Web-Based Teaching of Open-Ended Multidisciplinary Engineering Design Problems

Teaching the engineering design competency is a challenging task in a classical face-to-face classroom environment, and an even greater challenge in a distance learning context. This study presents the activities of a North American Mobility Program (NAMP) project entitled Process Integration for Environmental Control in Engineering Curricula. Seventeen modules were developed using a tiered approach to web-based learning which in combination with classroom-based activities, aim at addressing design engineering know-how. The use of a web-based module employing the tiered-structure in a postgraduate course was evaluated, and it was found that the module enhanced communication amongst students as well as between the instructor and the students.