Increasing student involvement in materials engineering service subjects for mechanical engineers

The design and preparation of a series of interactive computer-based tutori als for first year mechanical engineering students allowed them to become a ctively involved in their learning as a means of overcoming the problems wi th large tutorial groups. The students were taking an introductory subject in materials engineering, and the tutorials led the students through a numb er of modules providing information, simulations and examples. The student response to these tutorials was overwhelmingly positive, although some nega tive responses suggested that some tutorials were too long. Some revision o f these courses resulted in their length being reduced as a consequence.