Civil & Structural Online @ BCIT
http://www.civil.bcit.ca/edufacts/edufacts.html
The British Columbia Institute of Technology maintains this Web site, which contains "a combination of text and graphics to introduce the field of civil and structural engineering." Several examples of important modern and historical developments in these fields are cited. The latter category includes discussions about the Roman aqueducts and Galileo's insights into engineering mechanics, while more recent topics such as highway line painting and the Golden Gate Bridge are also outlined. Two additional modules about dams and road design are in progress, but no completion date is given. [CL]
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AMS: Mathematical Moments [pdf]
http://www.ams.org/ams/mathmoments.html
Mathematical Moments is a program that encourages "appreciation and understanding of the role mathematics plays in science, nature, technology, and human culture." Created by the American Mathematical Society, it does not have a specific target audience, but rather is intended for anyone wanting to learn about the importance of math in practical applications. The program's Web site contains nearly 30 one-page brochures that demonstrate how math is used in areas such as aircraft design, Internet security, and iris recognition. [CL]
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West Point Bridge Design Contest [exe, pdf]
http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/
The second annual West Point Bridge Design Contest concluded in May 2003. Although it is uncertain whether the contest will receive funding for future competitions, its Web site has a number of educational resources for middle and high school students. The main feature is the bridge design software, which allows the user to "model, test, and optimize a steel highway bridge, based on realistic specifications, constraints, and performance criteria." Completed designs can be submitted online for unofficial judging. The book, Designing and Building File-Folder Bridges, can also be freely downloaded. [CL]
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ConstructMyFuture.com [Macromedia Flash Reader, QuickTime, pdf, exe]
http://www.constructmyfuture.com/
Construct My Future is designed to help people "explore and learn about the interesting and varied careers in the construction industry." With resources for students, teachers, and parents, the site has significant depth in its content and serves as an excellent starting point for learning about this dynamic field. A couple informative videos can be viewed online, as well as several articles about industry news and trends. Profiles of many different job positions in construction are given for students to get an impression of the options available to them. A very interesting section highlights ten of the most important construction projects of the past century. [CL]
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Transportation Engineering: Online Lab Manual
http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/
The University of Idaho hosts this outstanding collection of educational materials and laboratories related to transportation engineering. The topics introduced on the site are intended to supplement a junior-level course on the subject and are commonly viewed as "the most important ones that civil engineering graduates need to understand." Each chapter of the lab manual contains detailed theory and example problems. The lab exercises, however, will probably only serve to emphasize the most important concepts for students whose teachers are not directly incorporating them into the curricula. [CL]
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The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2e [pdf]
http://www.cs.usask.ca/grads/wew036/latex/lshort.pdf
Anyone working in a mathematical or related scientific fields will probably encounter the LaTeX file format at some point, or be required to publish a paper with the LaTeX typesetting system. For these people, The Not So Short Introduction to LaTeX 2e is a great reference. Updated in March 2003, the 143-page document provides a thorough overview of the process of creating a document in this format. It is suitable for people completely unfamiliar with LaTeX and is very well organized. Numerous examples are given that show how to produce and format text and graphics. [CL]
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IEEE: Reference Guide for Instructional Design and Development [pdf]
http://www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/tutorials/refguide/mms01.htm
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers provides this guide to instructional design, which educators can use to gauge their target audience and tailor their teaching methods appropriately. By applying the principles of design to the creation of a course, a better level of understanding between the instructor and students can be achieved. For each of the six design phases a concise concept outline is given, followed by a few tools to help users implement the suggested strategies. A number of external links to relevant articles and other materials are also included. [CL]
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Mathsoft Constants
http://www.mathcad.com/library/constants/
Mathematical constants are generally given very little attention when introduced in classes. Students learn the value of many constants, but they often are not taught the meaning behind the fixed numbers. This site attempts to provide greater insight into several well-known constants, as well as those related to number theory, geometry, function approximation, and more. Most of the discussions include a basic derivation along with illustrations that show properties of the constant where appropriate. [CL]
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