Web-based alternatives for learning engineering science

As curricula receive increasing pressure to reduce credit hours while including non-traditional elements, the engineering science component has sometimes been the target of cutbacks. However, knowledge of the fundamental concepts remains critical to engineering education. The existing paradigm for teaching engineering science is three credit hour blocks of material. This three-unit course depth may not be necessary, but a basic comprehension of the material is vital. Over the past four years, eight facility members in the College of Engineering and Mines (COEM) at the University of Arizona have created a web-based course, ENGR 211. The course consists of eight 1-credit hour modules on engineering science topics and spans the areas traditionally covered by the Fundamentals of Engineering professional exam (statics, thermo, dynamics, fluids, mechanics, materials, electric circuits, and economics). The modules are now part of the required curricula in 2 departments and demand from a variety of sources is rising rapidly (75 credit hours during Fall 2002, 100 registered for Spring 2003). In this paper, we describe the overall system used in the course, the methods of delivery and student support, and a comparison of learning outcome measurements from the traditional 3-unit classes. We also include discussion on our experiences with the difficulties of running such a class.