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"iMechanica",Promotes the "Education"??
Let's contribute in a bit more educational topic!! If I want to mention two unique properties of the iMechanica, I can say iMechanica is a place where an alive discussion about popular topics of the mechanics going on every day and non stop. So this improves new ideas and as a consequence build some platforms for future research topics in the mechanics world. For me as an student, there is another beneficial and that is some courseworks or lecture notes which I download regularly. These handouts prepared by very expert scientists and are so useful. I appreciate this activities and I am very grateful to all people who also update the educational part of the webpage. Here is a new topic which with your help and comments can improve this part more and give it serious role to play here. Would you write about the summer schools which you are going to have in your universities and institutes located all over the world this summer? The summer schools is a point of interest among all students, specially if the topic will be about mechanics, modelling and simulation, nanomechanics and specially biomechanical issues. Also I will be very pleased if you will recommend the conferences you are going to hold or you like to introduce to student's section. That is another point which will be very useful. I am sure that it will be interesting for other members also. I am waiting for all your helps and news about "summer schools" and other "educational activities" running by you or your universities. I wish you all the best. Thank you.
Mahdi Kazemzadeh
Education 2.0: pervasive student participation
This is a wonderful idea! Perhaps we are beginning to see Education 2.0.
Our eduction has long centered on lectures and books, two ancient modes of communication. The Internet has just created a new mode of communication.
There has been some debate whether this new mode will replace the old modes, but I'd say that a new mode can be valuable even without replacing the old ones. Why not let all modes co-evolve and all thrive?
Among many new options opened by the Internet is pervasive student participation. As a modest example, my students in a graduate course in Solid Mechanics, as well as students in several courses taught by others, have posted their projects. This way, students will benefit from feedback of their peers and even mechanicians all over the world. The work of these students may also serve as a source of inspiration for future students. Thus, the Internet has just created a new genre of literature: student projects.
Producing and distributing print materials are expensive. The Internet has radically changed this economics. You can now distribute information for free. Why not make everything people have ever written, spoken and, God forbidding, thought online? Let users pick and choose what they want to spend time with. The search engine has almost evaporated the fear for information explosion.
In Education 2.0, we are all teachers some time, and students some other time. We all pursue an enduring goal of humans: learning.
Re:iMechanica promotes education?
Mahdi,
I think your question can be interpreted in two different ways.
First, it seems that you are requesting professors to post their notes from the summer courses they teach. My question is why request notes only from the summer and not from all their courses? Are there certain topics that are more typically covered during summer school?
This led me to wonder whether you were instead requesting for a brief description about summer school courses. This would make it easier for you to compare the variety of courses offered by some of the top professors and easier to find the course you want to take.
Just wanted to clarify your question. thanks
"iMechanica,Mechanician`s Notes, New Database"!
Dear Eloy & All viewers;
Thank you for pointing this out. Actually I noticed that my request from admirable scientists of this web page could be more clear. The main reason I didn’t revise it, was Professor Suo comment for this topic. His comment was a very sophisticated clarification that definitely made my request and purpose clear. Let me just add other points.
There was a request as an student from all scientists to send their handouts and notes about mechanics different topics. Also somehow I am very grateful to all of them who have done the same up to now, and all students have access to their notes around iMechanica.
The next point which I mentioned was summer schools. Summer is coming!!and that is a really hot topic between students to find and attend the courses they want during this period of time. Actually this summer is a opportunity that the students can take part in the modules they like with Professors specialist in that particular area. I wanted to use this chance and invite all scientists to let us know about their summer plans and courses. This is a topic which is very nice to discuss nowadays. The best references for this summer plans are professors themselves who are going to held these plans so by their announcements, students will be aware of the opportunities.
Like you said, the main idea is to improve the educational part and request mechanicians to let students have their lecture notes and handouts. The summer school also as a very seasonal hot topic(!) considered because that was an interesting occasion and the only way to know about that is to ask from organizers.
Like Professor Suo mentioned “Education 2.0” is the unlimited area which I think these days we can find easily in iMechanica. The later improvements and updates will enable this part to find its position here.
I hope this will clear my purpose. Anyway the both are topics which can be pointed as the educational activities, but let me know if you think it is better to divide the question into two separate topics?? I am waiting for all comments and ideas and I hope we get comments about the both course notes and educational activities in Universities. That is also a good idea to add up all the mechanicians notes around iMechanica in a special folder on web page, it will help all to search and that will serve as a course database also. This is an idea which has alos written as the subject of this reply. Let me know your ideas. Thank you.
Mahdi Kazemzadeh