Les infos clés
En résumé
In this introductory course, you’ll learn some engineering principles that can be applied to structural systems everywhere: in nature, in furniture, in mechanical and aerospace systems, and in any solid object that resists a load.
Together we’ll explore how structures work, why they were designed the way they were designed, how they support loads, and where forces flow through them.
More specifically we’ll:
- Learn about funicular forms and how ropes and cables resist tension.
- Discuss how columns, arches, and anti-funicular forms resist compression.
- Discover how trusses, beams and walls resist loads. • Sketch the flow of forces through structures.
- Compare and contrast different structural forms and systems to answer a range of questions such as: Why might an engineer choose a beam over a truss? How do the dimensions of a structure affect its response? How do engineers choose forms and systems to create structures that are both elegant and functional?
Join us in exploring the engineering of structures around us.
The main course image, Kurilpa Bridge credited to: Alastair Smith, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Les prérequis
- High school algebra
- High school geometry
Le programme
- How and why the world's structures (including structures in the natural and biological world) were designed and constructed the way they were
- To conceptually design and build prototypes of structures
- That engineering goes beyond math and science and involves much creativity and innovation
- To identify and compare structural elements, forms, and systems
- To describe the loads expected on a structure and the resulting flow of forces through the structure
Les intervenants
Vicki May
Le concepteur
La plateforme
EdX est une plateforme d'apprentissage en ligne (dite FLOT ou MOOC). Elle héberge et met gratuitement à disposition des cours en ligne de niveau universitaire à travers le monde entier. Elle mène également des recherches sur l'apprentissage en ligne et la façon dont les utilisateurs utilisent celle-ci. Elle est à but non lucratif et la plateforme utilise un logiciel open source.
EdX a été fondée par le Massachusetts Institute of Technology et par l'université Harvard en mai 2012. En 2014, environ 50 écoles, associations et organisations internationales offrent ou projettent d'offrir des cours sur EdX. En juillet 2014, elle avait plus de 2,5 millions d'utilisateurs suivant plus de 200 cours en ligne.
Les deux universités américaines qui financent la plateforme ont investi 60 millions USD dans son développement. La plateforme France Université Numérique utilise la technologie openedX, supportée par Google.
