Graduate Course in Forensic Engineering via Distance Education

This paper provides an overview of topics and delivery method of an innovative graduate level course focused on forensic engineering. The course provides graduate students practical insight into structural engineering practice and design through the examination of failures. The course is taught via a distance education format; that is, it is offered online in a real time synchronous format. Approximately half of the students are traditional in class students, while the other half are off campus, “distant learners”. During a given class meeting approximately half of the distant learners view/participate in real time while the others complete work at their convenience at another time. Forty-one, faculty prepared, case studies are examined with the examples ranging from infamous catastrophic collapses to little known examples of design criteria being violated. The case studies highlight the sequence of events that contributed to the engineering catastrophes and draw conclusions based on the evidence as to why these failures occurred and how they may have been prevented and what lessons were learned. Students are responsible for an on site investigation, either on campus or at a structure of their choosing, and a case study (presentation or report). This paper discusses the experience of the instructor over the 15-year development and execution of the course and the evolution to the current distance education version. Additionally, the paper provides the framework for delivering the course, assessment data, and student feedback.