Building an Effective Online Thermodynamics Course for Undergraduate Engineering Students

Online learning does not appear to be the common option when approaching some core engineering courses. However, the growing need for online engineering courses necessitates the development of online courses that can allow for the flexibility and convenience these distance learning experiences can offer, which also can help broaden the participation in engineering education. Thermodynamics is among the most difficult engineering subjects to teach, 1 , 2 especially online, where instructors are unable to demonstrate the overwhelming number of equations and applications as they would in face-to-face lectures. 3 , 4. This paper describes the design and development of an undergraduate online thermodynamics class. It also reports the students’ learning experience with thermodynamics in an online environment, students’ feedback on the online course, and students’ responses as to what worked in this particular online course