PROFESSOR

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is an introductory engineering course which is transferable to four-year programs . If you are exploring Engineering as a profession, this course can help you identify if Engineering is right for you. You will learn about Engineering through printed material, hands-on projects, interaction with practicing engineers, visit to engineering companies, interaction with people from other colleges and universities, and multimedia and online documents. Please read the following for detail information on this course.
 

OBJECTIVES

The course has the following objectives:

1. To enable students to understand the various disciplines and the role of engineer in society.
2. To introduce students to career planning in engineering.
3. To help students select a suitable engineering major.
4. To introduce students to the engineering problem solving.
5. To introduce students to engineering design process.
6. To introduce students to the interdisciplinary aspects of engineering projects and concurrent engineering.
7. To provide an overview of computer applications in engineering.
8. To introduce students to engineering ethics.
 

CONTENT

1. Introduction: what is engineering, why study engineering, and what does it take to become an engineer?
2. History of Engineering: engineering in the early civilization, engineering in the Middle Ages, advancement of science and engineering, and engineering in the twenty first century.
3. Learning and Creative Thought: the thinking and learning processes, the nature of creativity, and creative problem solving technique.
4. The Engineer as a Professional: engineering as a profession, characteristics and responsibilities of professional engineers, the functions of engineering, and engineers as managers.
5. Career Fields in Engineering: detailed description of different engineering disciplines.
6. Engineering Ethics and Public Policy: the scope of engineering ethics, the experimental nature of engineering, engineers-managers-organizations, and global awareness.
7. Engineering Challenges: an overview of the past and future challenges including those related to the environment, energy, population, and international competitiveness.
8. Engineering Design Concepts and Processes : the nature of engineering design, creative process in design, the stages and phases of engineering design, project development, example of design and development projects.
9. Analysis: methodology and the role of analysis in engineering
10. Presentation of Technical Information: tools for conceptual problem solving, block diagrams, flow charts, freehand drawing, and visualization), tools for project presentation and documentation, and Computer Aided Design(CAD).
11. Computers in Engineering: historical overview, common digital computer software used by engineers.
12. Concurrent Engineering: integrating disciplines in solving engineering problems, quality control and related topics
 

RECOMMEND

Eligibility for English 122.

TEXTBOOK

REQUIRED:
Oakes, Leone, and Gunn, "Engineering Your Future-A comprehensive Approach ", Fifth Edition, Great Lakes Press, St. Louis, MO, 2006 (ISBN 1-881018-86-5).
 

EVALUATION

Evaluation in this course includes weekly assignments, CAD projects, design projects, examination, and participation. The share of each part is as listed below:

                    Homework Assignments 25 points                                     CAD Projects 10 points
                    Two Exams 20 points each                                                Design Project 20 points
                    Participation 5 points

Grading will be based on the standard letter grade system. The classification includes A(above 90 points), B(80 to 89 points), C(70 to 79 points), D(60 to 69 points) and F(below 60 points). Please remember to officially drop the course when you no longer are actively participating in this course before the deadline for dropping a full-term class as listed on the DVC schedule of courses. Failure to do so will result in your name remaining on the class roster and finally receiving F and failing the course.
 

HOW TO REGISTER IN THIS COURSE

Please read the course content listed above and "Points TO Consider Before Taking This Course" listed below. If this is the right course for you, you can register like you register in any regularly scheduled course; contact DVC registrar located in the admissions(tel: 925-685-1230). You may also register by phone by calling 925-370-9000 or visit DVC's website for registering online or further details. After registering you must attend the first session (and two other sessions listed below) on August 18, 2008 at 3:30 PM in room ET112. This meeting takes 1-1/2 hours.
 

CLASS SCHEDULE

This course has a total of three face-to-face meetings to be held on 8/18, 10/17, and  12/12/2008 at 3:30 - 5:30pm. The meetings take place in room ET112 and will last for about two hours. You must attend these sessions during which main topics of the course will be discussed and exams of the course will be adminitered.The detailed class schedule will be given during the first onsite meeting.
 

POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE

1. Distance learning coursework can be neglected because of personal or family circumstances, unless there are compelling-reasons for completing a course.
2. Some students prefer the independence of distance learning; others find it uncomfortable.
3. Distance learning courses give you greater freedom to schedule your work, but they also require more self-discipline.
4. Some people learn best by in-person interaction with other students, but online courses do not afford as much opportunity for this type of interaction.
5. Distance learning courses require you to work from written directions, without face-to-face explanations by the instructor.
6. This online course requires at least as much time as attending classes and completing assignments for on-campus courses. This course makes use of electronic media for teaching and communication. You will need to be comfortable with using E-mail, the Internet, and up and downloading your assignments.You will be using chat rooms and bulletin boards for discussion and interaction with the instructor and other students in this class.
7. Print materials are the primary source of directions and information in distance learning courses. Exams are taken on campus and only in special cases, such as students who are severely disabled or incarcerated, the exams are administered with a proctor.