Course Introduction(Undergraduate Program):Fundamental of Engineering(Bilingual)

Source: This web site Publish date: 2015-10-28 10:25:00

This course is an introduction to the field of engineering. You will participate in presentations from the five engineering departments and the technology department in the Russ College of Engineering. Also, you will view videos that further illustrate various engineering activities. These presentations and videos will help those who are undecided engineering majors choose the engineering field which appeals to them. The course will give those of you who are not engineering students a better appreciation for how engineering makes the world a better place to live.

Engineering is an incredibly broad field that involves the harnessing of mathematical and scientific concepts to create practical and useful things, ranging from automobiles to wind turbines. This field is huge, encompassing people in a wide range of industries, and some people call it “the invisible science,” because engineers are often unsung and unheralded, despite the fact that the work they do is very important. Many colleges and universities offer courses in this discipline for people who are interested in pursuing it as a career.

As a very ancient field of human endeavor, engineering was used by early humans, who used their knowledge of the natural world to figure out things like irrigation schemes and how to build boats that didn't sink. Over time, as humans learned more about science and mathematics, engineering got more complex, and this field paved the way for modern society. Anyone reading this article is benefiting from a product of this field, be it a computer or other similar electronic device.

There are a number of subfields of this discipline, including mechanical, computer, electrical, military, civil, environmental, aerospace, and chemical engineering. All of these fields require different types of training; aerospace engineers, for example, learn a great deal about physics and space in the course of their work, while environmental engineers consider issues like pollution control and the impact of humans on their environment.

The course will give you a better sense for the two basic domain areas of engineering; analysis and synthesis. Analysis is the focus of the Polya book on problem-solving and synthesis is the focus of the Norman book on design. Both are introductory books and are very easy to understand. Additionally, Norman's book will give you an appreciation for good design and will enable you to recognize poor designs. Polya demonstrates a powerful problem solving methodology that will enable you to develop your problem-solving skills. Good problem solving skills are useful in all fields of endeavor. We will not spend a lot of class time discussing the reading assignments, but you are to study the assignments and be prepared to answer exam questions on the material. If you have question about the reading, please ask in class or send me an email.