular Biology, Omics or Bioinformatics participating in a technical meeting. This learning strategy “I do and I learn” has enabled to the students a first contact with the scientific communication including the approach to the scientific literature to acquire technical knowledge. The cooperation between students from different disciplines has enriched their point of view and even has been used in some practical master’s works.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Peculiarities of teaching translation of scientific and technical papers to engineering students

The article deals with the issues and methods of teaching translation and interpretation of scientific and technical papers to engineering students from a linguistic point of view. The authors describe the concept and special features of technical translation as a professional activity compared to different kinds of translation. The paper analyzes stylistic, lexical and phraseological, and grammatical peculiarities of scientific and technical papers. Moreover, the authors suggest the main techniques of translating scientific and technical papers such as direct and indirect translation methods

The women in science and engineering scholars program

The Women in Science and Engineering Scholars Program provides scientifically talented women students, including those from groups underrepresented in the scientific and technical work force, with the opportunity to pursue undergraduate studies in science and engineering in the highly motivating and supportive environment of Spelman College. It also exposes students to research training at NASA Centers during the summer. The program provides an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of career opportunities at NASA and to strengthen their motivation through exposure to NASA women scientists and engineers as role models. An extensive counseling and academic support component to maximize academic performance supplements the instructional and research components. The program is designed to increase the number of women scientists and engineers with graduate degrees, particularly those with an interest in a career with NASA

Adoption of augmented reality technology by university students

In recent times, Augmented Reality has gained more relevance in the field of education. This relevance has been enhanced due to its ease of use, as well as the availability of the technical devices for the students. The present study was conducted with students enrolled in the Pedagogy Degree in the Faculty of Education at the University of Seville. The objective was to understand the degree of technological acceptance of students during their interaction with the AR objects produced, the performance achieved by the students, and if their gender affected their acquisition of knowledge. For this, three data collection instruments were utilized: a multiple choice test for the analysis of the student's performance after the interaction, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) diagnostic instrument, created by Davis (1989), and an “ad hoc” instrument created so that the students could evaluate the class notes enriched with the AR objects created. The study has allowed us to broaden the scientific knowledge of the TAM by Davis, to understand that AR objects can be utilized in university teaching, and to know that the student's gender does not influence learning.Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain EDU-5746-

Історія науки і техніки в контексті сучасної університетської системи освіти

У статті висвітлюється значення історії науки і техніки в системі університетської освіти, розширенні науково-технічного світогляду студентів, підвищенні їх загальної та професійної культури. Аналізується значущість вивчення науково-технічної спадщини для формування духовних цінностей.It is stressed the role of History of Science and Technology in widening scientific and technical students outlook, improving their general and professional culture in the article. The significance of studying scientific and technical heritage in forming their mentality is analyzed in this article

A Comparison Between Visual Imagery Strategy and Conventional Strategy in The Teaching of English For Science

The main purpose of the study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness between visual imagery strategy and conventional strategy in the teaching of English for Science and Technology. A total of 89 students (n=89) were assigned to two groups, where each group underwent three phases of the experiment - 1) Pre-test Phase, 2) Treatment Phase, and 3) Post-test Phase. In this study, visual imagery strategy was a teaching procedure that incorporated the use of visuals and the forming of images that suggested the kind of representations students need to conjure within the context of the topic being taught. Conventional strategy was the teaching method prescribed by the English teacher in which students' attention were directed to important facts and concepts pertaining to the topic. Evaluation to ascertain students' le'ariing achievement was based on their pre-test and post-test scores obtained as participants performed the Language Achievement test, which included evaluation on reading comprehension and writing skills. Analysis was also done on their language functions, vocabulary tasks, reading comprehension, and essay writing skills from the science- and technical-based lessons taught to the students. The results of the study was reported in accordance with the hypotheses developed which compared the effectiveness between visual imagery strategy and conventional strategy on dependent variables such as reading comprehension achievement, writing skills and vocabulary achievement, as well comparing the effectiveness between the two strategies used among low English proficiency and high English proficiency students. Data analysis indicated that visual imagery strategy produced significant main effect on students' total reading comprehension and writing achievement, as compared to conventional strategy (F(1,84) = 17.55, p < .000), but there was no significant interaction effect between proficiency level and type of treatment applied (F(1,84) = .895, p > .347, with a very small effect size (eta squared = .011). Based on reading comprehension scores alone, it was found that visual imagery strategy produced significant main effect on students' reading comprehension achievement, as compared to conventional strategy (F(1,84) = 14.03, p < .000; eta squared = .143), but again, there was no significant interaction effect between proficiency level and type of treatment applied (F(1,84) = .002, p > .620; eta squared = .010). Based on writing scores alone, it was found that visual imagery did not produce significant main effect on students' writing achievement as compared to conventional strategy(F(l,84) = 1.27, p = .261). However, there was significant interaction effect between proficiency level and the treatments applied in determining students' writing achievement (F(1,84) = 1.06, p < .041, with a small effect size (eta squared = .012). Data analysis also indicated that visual imagery strategy (M=9.93, SD=2.98) did not produce significant differential effect on students' vocabulary skills performance during the treatment phase, as compared to the conventional strategy: (M=9.37, SD=3.51; t(87)=.802, p=.425). Students' responses regarding their knowledge and perception of visual imagery strategy and its application on teaching reading comprehension and writing skills in English for Science and Technology also favored the use of visuals and imagery instructions. Lastly, it was found that students agree that visual imagery strategy should be incorporated in English for Science and Technical lessons as it helped students understand scientific and technical passages better during reading-instruction. The implication of the study suggests that visual imagery strategy can be beneficial for students learning English for Science and Technology as the strategy promoted the recall of previous knowledge and provided interaction with the content. Visual imagery strategy as a teaching method should be utilized to its full potential, as it can be beneficial in facilitating the teaching and learning of English for science and technical reading comprehension and other language skills

Research summary

The final report for progress during the period from 15 Nov. 1988 to 14 Nov. 1991 is presented. Research on methods for analysis of sound propagation through the atmosphere and on results obtained from application of our methods are summarized. Ten written documents of NASA research are listed, and these include publications, manuscripts accepted, submitted, or in preparation for publication, and reports. Twelve presentations of results, either at scientific conferences or at research or technical organizations, since the start of the grant period are indicated. Names of organizations to which software produced under the grant was distributed are provided, and the current arrangement whereby the software is being distributed to the scientific community is also described. Finally, the names of seven graduate students who worked on NASA research and received Rensselaer degrees during the grant period, along with their current employers are given