A Virtual Classroom Experiment for Teaching the Economic Principles of Engineering Design

工程-其他（59）作为决策者，工程师必须在设计的多个方面都有知识和能力。工程不仅仅是一个解决问题的活动，只关注设计工件的预期性能。还必须考虑设计决定对寿命周期问题的经济后果。本科工程教育的一个主要挑战是提高学生在工程过程中至关重要的经济要素方面的能力。为了取得成功，经济学的基础知识需要尽早引入，并在整个本科课程中得到加强。本项目的目标是进行一项实验，以确定虚拟教室环境是否提高了工程设计的经济原理的熟练程度。正如设想的那样，虚拟教室为工程师提供了经济学的基本介绍。此外，它作为一个持续的资源，为本科生和实践的专业人士。更深远的是，这项研究是一个长期和更广泛的愿景，以建立一个选定的工程课程的核心课程的本科课程的一个组成部分。预期透过在本科阶段采用以电脑为本的学习方法，可以非常具成本效益的方式为更多学生提供更高质素的核心工程课程。在这项研究结束时，将通过因特网提供该课程的电子版，其中将包括模块化的课程笔记、软件、测试/评估材料和工业案例研究。本研究直接涉及的本科教育（DUE）的主题包括教师发展，多样性和技术在教育中的整合。

Engineering - Other (59)As decision-makers, engineers must be knowledgeable and competent in multiple aspects of design. Engineering is more than a problem solving activity focusing on simply the expected performance of designed artifacts. Consideration must also be given to the economic consequences of design decisions on life-cycle issues. A major challenge to undergraduate engineering education is to increase student competency in the economic elements that are such a critical part of the engineering process. To succeed, the fundamentals of economics needs to be introduced early and reinforced throughout the undergraduate program.The objective of this project is to conduct an experiment to determine whether a virtual classroom environment is improving proficiency in the economic principles of engineering design. As envisioned, the virtual classroom is providing the basic introduction to economics for engineers. Also, it serve as a continuing resource for undergraduates and for practicing professionals. Farther reaching, this research is an integral part of a longer-term and broader vision to build an undergraduate program for selected core courses in the engineering curriculum. It is anticipated that through computer-based learning methods utilized at the undergraduate level, higher quality core engineering courses can be offered to more students in a very cost-effective manner.This project is a collaborative effort. At the conclusion of this research, an electronic version of the course will be made available via the Internet and will include modularized course notes, software, materials for testing/assessment, and industrial case studies. The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) themes directly addressed by this research include faculty development, diversity, and integration of technology in education.