Systemic design of interactive learning environment for global engineering courses

This study investigates the interplay among design method, technology enhanced learning, and global engineering learning. It presents the process of how a team of engineering educators employed a set of design methods to integrate a variety of learning technologies in order to develop an interactive learning environment, upon which, multiple global engineering courses have been successfully developed. The designers went through a systemic design process of stakeholder involvement, functional design, and conceptual design. As a result, two key functional requirements of the interactive learning environment are proposed: (1) connect globally distributed classrooms and (2) promote peer-to-peer interactions among global learners. And two corresponding design concepts are generated: (1) videoconferencing classroom and (2) interactive eLearning system. An evaluation was conducted upon a particular global engineering course, namely "Principles and Practices of Global Innovation", which was served by 130 students who signed up from six global universities. At the conclusion of the course, an evaluation was conducted to solicit the participants' satisfaction with the interactive learning environment, and the impacts of this unique technology-enabled global learning experience on their knowledge, skill and attitude of Information and Communication Technology.