Chapter 1 Introduction :: Teaching Engineering

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Chapter 1Introduction Teaching Engineering
Review of the book Teaching Engineering by
Phillip C. Wankat and Frank S. Oreovicz
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The material contained in these PowerPoint slides
is completely from the book Wankat,P.C. and
Oreovicz,F.S, Teaching Engineering, McGraw
Hill, Inc., New York, 1993. The intention of this
presentation is ONLY to introduce the main
aspects of teaching engineering as recalled in
the book to faculty colleagues of the Department
of Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur, AND NOT any
commercial reasons. The complete book is
available at https//engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/N
ews_and_Events/Publications/teaching_engineering/i
ndex.html
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Teaching

• A complex human activity
• Impossible to develop a formula which guarantees
  that it will be excellent
• But, by becoming more efficient, professors can
  learn to do a good job

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The Book

• Wankat,P.C. and Oreovicz,F.S
• Teaching Engineering
• McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, 1993
• Written mainly for
• Professors in all areas of engineering

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• Why Teach Teaching Now?

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The Myths

• Majority of engineering professors have never had
  a formal course in education
• Hence they tend to say
• I dont need a teaching course
• I learnt how to teach by watching my teachers
• Good teachers are born and not made
• Teaching is unimportant
• Teaching courses have not improved teaching in
  high schools
• Engineers need more technical courses
• A good researcher is automatically a good
  teacher
• Courses that teach teaching are not available

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The TRUTH

• Good reasons for learning how to teach
• Teaching when you dont know how may be
  considered unethical
• Engineers shall perform services only in the
  areas of their competence
• Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology
• Teaching is a service teaching when one is not
  competent is unethical
• All persons preparing to teach engineering
  should be required to include in their
  preparation studies related to the practice of
  teaching
• ASEE Quality of Engineering Education Project

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• The Components of Good Teaching

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Good Teaching

• Adjectives
• Stimulating, clear, well-organized, warm,
  approachable, prepared, helpful, enthusiastic,
  fair,
• Two dimensions
• Intellectual excitement
• Interpersonal rapport

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Good Teaching

• Interaction between
• Intellectual excitement
• Interpersonal rapport

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Components of Teaching

• Critical for effective teaching
• Valuing learning
• A student-centered orientation
• A belief that students can learn
• A need to help students learn

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• Philosophical Approach

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Teaching

• An important activity of engineering professors
• Content
• Students
• New professors
• Usually superbly trained in content
• But often have very little idea of how students
  learn
• Young professors will do a better job teaching
  initially
• If they receive education and practice in
  teaching when they first start out as assistant
  professors

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• What Works

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Learning Principles

• Compendium
• Guide the learner
• Develop a structured hierarchy of content
• Use images and visual learning
• Ensure that the student is active
• Require practice
• Provide feedback
• Have positive expectations of students
• Provide means for students to be challenged yet
  successful
• Individualize the teaching style
• Make the class more cooperative
• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Be enthusiastic and demonstrate the joy of
  learning
• Encourage students to teach other students
• Care about what you are doing
• If possible, separate teaching from evaluation

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• In Closure

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Summary

• Main aspects
• Comments of critics
• Two-dimensional model of teaching
• Values which underlie ideals of teaching
• Learning principles to engineering education

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Thank you