فصلنامه آموزش مهندسی ایران
پیاپی 35 (پاییز 1386)

Generally traditional teaching approach in engineering and science courses are deductive. This means that teaching begins with a general theory or idea and finally finishes with its implementation in industry, life, work and the likes. In inductive approach, subject matter begins by a simple problem, a case or a special observation and ultimately ends to a theory. In this paper we introduce inductive approach teaching features and consider more usual methods of this approach in engineering education i.e. problem-based learning, project-based learning, and case-based teaching.

In recent years, through the emergence of knowledge based economy and the importance of technological entrepreneurship as the motor of it, engineering and hence, engineering education has been changing. Engineering is no longer a job but a profession, like lawyers and doctors, and engineering activity is no longer an individual technical task, but a social multidimensional one, and therefore engineering education cannot remain a mere technical education but it should change to the process of learning technological development. Engineers of this educational process are not only at high level in basic engineering skills and ability in technological innovation but also are active and aware in social and business aspects. For achieving this, we should use higher standards of education and develop their creativity, team working skills, social responsibilities and business insights and in respect of specialty we should put more stress on their ability for problem formulation and total production design. This article mainly aims at the necessity of changing in the engineering education considering the emergence of knowledge based economy and different aspects of this change. So, at first, the article surveys the characteristics of knowledge based economy and then determines the specifications of the engineers who are able to be active in this era and at the end, name some suggestions about engineering education as the process that provide these engineers.

In real word group decision making problem, decision makers (DMs) have different knowledge, proficiency and experiences and therefore the importance of each expert against an attribute may not be equal. In many studies this difference of knowledge and experiences (relative weight) of each expert has not been considered and equal weight has been assigned to each expert. Obviously, it is inconsequential and creates imprecise and inaccurate solutions. In this paper, a new method and its application have been developed to evaluate relative weights of DMs in the problem of selecting PhD students. The method integrates subjective preferences of group manager and opinions of DMs about themselves simultaneously to assess the relative weights of DMs. By using this method in group decision making problems, decision problems close in reality and final solution is selected more accurately. Application of this method is also distinguished in hybrid weighted averaging (HWA) operator.

The main purpose of this study is to be acquainted with the various functions of the student scientific associations at Isfahan University in different activities such as academic, research, publishing, socialization and entrepreneurship. The second objective is to compare the functions of engineering's scientific associations with other disciplines. Participants in this study were members and administrators of cultural and scientific associations of Isfahan University. Samples included 80 active students who were randomly selected and 15 interested managers for interviewing. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for collecting data. For quantitative data, questionnaires were based on Likert's scale and had five options. The questionnaires were given to the sample of selected students. Interviews, observations and archive documents were other instruments for gathering qualitative data. Findings of the research indicate that the cultural and scientific associations in the University of Isfahan had positive functions in various domains: academic, research, publishing, socialization and entrepreneurship. This role was more important in the socialization and social skills training. On the other hand, data in the recorded documents indicate that there was a big difference between functions of engineering's scientific associations with other disciplines in the light of academic and research functions. But, findings of the present study indicate that there was no meaningful difference between different functions of scientific associations in engineering and science with other disciplines in Isfahan University. Based upon the results, recommendations were provided for the Isfahan administrators, scientific association's leaders and whom it may concern.

High voltage direct current transmission systems (HVDC) have been applied for several advantages as link between asynchronous AC systems, economical power transmission over long distances, power accurate control, stability, power quality and low power dissipation. HVDC technology based on voltage source converter (VSC-HVDC) is a kind of newly developed HVDC transmission technology. It is attractive for connecting weak AC networks, islands networks and renewable sources to a main grid. This new HVDC system has been studied in this paper and compared with conventional HVDC and HVAC. Some control schemes have been introduced to control the VSC-HVDC system.

Today a new angle of approach which looks through a complete new angle to organizations is business process re-engineering. Since late 1990's various organizations in developed industrial countries have achieved great modifications in their organizations with the assistance of the mentioned approach. Part of the achievement of this approach is providing the customers with qualified services, reducing costs, faster responses and ultimately improving organization's functions. Growth and development of organizations with traditional structure and process have caused over concentrations of activities in specific zones, also slow responses in current activities and incoherence in multi-duty processes. In order to resolve such issues, smart usage of new tools and point sol views seem inevitable. This article is defined upon the most word standards such as PMBOK (project management body of knowledge) and EVMS (earned value management system), it also benefits from the best experiences and practical models in this field. It has the aim to prepare the base for re-engineering, planning and project control processes of mass building productions companies. The goal is to achieve quick processes and level organized based on re-engineering literature necessities of processes in system planning and building industry mass project control.

Since the old times, Iranians were familiar with metal production and refining. They could produce exceptionally pure gold and silver. Alloying techniques advanced enormously during alchemist’s experiments. Alloying and separation techniques, for combining the elements and removing the unwanted ones from alloys, are described accurately and in detail in technical books written 1000 years ago Lists of common and industrial alloys are also included in these books. In this article the main elements of such schemes were described and some key points were identified.