e-Learning from Engineering Failures: Learning-by-Doing in a Computer-Based Simulated Environment

Teaching science and engineering is not what it used to be. At some stage, it was recognized that not all students learn everything in the same way: there are different learning styles. This new understanding of how people learn has been the subject of research in education, with the consequence that different learning styles are now emphasized as valid (and desirable) forms of learning. A second change has been the introduction of personal computers as part of our lives: There are new opportunities to learn using computer-based environments. This book emphasizes novel ways to teach and learn that can be developed by most instructors provided that they have the patience and interest to produce class innovations using computers. The specific approach discussed has been called “learning-by-doing (or active learning) in a computer-based (or virtual) environment”. Examples of implementations are given in the context of Engineering, with emphasis on learning concepts from the analysis of structural failures; however, the methodology can be extended to other areas of Engineering and Science.