E-pals to Enhance Mechanics Learning*

The E-pal Program linked undergraduate Kenyan students with practicing engineers, researchers, and other technical North American professionals in an e-mail `pen pal' dialogue for the duration of an introductory fluid mechanics course. The Program aimed to counteract the dearth of resources at the Kenyan university by utilizing the Internet to facilitate the central three goals of the program: (1) to demonstrate to students applications of taught concepts and material, (2) to expose students to the range of sub-disciplines, careers, and engineering problems within fluid mechanics, and (3) to promote the use by students of the Internet in an environment where its value had not previously been demonstrated. The Program was found to be popular with student and practicing engineer participants and highly successful in achieving its goals. This paper gives an overview of the Program and its context within the Kenyan academic environment, delineates its successes and lessons learned, and discusses pedagogical value and applicability to other courses and situations with recommendations for implementation.