Welcome to Engineering Dynamics Online
Note: This is the Spring
2010 welcome letter.
This letter contains tentative information. Any updates will be
posted here
Latest Updates
Dear Student,
Welcome to distance education at Cuesta College. My
name
is Pam Ridgely, and I will be your instructor for the online version of
Engineering Dynamics (Engineering 251). This letter is to inform you of
some important details prior to the commencement of the Spring 2010
online class. Please read this page carefully!!
My e-mail address is pridgely@cuesta.edu
Use the subject starting with "[E251]" on every e-mail.
Class Overview:
Engineering Dynamics: In this class you
will
learn to analyze the dynamics associated with motion of rigid bodies
and
particles, including velocity, acceleration, relative motion, energy,
work,
momentum, and impulse using vector mathematics.
Online: The class will be conducted online
through Blackboard.
You will have online access to lectures and examples. Homework
problems
will be assigned. Your online participation counts for a portion
of your grade. There will be weekly online assignments but the
tests
and final exam will be in person. (See link at bottom of page for
syllabus and class calendar, but note that they may be outdated until
the start of class.)
How much work is it going to be?
Dynamics is a 3 lecture unit course, which,
according
to college guideline, requires 9 hours/week of work. This is a
challenging course, so depending on your academic background
and your goal, you probably need to spend much more time than the
stated
guideline.
Many students are surprised at the amount of work
and
effort required to teach yourself with little interaction. You
need
to be self-motivated and disciplined with good time management
skills.
On the other hand, you can work according to your own schedule such as
listening to lectures at 2am.
Who should take this class?
The prerequisite for this class is
Engineering
250, Statics. You also need to be familiar with a variety of
mathematical
concepts especially college-level vector calculus and trigonometry. This
page from UNL does a nice job of summarizing the math you need to
know
for dynamics.
If you have not taken an online class before, go
to the distance
education page and read about it. Pay particular attention to
the "For Whom?" section and take the self-assessment survey.
What are the class requirements?
- Even though the
classes
will be
conducted online, the 5 tests will be in person. Make sure your
schedule allows you to be at the SLO campus on the following dates and
time: (Photo ID may be required for tests and final)
|
Date
|
Time
|
Room
|
Activity
|
Tuesday 1/19
|
5:30pm-6:50pm |
4118 |
Orientation (Optional) |
Tuesday TBA
|
4:30pm-5:30pm |
TBA |
Test 1 |
Tuesday
|
4:30pm-5:30pm* |
TBA |
Test 2 |
Tuesday
|
4:30pm-5:30pm* |
TBA |
Test 3 |
Tuesday
|
4:30pm-5:30pm* |
TBA |
Test 4 |
Tuesday 5/18
|
4:30pm-6:30pm |
4118 |
Final Examination |
* Note: these test times may be
changed to 5:40pm-6:40pm. If you can only make either time slot,
please let know ASAP.
- Book:
the required text is Engineering Mechanics Dynamics & Study PK & Mastering Package, 12th Edition By Russell C. Hibbeler. Make sure to get the one with the Mastering Engin
eering package (ISBN: 0-13-701630-1) because you will need it for the homework. The campus bookstore should have it. Or you can try to buy it online, but
if you do so, make sure that it really is the correct ISBN. Be careful of used text since the MasteringEngineering code may have been used. Also
make sure that you receive the text by the time the semester starts
because you will need the code that comes with it in
order to do the homework (borrowing a friend's copy or using the copy
on reserve at the library will not work.) If you already have a textbook without the code, you will need to buy the code at MasteringEngineering (Current price: $50 for the code by itself, or $106 bundled with the eBook.)
- Computer Requirements:
- An email account that is checked at least
twice a week.
- Visit the Cuesta WebCT/Blackboard
site and click on "Check Browser" to see if your browser and Java
version
is supported for WebCT/Blackboard C.E. 8.2.2.
- You will also need the following
plug-ins:
- Speakers or headphone
- Broadband internet connection strongly recommended
- Scanner and image manipulation software.
Note: Registered students can use the
computers
at the library.
Headphones are also available for check out. If those
workstations
are missing any necessary software or plug-in, let me know so I can
arrange
to have them installed. The High
Tech Computer Lab also has several scanners available for student
use.
I live too far away. Can I take the test
remotely?
Maybe. Contact me if you're considering this option.
Can I attend lectures even if I'm in the online
section?
Yes. You can register for the online
section
(space permitted) and attend the regular class. There are a few
conditions
for this:
- If you just want to attend lectures in
addition to
taking the online class. You don't have to inform me. Just
show up to the lectures (T,Th 5:30-6:50pm). In the unlikely
event
that all the chairs are full, then you'll have to give priority to the
students in the regular class.
- If you want to take the regular class
but
if it's
full and you can only get into the online section, then you may
register
for the online section and inform me within the first week of
class.
Remember to inform me ASAP since the submissions for the two sections
may
be different. (The reverse is also true for students who want to
take the online section but can only get into the regular
section.
See below)
Ok, I've decided I want to take this
course.
What do I do next?
- Register
for the class. For Spring 2010, the online section is section 31269 The regular section is section 31268.
- New or former students who have been absent 2
or
more semesters
will need to apply first.
- During registration,
you will be assigned a Cuesta email account. Make sure to check
this account regularly or forward emails to your regular email
account. I need to be able to contact you before class starts and in the event that
Blackboard is down.
- If the section you want is full, you may add
the
other section
and email me to let me know you want to be in the other section.
- By Sunday before class starts, I will send all registered students an email (though your Cuesta email account)
stating that a Blackboard account have been created for you. If you registered for the class in the last
week, it
can take a week to get this set up so you might receive this email
later. Contact me if you don't receive this email by Monday (the day before class starts)
- Your blackboard username is the same as your myCuesta username. The default password is STUDENT (in all caps).
- Log on to your Blackboard account and complete Assignment 0 prior to the orientation meeting (whether or not you are attending the orientation). If you are registered and has not completed Assignment 0 by the time of orientation, I may drop you. If you have any problem completing it on time, email me immediately or come to orientation.
