In September of 1998, the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) piloted an innovative, integrated, first-year curriculum. It dramatically changed 31 credits across two semesters. The program was modeled after several previous successful undergraduate experiments at other universities such as those in the NSF Foundation Coalition and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The new program at UMD included q integrating the introductory sequences in physics, calculus, chemistry, English and engineering q teaching and using teamwork among students and faculty q using a specially designed technology oriented classroom q using active and cooperative learning methods q encouraging formation of a community of students by blockscheduling classes and grouping students in the dorms q using rigorous assessment to evaluate performance. This paper describes the new curriculum, some of the practical considerations in its design, and the way it has functioned. Significant improvements demonstrated after one year of operation include q the attrition rate of first-year engineering students more than halved q the percentage of students passing two semesters of physics on schedule nearly doubled q the percentage of students passing calculus on schedule increased by 40% q the performance of students on common final exams in both physics and calculus significantly increased.

In September of 1998, the College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) piloted an innovative, integrated, first‐year curriculum. It dramatically changed 31 credits across two semesters. The program was modeled after several previous successful undergraduate experiments at other universities such as those in the NSF Foundation Coalition and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The new program at UMD included This paper describes the new curriculum, some of the practical considerations in its design, and the way it has functioned. Significant improvements demonstrated after one year of operation include integrating the introductory sequences in physics, calculus, chemistry, English and engineering teaching and using teamwork among students and faculty using a specially designed technology oriented classroom using active and cooperative learning methods encouraging formation of a community of students by block‐scheduling classes and grouping students in the dorms using rigorous assessment to evaluate performance. the attrition rate of first‐year engineering students more than halved the percentage of students passing two semesters of physics on schedule nearly doubled the percentage of students passing calculus on schedule increased by 40% the performance of students on common final exams in both physics and calculus significantly increased.

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Polish scientific biomechanics started in 1920s. This was applied at first to the biomechanics of physical education and sport. Institutional biomechanics in Gdansk started in 1971. Main areas of research of Gdansk center were: 1) human morphology, 2) human kinesiology, 3) muscle mechanics, 4) biomechanics of sport-general approach and many applications to sport disciplines, 5) image methods used for research of movement, 6) sport engineering, 7) biomedical engineering, 8) forensic biomechanics. In 2019 scientists of the Laboratory of Biomechanics and Sport Analytics and Engineering were engaged in the following areas of interest: 1) geometry and inertia of athletes, 2) distribution of velocity along the running track, 3) biomechanics of speed skating, 4) high jumping in athletics, 5) forensic biomechanics. There are altogether about 30 scientific areas developing by the Gdansk sport scientists specializing in biomechanics, analytics, engineering, many of them on the world level including at the best world level.