Development of an Engineering Science course

This posting will be my record for the ideas surrounding the practicalities of the proposed design of the Engineering Science course I am developing. It is also assignment 3 of the assessment requirements for the Constructing Courses to Enhance Learning course I am currently studying at the Otago Polytechnic.
I believe there is a need for this introductory course because the level of learning and understanding of basic mechanical concepts and principles are some what lacking for the average student enrolling in the level 6 "Diploma in Mechanical Engineering."
Currently, the majority of students enrolling in the diploma are school levers with a minimum entry requirement of 12 credits in maths level 2 (calculus and algebra major) with ideally additional credits in physics and / or chemistry or graphics. They are predominately male (95%) and a resent survey on preferred learning styles (VARK test) indicated that the majority preferred the reader / writer learning style with a close second to the kinesthetic style. Visual was a clear last.
I must admit the preferred learning style that I use in my teaching is the read / write one and I am sure that this is because this was the way how I was taught, or maybe, it is just the way how engineer's think ; as Terry said "we engineers are a strange lot". Anyway, the result of the vark test proves to me that my current face to face practice is fine and since the majority of the diploma assessments are based around closed book examinations, this style is well suited for them. The kinesthetic learners are catered for with the laboratory sessions that make up part of the face to face sessions, but this course I am developing will be based around a self paced computer centred learning environment which will hopefully help with the underpinning knowledge the students will need for future courses within the diploma. So what works and what doesn't?
The other day I used the overhead projector to present to the students some past exam questions which involved calculations and I instructed them to use their notes but do their own work. We then went over them as a class group. I believe this worked well for reinforcing things they should know and presenting new information to them when required. Even though it was open book it gave the students practice at using the formula sheet and testing them in semi-exam conditions (as a group, they like to chat amongst themselves and bounce ideas around with each other).
This style of learning could quite easily be done on elluminate as it needs to be in "real time" for the students to get the necessary feed back. Come to think of it, I could use this form of delivery for any course I teach when having a devoted "problem-solving time" session with the students.
I mentioned before that the kinesthetic learning style ranked quite highly from the VARK test, and this is why the laboratories are regarded as an extremely important learning environment. Giving the students the opportunity to be in charge of the experiments and consequently their own learning is very beneficial in terms of theory reinforcement; putting into practice what has been learnt in class, as well as aiding in understanding of concepts. These must still be done face to face due to the nature of the assessment; ie. use is made of expensive laboratory equipment and the experiments are treated as group activities where the students learn from each other. On saying that, the Engineering Science course will not have any laboratories in it because I want this course to be assessable by distance, at the student's own pace. The course that I am proposing is an introduction only and is not going to be formally assessed. I intend to have self directed tests embedded within the finished product as well as links to various sites for added information as and when required. eg. if I was explaining about hydraulics I could get the students to click on various youtube presentations like so

I will need training on using the eXe package and it's application into the Moodle site along with voice over power point presentations etc but these should be pretty straight forward (I hope!). Also possible help with typing my lovely old handwritten notes into word would not go astray and I can recall a prominent member of the EDC team telling me that there is funding set aside for such issues.
I envisage the students will access this course within the first two weeks upon starting the diploma programme or beforehand once full fees are paid.
Now to the learning outcomes. These will be closely linked with one of the learning outcomes each from Engineering Mechanics A and Thermodynamics, these being;
i) Demonstrate an understanding of SI units, fundamental, supplementary & derived units, concept of mass, force, moments, torque and equilibrium condition.
ii) Demonstrate awareness of the range of methods for temperature and pressure measurement and their fields of use.
Both of these learning outcomes can be achieved by students completing the self directed tests that will be embedded within the course. Other components of learning outcomes from various courses will be added to compliment the underpinning knowledge that this course should bring. ie
iii) Demonstrate understanding of the need for stability
iv) Show an understanding of Hooke's Law, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rigidity, yield stress, UTS, tensile, compressive and shear stresses and strains, working stress and FOS.
Again, all these principles and concepts can be assessed by the same method as before, with added information and self direction being available by way of the internet. eg wikipedia, youtube etc.