A Learning Community & Curriculum for Professors Teaching Engineering Fluid Mechanics

Situation

In the spring of 2004, members of the ELE community (Williams, Carson, Zemke, Elger, Beyerlein, and George) started working on a proposal.  Over many project team meetings, this proposal evolved to an NSF Educational Methods Development (EMD) proposal. 

The proposal idea was evolved in major ways during the Advanced Teaching Institute held at the University of Idaho on June 7 to 10.  Dan Apple of Pacific Crest played a central leadership role in the evolution.

The proposal outcomes are shown in the figure below.

Key ideas of the proposal

• Create enriched learning in a core engineering course.  We selected engineering fluid mechanics. 
• Create a curriculum that is purposefully designed to produce learning.  Develop this curriculum using the systematic process that is known as instructional design.  Apply the Pacific Crest instructional design model.
• Create a community of fluid mechanics teachers and build a enterprise that provides support for these professors as they move through the change process. 

Results

• Proposal Narrative