Instructor’s Guide:
The presentation of influence lines is assumed to take the 3 x 50 minute class periods, for the 150 minutes listed below. The times listed here are shorter than normally spent on the subject, and can only be justified by careful supplementary training using the computer training modules.
The instructor can change this to fit their course requirements, however, it is hoped that the times shown will suffice. It takes some faith to teach material that in the past you spent perhaps 250 minutes to cover, but we hope to find the following:
1) For extremely smart students the abbreviated lecture times will suffice, probably without additional computer training.
2) For average students, the computer-training module will make up the difference in what they will learn in the abbreviated lecture, and what they would have learned under the old methods.
3) For poorer students, the computer-training modules are available at all times, for as long as they need assistance, not just for testing but for basic training to supplement the lectures.
Submodule 1: Introduction to influence lines
Lecture time – 10 minutes
Out of class reading time – 20 minutes
Computer generated homework – 0 minutes
Submodule 2: Generation of influence lines using statics
Lecture time – 30 minutes
Out of class reading time – 30 minutes
Computer generated homework – 60 minutes
Submodule 3: Generation of influence lines using the Muller-Breslau principle
Lecture time – 40 minutes
Out of class reading time – 30 minutes
Computer generated homework – 60 minutes
Submodule 4: Placement of loads using influence lines
Lecture time – 30 minutes
Out of class reading time –30 minutes
Computer generated homework – 60 minutes
Submodule 5: Calculation of reactions, shears, and moments using influence lines
Lecture time – 40 minutes
Out of class reading time – 30 minutes
Computer generated homework – 60 minutes