Computer utilization in enhancing engineering education

In June of 1998, with an initiative from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology was placed in charge of developing plans to further enhance the educational opportunities in engineering across the state. Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program (GTREP) was specifically created to accomplish this objective. GTREP is based in southeast Georgia and offers undergraduate programs in the areas of Civil and Computer Engineering in collaboration with Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Southern University, and Savannah State University. In the summer of 1999 with the funds from Georgia Tech, the computer laboratories and teachable lecture room facilities at Georgia Southern University were updated and equipped with computer projection systems, Elmo units, SMART BOARDS and other instructional technology equipment to meet the demands of the GTREP program. The paper presented discusses the methodologies currently. utilized in these improved facilities to enhance the teaching effectiveness of the instructors and the course comprehension of the students. During the fall semester of 1999, these methodologies were employed to provide instructions for a total of about two hundred students enrolled in seven sections of the course entitled Computing for Engineers (ENGR 1132). A web site is specifically designed for this course to aid the instructor in relaying the course material to the students effectively and to give them easy and convenient access to the course material. A discussion will be included in this paper to illustrate the components which are included in the web page and to clarify how these components are utilized to enhance the instructions. The utilization of a listserv specially designed for this course and electronic mail will also be discussed in this paper together with the utilization of variety of software packages and tools including the use of Internet services and resources. The paper also sheds light into the following questions: Why were the discussed techniques and tools selected? How are they supposed to work? What effect do they have on the course delivery of the instructor? How do they, effect the student learning?