The Development of an Undergraduate Distance Learning Engineering Degree for Industry ‐ A University/Industry Collaboration

Abstract

This paper documents the pioneering effort associated with the development of a Corporate Engineering Degree Program (CEDP) made available to industry personnel who desire to receive a traditional bachelor's degree via distance learning. This program, a model of a close university/industry collaboration, provides a broad vision for industry needs and makes a quality education available to adult learners. The paper explains the motivation in implementing the program, profiles students, faculty, and industry personnel, examines the challenges in implementing the program, and details accomplishments and continuing developments that have resulted since the program's inception in 1988. The paper also describes the dynamic processes of faculty enrichment and curricular development that resulted during the planning, implementation, and evolvement of the program, all of which have also had an impact on the traditional, on‐campus program and students at the University of North Dakota.

The Role of the Laboratory in Undergraduate Engineering Education

“…As undergraduate distance learning programs started to develop, this problem demanded solution. The usual approach was to have students either perform laboratory exercises at another institution (e.g., a local community college) or spend a period of time on the engineering campus in a concentrated laboratory course [51]. In either case, the laboratory was conventional in all except the schedule of activity.…”

How Do Online Students Differ From Lecture Students?

“…We examine first the external characteristics of the online versus lecture students. As with other forms of distance education, online classes can potentially make the university more accessible to mature students returning to school to update their current skills or acquire new ones [10]. In addition, these classes provide greater flexibility to students who benefit from being able to control the time during which they study the course materials [11].…”

Do Online Students Perform as Well as Lecture Students?

“…These classes make the university more accessible to mature students returning to school to update their current skills or acquire new ones. 3 In addition, online classes provide greater flexibility to students who benefit from being able to control the time, pace and order in which they study the course materials. 4,5 At the same time, online classes have at least as many disadvantages as other forms of distance education.…”