Improving the Use of Computer-Based Information Resources within the Engineering Classroom.

An instructional development project at the University of Kansas focused upon two major objectives: (1) to develop teaching strategies to introduce engineering students and faculty to literature searching on computerized data bases, and (2) to help students develop effective on-line search strategies. A faculty workshop and an undergraduate engineering course designed to teach students methods of retrieving relevant literature were used for reaching the objectives. Attitude questionnaires and performance evaluations indicated that student attitudes toward on-line computer search methods, as well as quantity of relevant literature found, improved with the instruction and subsequent use of on-line search methods. (CMV)