Designing and teaching of an effective engineering continuing education course: Modeling and simulation of HVAC systems.

Abstract: Rapid methodological and technological progresses motivate the implementation of continuing education programs. In this scenario, collaboration between universities and industries plays an important role. Universities can offer the theoretical knowledge and the best teaching practices while industries can provide equipment, use cases, and other key resources. In this paper, we present a cooperative university–industry approach to satisfy the continuing education needs of a Research and Development department that operates in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector. In particular, strategies and guidelines for continuing education in modeling and simulation practices are presented, with particular emphasis on HVAC systems. In the paper, the learning needs, learning outcomes definition, course contents design, instructional methods, participants performance assessment, and course evaluation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]