184 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVI. No. 396. 



determined by the purpose in view, the 

 personnel, both of teachers and taught, the 

 substance and -methods of instruction, and 

 the machinery and cost. A lack of purpose 

 characterizes too much of the secondary 

 education where education itself is regarded 

 as an end instead of a means, while the ex- 

 treme type of training is given in the mili- 

 tary and naval academies, whose definite 

 aim is to raise up a body of officers fitted 

 to command men. In discussing the time 

 to be devoted to the college and professional 

 courses, the statement was made that the 

 regular college courses are not made effect- 

 ive enough even for culture. 



With respect to the personnel of the 

 teachers, it was held that, while a teacher 

 of engineering must be primarily a teacher, 

 he is not simply a pedagogue, but has 

 much in common with the engineer in prac- 

 tice. To be efficient he must give inspira- 

 tion and direction, and know his students. 

 There must be mutual respect, confidence 

 and sympathy. The element of command 

 should accompany his direction and in- 

 struction. The habit of obedience should 

 be formed in the student, for disobedience 

 may be as fatal 'on the works' as in the 

 army. The quality of the student material 

 should be determined not simply by the aca- 

 demic test of the requirements for admis- 

 sion, but also by the test of character. 

 Those who are not found to be entirely 

 trustworthy should be promptly excluded. 



As to the substance and methods of in- 

 struction the larger and ever-increasing 

 work required of engineering colleges to- 

 day demands that it be a more powerful 

 agency. The principle of concentration is 

 to be applied, since the range of primary 

 and essential topics is so much greater than 

 formerly that there is no room for non-es- 

 sentials. The student's tasks should relate 

 chiefly to that which he must learn while 

 a student. The recitation should be used 

 whenever practicable, the lecture method 



but seldom. What the student really gains 

 comes from his own study of the book or 

 of fuU notes, and by hard thinking. The 

 coordination of subjects, as to both sequence 

 and quantity, is of equal importance with 

 the principle of concentration. Electives 

 in a well-balanced curriculum should be re- 

 stricted to a few courses in which the stud- 

 ies are entirely adapted to ends clearly de- 

 fined. The principle of continuity follows 

 that of coordination, and its application 

 shows that it is a disadvantage to sand- 

 wich preparatory and culture studies be- 

 tween engineering studies. 



Machinery as related to efficiency in engi- 

 neering education includes all instruments, 

 apparatus, machines, models, etc. Effi- 

 ciency is determined by sufficient every-day 

 exercises, with due regard to proper limi- 

 tations of accuracy. There is not time 

 enough for the student to acquire familiar- 

 ity and facility with machines beyond those 

 of fundamental utility. In modern engi- 

 neering operations the principal criterion of 

 efficiency is cost. The annual appropria- 

 tions for the national military and naval 

 schools represent the interest on a principal 

 far greater than the endowment of any 

 American university. Sufficient endow- 

 ments to render an institution independ- 

 ent of income from students would limit 

 classes by stricter standards of merit only, 

 and avoid the lessened efficiency implied in 

 large classes with inadequate teaching 

 force. The tendency to expend too much 

 in expensive buildings lessens the funds 

 available to secure the best men as teach- 

 ers. The principle to govern should be: 

 good men at any price, a good plant at the 

 least cost consistent with utility. The final 

 estimate of the cost goes beyond the outlay 

 of money and cannot be made until the pro- 

 fessional development of the graduates is 

 in evidence. Here, as elsewhere, the prime 

 principle of the engineering profession is 

 to derive the largest and best output possi- 



