Web Enhanced Instruction In Engineering Technology Advantages And Limitations

Web-based and web-enhanced instruction is becoming more and more popular in Engineering Education with the advancement of Internet technology. In this abstract, the author’s experience in using web-enhanced instruction to teach Fluid Power (ET 485) is briefly discussed. In the spring of 2000, MTSU obtained a site license from Blackboard.com and developed CourseInfo on our server for the use of faculty and students. This author attended an on-campus workshop about CourseInfo and learned several new tools and techniques. In the Fall of 2000, Fluid Power course site was developed using CourseInfo. Course syllabus, handouts, and staff information were posted on the course site with links to appropriate files and images. Announcements regarding guest speakers, tests, assignments, useful web sites, and lab groups and meeting times were posted and upgraded periodically. Homework assignments, projects and extra-credit problems were posted with necessary links. Lab instructions, lab quizzes and solutions to test problems were posted on the course site. Students communicated with each other using the discussion board and virtual chat. They submitted assignments using the digital drop box. All of these saved a lot of time and effort for both the instructor and students making learning fun. They minimized the need for hard copies and helped conserve natural resources. Many of our students who work full time and have families were able to discuss the subject using the course site. They could download the course information at their convenience. However, there are some limitations to using the web to teach Engineering Technology courses. Unlike liberal arts and humanities courses, Engineering Technology cannot be taught as webbased courses. Even web-enhanced instruction requires a lot of preparation time on the instructor’s part and becomes an overload when released time is not available. It cannot replace interactive problem solving technique that we use to solve engineering problems. It is hard to develop on-line tests that are different from multiple choice or true/false type tests. Considering the fact that web-based and web-enhanced techniques are still in their early stages, these limitations may soon be overcome. P ge 6.150.1 Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2001, American Society for Engineering Education