Closed Projects
USE-eNET: US-Europe e-Learning NETwork in Science and Engineering
EU Lead Director: Möller, Dietmar P. F., Prof. Dr.-Ing., University of Hamburg, Germany; U.S. Lead Director: Crosbie, Roy E., Prof. Dr. California State University Chico, U.S.A.
Murray-Smith, David, Prof. Dr., University of Glasgow, Scotland; Dørup, Jens, Technical University of Aarhus, Denmark; Javor, Andres, Technical University of Budapest, Hungary;
Vakilzadian, Hamid, Porf. Dr., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, U.S.A.; Schroer, Bernard, Prof. Dr., University of Alabama in Huntsville, U.S.A.; Lloyd, Garry, Prof. Dr. , University of Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Project Duration
10/2004 - 09/2007
Funding Body:
European Commission Directorate Education and Culture, Europe
Federal Department of Education Funds for Postsecondary Education, U.S.A.
Project Description:
Project Description:
The proposed complementary activity will establish a model for program sustainability involving an optimum combination of mechanisms for student learning and international exchange and interaction. It will build on the successful experience of the 3-year implementation project, USE-ME, which established a consortium of 3 U.S. and 3 European universities to develop an international graduate program in computer science & engineering focused on the interdisciplinary topic computational modeling & simulation (M&S). Successful outcomes included:
– Initiation of transatlantic student exchanges
– Faculty exchanges to teach courses on partner campuses.
– Summer session courses open to transatlantic exchange students.
– Textbook on “Mathematical and Computational Modelling and Simulation” by Springer Publishing.
– Presentations on “Program Sustainability” at the Halifax and Lisbon EC-US-CANADA Project Directors’ Conferences.
USE-ME concentrated on establishing full semester student exchanges and achieved limited success in this regard. It is clear that sustaining the program requires other modalities for course delivery and student exchange and interaction. In particular, a truly international program must involve web-based e-learning as a major method of course delivery, but to be successful the online courses must incorporate innovative features that allow students to work together on team projects. The complementary activity consortium USE-eNET now plans to develop a generic design framework for an e-learning and simulation environment that will meet the needs of a wide range of disciplines. A prototype best practise e-book and a set of course modules will be produced including modules for transatlantic team projects. It is intended that these courses together with faculty exchanges, semester exchanges, short transatlantic study workshops, and transatlantic industry internships will provide a spectrum of opportunities that will constitute a model international graduate program. The scope of the complementary activity itself will include the following:
USE-ME concentrated on establishing full semester student exchanges and achieved limited success in this regard. It is clear that sustaining the program requires other modalities for course delivery and student exchange and interaction. In particular, a truly international program must involve web-based e-learning as a major method of course delivery, but to be successful the online courses must incorporate innovative features that allow students to work together on team projects. The complementary activity consortium USE-eNET now plans to develop a generic design framework for an e-learning and simulation environment that will meet the needs of a wide range of disciplines. A prototype best practise e-book and a set of course modules will be produced including modules for transatlantic team projects. It is intended that these courses together with faculty exchanges, semester exchanges, short transatlantic study workshops, and transatlantic industry internships will provide a spectrum of opportunities that will constitute a model international graduate program. The scope of the complementary activity itself will include the following:
– Build a new consortium with two former USE-ME partners (in addition to the original USE-ME lead partners) and two new academic consortia partners on each side, and attend at least the annual EC-US-CANADA Joint partners meetings.
– Develop a prototype generic e-learning and simulation environment capable of meeting the needs of a wide range of disciplines and develop a prototype set of course modules that include the operation of transatlantic student team projects.
– Demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of M&S by incorporating course material on selected special topics: modelling and simulation applications in transportation systems and medicine, exploiting the expertise of consortia partners.
– Develop a Memorandum of Agreement between the consortia partners that will deal with the administrative actions needed to allow students from any partner campus to participate in the complementary joint activities of the program.
– Establish Letters of Intent with industrial partners regarding support after the funding period is over
Efforts will continue outside the scope of the complementary activity to present the generic design framework of an e-learning and simulation environment at national and international conferences in the fields of education, e-learning, simulation, transportation, and medicine to disseminate information about the USE-eNET project. We plan to organize short workshops, and special sessions at the respective conferences. Moreover it is planned to produce textbooks and publications about the USE-eNET topics.
Efforts will continue outside the scope of the complementary activity to present the generic design framework of an e-learning and simulation environment at national and international conferences in the fields of education, e-learning, simulation, transportation, and medicine to disseminate information about the USE-eNET project. We plan to organize short workshops, and special sessions at the respective conferences. Moreover it is planned to produce textbooks and publications about the USE-eNET topics.