Engineering with computers - A summer course for gifted high school students

The development of a six-week pre-engineering course at the University of South Florida is presented. The program focuses on the use of computers as the engineer's tool. Students spend three hours in the morning, five days per week, in an intensive formal instruction period including constructive number theory, computational linear algebra, and computer programming (FORTRAN-WATIV) conducted by members of the Mathematics faculty. Because of the computer use, the students receive the satisfaction of problem solving without being overwhelmed by the theory and computation. This imparts an engineering experience to students who, in general, have not been exposed to engineering in their high school curricula.