Generality of Aeronautics Astronautics: An Innovative and Constructive Course to Undergraduates and General Public

摘要

Generality of aeronautics and astronautics is an innovative and constructive course that is given to undergraduates and general public. It was firstly given in 1953 to undergraduates as a selective course in Beihang University with the purpose to providing some fundamental principles and techniques of aeronautics and astronautics for engineering students who wanted to have their careers in aircraft and spacecraft engineering, space exploration, air industries, and many other related technology intensive fields. After more than 60 years, the course has been developed into a very popular course that has a very large impact on space education for undergraduate students with different academic background and for those who are interested in knowing space science and technology. The course is one of most popular MOOCs in China and is one of the first Sharing Courses of National Elaborate Resources in Higher Education, China. Till the end of 2016, more than tens of thousands students have taken the course both inside and outside campus. The paper describes the mission of the course, the structure of the course, the organization of the lectures and how teaching effect is evaluated. The difference between the course opened to undergraduates and the course to the general public is briefly discussed.