Developing a multimedia courseware in structural engineering

Summary form only given. A project is underway to develop a courseware for a typical first course in structural steel design in civil or architectural engineering programs. The software, called Steel Design Educational Module (SteelDEM), is an intelligent tutor and teaching aid that utilizes the state-of-the-art in multimedia to enhance teaching/learning of design and development of steel structures. The module integrates full motion video, computer graphics, animations, text, and audio to allow users to investigate different structural steel members and their behavior, limit states, and design. An on line data base of structural steel shapes as well as the latest engineering design specifications and aids from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Manual of Steel Construction are available to users at all times. The software will help better prepare students for their professional careers through coverage of “real world” situations not typically covered in the classroom. All screens in SteelDEM have a series of buttons which give users access to a number of features. They include; Menu, Index, AISC Manual, Glossary, Notebook, Bookmarks, Calculator, and Help. Each screen will also display the screen number within each chapter and user´s score on exercises and questions. The course instructor can use existing problems at the end of each chapter or enter his/her own problems and allow students to print those problems. SteelDEM is a Windows based application which may be used on single or networked computers. It may also be viewed over the World Wide Web through a web browser