Integrating Virtual Collaborative Engineering into a Freshman Curriculum

Abstract

Experience in distributed virtual collaborative engineering is becoming more and more important as the use of advanced communication and information technologies is transforming engineering companies. To prepare students for this new reality and to respond to corporate demand, universities must begin to incorporate ‘virtual collaborative engineering’ concepts and ‘e-engineering’ technologies into their curricula. In this paper, design, implementation and assessment of a multidisciplinary freshman engineering and technology course is discussed. The aim of the course is to provide students with the necessary skills and practices in the latest methodologies and technologies to apply in a virtual collaborative engineering environment.

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