Work-in-progress: Towards the development of a model for beneficial use of educational technology through a photovoltaics engineering website

Abstract

Photovoltaics (PV) engineering is an emerging field within the schools of engineering. To meet the needs of a new field, learning resources need to be developed for students to utilize in order to effectively engage with the content. The purpose of this work in progress is to discuss an established photovoltaics website (pveducation.org) that is being augmented towards becoming an effective PV education resource. With 3000 hits per day, pveducation.org engages learners in PV across the globe at a post-secondary content level. The authors of the site have recently enlisted educational and cognitive psychologists to enhance the website by infusing facets of educational technology. We intend to describe pveducation.org and provide an overview of the role educational technology has played in enhancing the website through the use of scaffolding and the inclusion of active-interactive tools. We contend that through this process the website can aid in the proliferation of effective learning of PV across the globe, and potentially aid new and well established engineering domains as they begin to embrace elearning technology as learning resources. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.