Development of a Model Set of Engineering Course Materials Using Java

该提案的目标是在工程力学的关键领域开发一系列新颖的基于计算机的教学单元，作为整个工程和科学领域开发类似材料的国家模式。这些单元以通用兼容的Java编程语言编写的教学程序为中心，并通过万维网提供给所有工程专业的学生和教育工作者。它们是集中的，独立的和独立的，以便它们可以很容易地集成到广泛的工程课程和课程。这些单元旨在对工程专业的学生产生重大影响，为他们提供额外的材料，促进他们对中心概念的理解，使他们能够在世界任何地方以个人的速度进行独立学习。 万维网上一个广受宣传的网站将载有这些经同行审查的教学单元和其他人编写的类似审查材料。通过与弗吉尼亚理工大学及其许多姐妹机构的教育工作者直接接触，以及通过网络和学术出版物和会议提供补充信息，促进其他教师开发类似材料是一个至关重要的目标。 对这些单位的教育效果进行评估是该项目的一个组成部分。形成性评价用于根据用户的反馈改进和修改单元。定量和定性的评价进行评估的单位的有效性方面的认知收益的学生使用它们。

The objective of this proposal is the development of a series of novel computer-based instructional units in key areas of engineering mechanics that serve as a national model for the development of similar materials throughout engineering and science. The units are centered on instructional programs written in the universally compatible Java programming language, and are made available to all engineering students and educators over the World Wide Web. They are focused, self-contained and independent so that they can be easily integrated into a broad range of engineering courses and curricula. The units are designed to have a significant impact on engineering students, providing them additional materials that promote their understanding of central concepts over a medium that allows independent learning at an individual pace from anywhere in the world. A broadly advertised site on the World Wide Web will contain these peer-reviewed instructional units and similar reviewed materials developed by others. Stimulating the development of similar materials by other instructors is a crucial goal to be accomplished by direct contact with educators at Virginia Tech and its many sister institutions as well as by providing supplementary information over the Web and through scholarly publications and meetings. Evaluation of the educational effectiveness of the units is an integral part of the project. Formative evaluation are used to improve and modify the units based on the responses of users. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluations are performed to assess the effectiveness of the units in terms of the cognitive gains of students who use them.