Communication And Compatibility: Introducing Electronic Media Techniques In Computer Based Engineering Laboratories

Computer-based engineering laboratories, such as those used to present engineering graphics and simulation courses, provide instructors with an opportunity to introduce a wide range of additional topics to students, from basic computer use tutorials in freshman graphics to social issues of relevance and privacy in graduate-level courses. The professor that wishes to treat such areas will be most successful in a laboratory environment that includes computer monitor projection capabilities, as well as individual workstations. In examining the expanded utilization possibilities of engineering computer laboratories, though, other issues must be addressed before a strategy of implementation can be advocated. To explore the role of information technology in the college classroom, we must more clearly define its missions in both the education environment and the engineering workplace. We can then identify key areas that information technology and services (IT&S), and specifically engineering computer laboratories, can assist in achieving these goals, supported by examples from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Engineering.