Physics practicals for distance education in an undergraduate engineering course
Contribuinte(s) |
Mann, Llewellyn Daniel, Scott |
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Data(s) |
01/01/2012
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Resumo |
BACKGROUND : Providing engineering practicals to undergraduates by means of distance education is a significant challenge. The past 30 years have seen the rapid development of the distance education. For many years, Deakin University has offered a full Bachelor of Engineering degree programme via distance education. All first-year students study a unit in physics. This unit includes practicals. Providing practical experiences to students is distance education’s greatest challenge.<br /><br />PURPOSE : The purpose of this work was to develop the means for off-campus students to complete practical exercises in first-year engineering physics. The solution to the problem also had to comply with accreditation requirements set by Engineers Australia.<br /><br />METHOD : The long-term solution to the problem was running on-campus lab classes either on weekends or as part of the annual first-year residential school for engineering professional practice. Students work was assessed by means of standard laboratory reports. On-campus marks and off-campus lab marks have been collected and compared over the past 12 years.<br /><br />RESULTS : The results indicate that the off-campus lab experience is similar to the on-campus experience. Marks for the two cohorts were comparable. Those few students who completed their pracs at home faced and overcame significant challenges.<br /><br />CONCLUSIONS : We found that performance in their lab reports for off-campus students was similar to that of the on-campus students. Accreditation requirements has shifted the focus from developing activities that students could perform at home to offering timely and efficient on-campus lab classes for off-campus students. Future work will focus on on-campus lab classes in accordance with accreditation requirements and perhaps on-line broadcasts of prac classes for those students who cannot attend lab on-campus. |
Identificador | |
Idioma(s) |
eng |
Publicador |
ESER group, Swinburne University of Technology |
Relação |
http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30051064/long-physicspracticals-2012.pdf http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30051064/long-physicspracticals-evid-2012.pdf http://www.aaee.com.au/conferences/2012/documents/Full-Proceedings.pdf |
Direitos |
2012, The Authors |
Palavras-Chave | #distance education #off-campus laboratories |
Tipo |
Conference Paper |