This project will develop a new course - along with class notes and related computer exercises - designed to strengthen freshmen programs in engineering. The course called Introduction to Engineering Analysis will provide an integrated treatment of vector mechanics, primarily statics, and linear algebra, with a concurrent emphasis on the use of computer- based methods for solving problems. Students will learn key principles of mechanics and linear algebra in one integrated course. Students will be presented with a more coherent and realistic picture of the relevance of linear algebra and computational methods in the solution of engineering problems. The project will result in the development of all instructional materials and a trial offering of the course, followed by evaluations and revisions, and ending with a finished course and associated notes and exercises, including computer exercises, which can be disseminated to other institutions interested in this new approach.
