Welcome to Engineering Dynamics Online

Note: This is the Fall 2009 welcome letter.
This letter contains tentative information. Any updates will be posted here

Latest Updates
Welcome email sent to the entire class. Let me know if you didn't receive one!
Textbook details below
Remote testing no longer allowed
Test dates available

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 Fall 2009 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 (See link at bottom of page for syllabus and class calendar, but note that they may be outdated until the start of class.)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 course is more challenging than most, so depending on your academic background and your goal, you probably need to spend 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 8/18	5:30pm-6:50pm	4118	Orientation (Optional)
Tuesday 9/8	4:30pm-5:30pm	4118	Test 1
Tuesday 9/29	4:30pm-5:30pm*	4118	Test 2
Tuesday 10/27	4:30pm-5:30pm*	4118	Test 3
Tuesday 11/24	5:40pm-6:40pm	4118	Test 4
Tuesday 12/15	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 Engineering package (ISBN: 0-13-701630-1) because you will need it for the homework. This textbook is brand new so it may be somewhat difficult to find. 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 very suspicious of used text since it's just been published). 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.)
Computer Requirements:

Computer - Pentium-class or Macintosh PC
Operating System - Windows 2000 or Mac OS 10.2 or above (other OS such as linux may work but is not supported)
Recent Video & Sound Card
Speakers or headphone
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:

VGA display of at least 800x600, higher recommended. (Though 800x600 will work for the lectures, a resolution of at least 1024x768 is required to correctly view the Online Learning Center.)
Internet connection of at least 56kb dialup, broadband 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?

Sorry, no. We have tried remote testing in the past and there had been too many problems with it.

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?

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 in the event that Blackboard is down.
If the section you want is full, you may add the other section and let me know within the first week that you want to change.

Sometime during the weekend before class starts, click on the link at the bottom of the page to see details about the course, including syllabus and class calendar. Print them out for your reference. Note that until that weekend, the information may change substantially.
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.


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