Tribal Indoor Air Quality

Residential Building Science Review

Course overview

To enroll in this course and access course content, click the blue "Enroll me" button to the right and log into your account. After logging in, click "Enroll me" again on the following pages to complete the enrollment process.

Residential Building Science Review provides tribal environmental professionals with a review of how a home responds as a dynamic system and basic building science principles. This short online course was developed to prepare individuals for the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals’ in-person Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic Tools course and is required prior to being accepted to the course.

Instructors delivering content for this online course expect you have a good understanding of indoor air quality (IAQ) basics and a basic understanding of IAQ and health, environmental conditions, structural design and construction, and operation and maintenance issues for residential homes in your community. This online course is equivalent to 0.4 continuing education units (CEUs) and requires approximately four hours of total learning time. CEUs can be earned by completing the following course topics:

  • A Building Ecosystem
  • Air Flow
  • Heat Transfer
  • Moisture Dynamics

After completing this online course, participants will be able to:

  • Explain how the home responds as a “dynamic system.”
  • Identify basic building science principles.  

Presenters and Instructors:

  • Jed Harrison, former Indoor Air Quality/Building Science Researcher/EPA Lab Director
  • Rich Seifert, Professor Emeritus, Building Scientist, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Energy and Housing Specialist
  • Mansel Nelson, Senior Program Coordinator and Chemical Engineer, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals; Working with Tribal Communities for Over 25 Years

Below is a preview of the course content. Enroll to access the materials (see steps above).

Course Content

  • FileCourse Navigation Instructions
  • PageVideo: Instructors' Introductions and Course Overview (5:51)
  • PageReceiving your Certificate of Completion
  • ForumNews forum
  • ForumIntroduce Yourself Here
  • ForumQuestions or comments about the course?
  • Page1.1 Video: Factors to Consider for Diagnosing a Home (5:45)
  • Forum1.2 Discussion: Factors Affecting Residential Homes in Your Community
  • Assignment2.1 Assignment 1: Building Science Principles Listening Guide
  • Page2.2 Video: Key Building Science Principles (6:14)
  • Page2.3 Video: Air Movement and Ventilation (27:51)
  • Page2.4 Video: Heat Transfer and Energy Flow (19:45)
  • Page2.5 Video: Moisture Dynamics (12:35)
  • FileResource file: Relative Humidity Chart
  • FileResource file: Relative Humidity Chart Specific to Alaska (UAF)
  • Forum3.1 Activity and Discussion: Determining Your Climate Zone
  • Assignment3.2 Assignment 2: Making Observations in Your Community
  • AssignmentReflective Writing: Residential Building Science Review
  • QuizResidential Building Science Review Final Exam
  • QuestionnaireResidential Building Science Review Course Evaluation
  • PageInterested in learning more? Enroll in "Building Science: Improving IAQ in Cold Climates"