Energy is a vital component of any modern society. Much of the general population believes that the energy sources we depend on are perpetual. While people believe that the energy use is the culprit for environmental damage, they are not aware of the methods and principles by which energy conversion devices operate. This general education course provides you with necessary knowledge and information on the main operating principles of devices/appliances that are in common use and information on which to make the right decision in selecting the most energy efficient and economical choice. The objective of the course is to discuss energy efficiency in day-to-day life in order to save money and energy and thereby protect the environment. This education is very important for all of us so that we are environmentally-responsible individuals of this Global Village.
EGEE 102 is designed to help you to
- gain a basic understanding and appreciation of energy efficiency and environmental concepts
- learn basic operating principles of day-to-day energy conversion devices
- discuss various options to increase energy efficiency
- examine ways to save energy and money
- explore ways to save the environment
This "hybrid" section is conducted using a combination of online materials and a weekly face-to-face meeting. Online resources include lecture materials, online activities, quizzes, and exams. The weekly face-to-face meeting is utilized for small group exercises designed to help you to master the more challenging course concepts.
Click on the menu on the left to see samples of course learning objects.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How is this online course (EGEE 102) different from the traditional face-to-face course?
In a regular class (face-to-face) the instructor facilitates your learning in the classroom. For the face-to-face version of EGEE 102, students are required to attend three weekly lectures and participate in class activities and ask questions. You are assigned several "Home Activities" and quizzes from time to time. You also are required to take three mid-term exams and a final exam, as well as to complete (and present) a final project.
 In contrast, in this hybrid section, all of the instructional material (10 lessons) is presented online and you only attend one face-to-face class meeting a week. Online materials include text, graphics, videos, and electronic whiteboard animations (with narration) that explain numerical problems, and graphics with audio explanations. (See the menut to the left for links to samples.)
Online lessons are assigned at a rate of approximately one per week. These lessons consist of reading assignments from online materials, practice learning activities, quizzes (that cover both online and face-to-face material), and asynchronous discussion forums where you will interact with your instructor and classmates. At several points during the semester you will also complete online "Home Activities"—interactive, Flash-based learning activities that are designed to assess your progress in the course. Two mid-terms and a final exam are also part of the online course materials, as is an online version of the final project that is similar in nature to the Home Activities.
The weekly class meeting for the hybrid section is 75 minutes in length and comes at the end the lesson week. We use the time to engage in small group activities designed to help you master challenging concepts. We also use the time to address any questions that students may have that have not already been addressed online. While the in-class activities themselves will not be graded, your participation in our weekly meetings will count toward your class participation grade.
Do we have to be on campus to take this course or exams?
YES. This course is being offered in a hybrid format that utilizes both online and face-to-face environments. All the instruction material will be delivered to you online. All quizzes, "Home Activities," exams, and project work are all online. But weekly face-to-face meetings are also required, where we will work together on activities that will help you to master challenging course concepts.
Because this is a hybrid course, do I have the flexibility of finishing at own my pace?
Yes and NO. While much of the work for this course is done online, that does not mean that we don't follow a schedule! You WILL have the flexibility to open and read the online materials at any time during the week. That also means that you can play the animations any number of times you want and wherever you have an Internet connection during a given week. However, you will need to review and complete all online materials for a given lesson before the corresponding weekly face-to-face meeting so that you can come to class prepared to succeed in that week's activity. And at the end of each lesson (mostly every week) you have to take a graded quiz. That quiz has to be finished by a certain date and time. So, in summary, you will have the flexibility to study at any time during the day or night within a given week, but you will still have to complete your studies in time for weekly class meetings and quizzes.
If I have a difficulty or do not follow something online or if I have a question on a concept what can I do?
It is my hope that, in addition to the online discussion forums and the weekly class meeting, you will make use of my office hours and/or will contact me by phone if you have any questions. Our weekly class meetings are also an excellent opportunity to ask questions. The course teaching assistants (TAs) will also be available to help in person or electronically.
How is this course graded? What is involved?
This course is graded on an individual achievement. You have to finish ten lessons at a scheduled pace, take quizzes, finish the Home Activities, complete mid-term and final exams, and participate in weekly face-to-face class meetings.
Course grades are determined as follows:
- CLASS PARTICIPATION (5% of course grade):
- QUIZZES (10% of course grade): After each lesson, you will take a quiz on the material covered in that lesson.
- HOME ACTIVITIES (20% of course grade): You will be asked to complete three "Home Activities" during this semester. Home Activities are simulations that are interactive and help you apply concepts from the online lessons to a real world environment. There are four Home Activity assignments in the course. You will be required to complete three of the four for credit.
- Home Activity 1: Residential Energy Conservation
- Home Activity 2: Energy Usage Analysis
- Home Activity 3: Insulation and Energy Conservation
- Home Activity 4: Home Energy Audit
- EXAMS (55% of course grade): There are three course exams—two mid-term exams (15% each) and a final exam (25%). The final exam is comprehensive.
- UNIVERSITY PARK STUDENTS: You will take the exam face-to-face on campus in the evening. You will have sign up for the date on which you take the exam during the exam week. Please refer to the Calendar tab for specific date, time, and location information.
- NON-UNIVERSITY PARK STUDENTS: You will take the exam online through ANGEL.
- FINAL PROJECT (20% of course grade): Finally, you will also be required to complete an online Final Project that is similar in nature to the Home Activities. The Final Project consists of three parts: 1) Appliances, 2) Lighting, and 3) Insulation. In order to reduce your workload at the end of the course, these three parts will be assigned individually at three different points during the course.
I have already taken EGEE 101 can I still take EGEE 102? Will it count for my GN credits?
Yes. You can take either one or both, in any order you like. Both will count for 3 GN (General Education) credits each
How much time should I spend online each week?
The hybrid version of this course is no different in quality or difficulty from the traditional face-to-face section. You should plan to spend as much time engaged in the online materials and attending the face-to-face meetings as you would spend studying and attending any three-credit course at Penn State. Therefore, you should plan to spend a total of approximately eight hours on this course each week. The road to success in EGEE 102 is paved with quality time in both the online and face-to-face components of the course.
What kind of computer hardware and software will I need?
For this course we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on our "Course Technical Requirements" page, located at http://www.e-education.psu.edu/public/egee102//techspecs.html
How do I enroll?
If you're interested in enrolling in EGEE 102 and you're a student at the University Park Campus, register for this course as you would any other class by going to the University's Schedule of Courses (to look up the current schedule number) and then register through eLion. |
