A national course on thermal design of electronic products: recent experiences and a proposal

The concept of a national course on thermal design of electronic products was presented by the authors at the last ECTC. Since that time, additional experience has been gained on this topic through student feedback and continuing advancements in instructional technologies. The focus of the present paper is on an Internet based approach, supplemented with live interactions for the development of a series of learning modules. Advances in Internet based instructional technology and satellite tele-conferencing offer unprecedented opportunities to provide high quality learning where and when it is needed. A high degree of reconfigurability is possible, which makes lifelong learning a real possibility. The concept of a national course and its basic elements are first summarized. Examples of modules and suggested implementation methodologies are then presented. Also discussed are methods for the assessment of the effectiveness of these modules.