Computer managed learning and assessment integrated within a materials engineering program for non-majors

This paper reports on an on-line learning initiative in Engineering Materials for first year students in diverse disciplines of engineering. This initiative was developed for general first year engineering students to incorporate an on-line assessment system for the major aspects of learning and teaching: lectures, tutorials and laboratory work. This teaching approach required the availability of a data delivery system (using a proprietary brand of software), for provision of pedagogical material. In particular, tutorial-based inquiry was associated with both a general engineering problem based learning approach and a team approach to problem solving. The hands-on laboratory work was intimately integrated within the data delivery system for both pre laboratory learning, and post laboratory team review in applications utilised by non-materials engineers (notwithstanding other engineering disciplines) and assessment. Feedback from the student and staff about the course content, laboratory structure and data delivery system relevant to many facets of engineering was encouraging and seen to contribute to the overall learning strategy of knowledge of materials within the general engineering environment.