FAQ's

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE FUNDAMENTALS COURSE?

Anyone with a knowledge of process heating systems and applications. There is some basic college algebra involved in the course.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THE ADVANCED COURSE?

It is recommended that the fundamentals course preceed the advanced course. However, any one who has worked with process heating equipment systems and applications for a period of time should be adequately prepared for the advanced course.

Please review course outlines to better evaluate the curriculum in the Fundamentals of Process Heating Course or the Advanced Process Heating Couirse. If you have any questions, please call (610) 861-4109.

WHAT ARE THE SOFTWARE/HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS TO TAKE THIS COURSE?

There are no Internet speed restrictions on the courses. Slower connections, such as dial-up, may increase the time it takes to download lesson materials. The specific requirements for computer hardware and software are:

You must have access to a Windows PC or an Apple Macintosh PC.
You must have Internet access (dial-up or broadband).
You must have a working email account.
You must use Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator as your web browser if using a Windows PC. Apple Macintosh users should use Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer as their browser.
The college cannot be responsible for any viruses which affect your computer. We strongly recommend that students already have the appropriate anti-virus software installed on their PC.
Students should have Microsoft Office 2000 Professional or Microsoft Office XP Professional installed on their Windows PC. Apple Macintosh users should have Microsoft Office X or Office 2004 installed. Lessons are in the form of MS Powerpoint files. Lessons may include MS Word or MS Excel documents. Older versions of these application programs may not open or display the material properly.
Students will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Windows Media Player, AND Apple Quicktime installed on their computers to view PDF files and media files. These are available as no cost downloads and links to their respective publisher sites are provided to students enrolled in the courses.

HOW IS THE COURSE STRUCTURED?

This course will be offered online in chapter increments.
The course will cover one chapter per week, with a quiz for each chapter at the end of the week.
The course instructor will have weekly office hours available to speak with students. The couse instructor will also be available via e-mail at all times.
The courses run by schedule. The IHEA Distance Learning Courses are asynchronous on-line courses. This means that information is stored and accessed from the Internet and that interaction with the professor and other students does not take place real-time. Students can choose the time they engage in the class within the weekly schedule. The student can work on the course from any location, any time of day or night. Each lesson of the IHEA courses are one week in length so students will need to access and complete the lesson within the week established for each lesson. Quizzes are assigned each week. Enrichment projects are included in the course. The due date for these projects are set by the instructors. There is a final exam at the end of the course. The courses are Pass/Fail. The IHEA textbook is used in the course and will be supplied to each registered student.


Passing grade for this course 70%
Grading will be as follows:
20% quiz grades
20% participation
20% project
40% final exam

WHAT IS THE COURSE SCHEDULE?

FUNDAMENTALS CLASS:
Week 1: Combustion Fundamentals and Fuels
Week 2 : Combustion Equipment for Gaseous and Liquid Fuels
Week 3 : Elements of Heat Transmission
Week 4 : Advanced Heat Transfer Principles
Week 5 : Heat Balance and Efficiency Calculations
Week 6: Fundamentals of Electrical Heating
Week 7: Final Exam

ADVANCED CLASS
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Ovens and Furnaces
Week 3: Vacuum Heat Processing
Week 4: Refractories and Insulation
Week 5: Recuperators and Regenerators
Week 6: Instrumentation and Controll II
Week 7: Furnace Atmospheres
Week 8: Quenchiing and Media Equipment
Week 9: Final Exam

Distance Learning courses use Northampton Community College's Blackboard® course management system. You can learn more about Blackboard at http://www.blackboard.com/products/as/

Distance learning students are registered, credited, and eligible for services just as traditional students.