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This page documents some of the ideas to use software in Engineering Education. This site uses MATLAB and I hope to have a similar site with Python. I also have some planning ideas for Hands on workshop

Why integrate software in Engineering Education?

Developing skills in Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are considered the important achievement of an engineering education. Lots of research and activity have gone into this realization though these topics have always made common sense over the centuries. It is becoming difficult to deliver this outcome for many reasons, in particular the common misconceptions about student learning, emphasis and motivation.

• There is a popular belief that memorization is a low-level intellectual activity and should be discouraged. The brain has enormous capacity. Memorization increases the vocabulary for critical thinking. There should be no doubt about this. Knowing and commanding facts is more challenging than looking up information on the internet. Memorization should be a basic component for Thinking and Problem solving. Off course, to convince the student and faculty of this is a different proposition.
• Successful people in engineering and science have the ability to process the usefulness of the information immediately, without any assistive devices. This is because they chose to remember stuff. The current mobile devices with their incredible search capacity is another hindrance to memorization.
• Creative problem solving involves using facts and ideas in different ways then the results of the internet search. This process is dependent on the library in your memory - not in the cloud.
• It is difficult to think critically if you do not have a reservoir of stored information from thinking critically earlier. You cannot challenge the current proposition unless you know definitely it is incorrect.
• The ability to memorize should be encouraged as a requirement of the engineer and designer. Knowing how to draw and express information instantaneously using illustrations for effective communication is power of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving skills.
• Integrating software in the classes is a stealthy way to encourage information retention and understanding.

Why MATLAB?

MATLAB today is a powerful Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Teaching and Learning that allows us to combine effortlessly

• Graphical Programming - create powerful descriptive graphics and animation
• Symbolic Programming - Use MATLAB the same way as you would n the chalk board - reinforces traditional learning
• Numerical Programming - Dealing with numbers, traditional programming structures and program control
• Text Programming - processing strings and literals

The Hands-on Workshop Outlines are based on actual workshop conducted by the author.

This is workshop for Mechanical Engineering Faculty at the Vellore Institute of Technology that I will conduct in June 2015.

This is a 5 Day workshop with about 4 hours each day. It is Hands - on

The general ideas are expressed though the slides in the link below

Your comments and suggestions are welcome