January 2006 Journal of Engineering Education 63

This study describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an effective curriculum for students to learn com-putational fluid dynamics (CFD) in introductory and intermedi-ate undergraduate and introductory graduate level courses/ laboratories. The curriculum is designed for use at different uni-versities with different courses/laboratories, learning objectives, applications, conditions, and exercise notes. The common objec-tive is to teach students from novice to expert users who are well prepared for engineering practice. The study describes a CFD Educational Interface for hands-on student experience, which mirrors actual engineering practice. The Educational Interface teaches CFD methodology and procedures through a step-by-step interactive implementation automating the CFD process. A hierarchical system of predefined active options facilitates use at introductory and intermediate levels, encouraging self-learning, and eases transition to using industrial CFD codes. An indepen-dent evaluation documents successful learning outcomes and confirms the effectiveness of the interface for students in intro-ductory and intermediate fluid mechanics courses