International Conference on Engineering Education – ICEE 2007 Distance Education Tools for Engineering

Abstract- Frequently within distance education it appears that the only system of significance or interest to many administrators and faculty is how many classes are being offered, the course management system, and the technology of course production. Clearly there is a need for this information and the different types of training for faculty and staff, but the presentation of material for distance education courses has been largely ignored, especially within engineering. This paper looks at two tools used by most distance education engineering courses – interaction and PowerPoint presentations. Interaction is a strategy to engage learners in thoughtful responses to the instruction and aids in the transfer of knowledge. Interaction occurs naturally in a face-to-face classroom, but with distance education it needs to be planned. The second tool is the PowerPoint presentation. In the 1980’s and 1990’s the delivery of distance courses by engineers was characterized by the “hairy arm” picture. Today presentations are characterized by the ubiquitous and often poorly designed PowerPoint. Not only is it used by engineering professors but also PowerPoint has become a staple of corporate life. These tools are presented with thoughts on how to use them and meet the objectives of the course