User:Eas4200c.f08.aero.e/Week 1

=Monday= The class website is the following: http://clesm.mae.ufl.edu/~vql/courses/aero1/2008.fall/ The password is fall08.wiki

The finite element method (FEM) will be utilized in analyzing partial differential equations that represent aerospace structures. FEM is a tool used in many engineering applications such as locating underground oil reserves and applied mathematics.

Ad. hoc. methods of structural analysis are discouraged in this course. Emphasis will be place on FEM, mechanics, and on the ability to formulate problems.

=Wednesday= Form teams of 5 to 6 students by the third of September. Each team should pick a team name that does not exceed six characters (four characters are preferred). On the third of September, the group must turn in a piece of paper to the instructor which includes all information relevant to the group such as the names, UFID numbers, and user names of each group member. The name of the group should also be included.

To create a Wikipedia account one should navigate to Wikipedia, go to create an account, type in the user name as follows: eas4200c.f08.group_name.member_initial. Type in a personal password and click "create account". This will create your own account. A team leader is to be chosen. All homework/class notes are to be saved to the group leader's page.

=Friday= Reference material for this course includes the textbook entitled "Mechanics of Aircraft Structures" by C.T. Sun, MIT's open course ware, and Wikiversity. Confidentiality is emphasized in this this course. To keep group web pages within a confidential framework, students are to edit only the group's web page while signed in under the class account. Editing other web pages while signed in under the class account could attract other users from Wikipedia/Wikiversity to the group's page. Once the web page is discovered by other users, vandalism could take place.

Homework assignments and class notes are to be completed within the group, and submitted via email to the T.A. Under this "new approach" the assigned work will be weighted heavily. If the instructor feels that the "new approach" is not working well for the class, assignments will be done individually and will be weighted less. This approach is known as the "old approach".

The vision for this course includes collaboration on several levels. Naturally, groups are to work together to solve problems and to write out class notes. Collaboration within the entire class and with the instructor is also expected.