Use of hypertext/hypermedia in a fluids laboratory

The curriculum in the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department at North Dakota State University strives to give students experience with the concept of scholarship. The authors present the initial efforts and effects of a computer-based hypertext/hypermedia environment called the Flexible Education Module (FEM) on the scholarship goal. The idea of the FEM is to create a self-contained computer environment to assist in the teaching and learning process involved in the art and science of experimentation and design. The course chosen for the use of the FEM was a laboratory course, MEAM 455 "Mechanical Systems I: Fluids Laboratory." At present, this "Fluids Laboratory" concentrates on the integration, application, and transmission of knowledge