GRDSCH 630B Learning Objectives
Active Learning for Engineering Education
Spring 2002
Learning Objectives
During the first class, students learned about the difference between
course goals and course objectives. In small groups, they came up with
suggested objectives to make it possible to evaluate whether students
achieved the course goals. Here are the results of this work.
- In order to develop a greater awareness of teaching as a learned, and
improvable, activity, students can:
- Maintain a reflective journal;
- Read research papers and case studies and apply information;
- Interview faculty and examine teaching portfolios and submit synopses;
- Write essays about related topics;
- Engage in a cycle of teaching, learning, and teaching coupled with
feedback from the class and self-evaluation.
- In order to learn about available teaching resources, students can:
- Assemble web pages with resources found on the internet;
- Use faculty as a resource by interviewing college teachers to find out
where they go for information;
- Be sent to specific resource areas (CIDR, CELT, Grad School, etc) and
compare findings across locations.
- In order to be exposed to different teaching methods, including
knowledge of the vocabulary used in engineering education research
literature, students can:
- Observe classes in different disciplines and write a synopsis;
- Interview faculty: How has their teaching changed?;
- Develop a glossary of education terms;
- Read papers on different methods and discuss in small groups; write
response papers to show preparation before class;
- Work on exercises to describe methods and to reflect on methods and
teaching practice; either provide or insist on references;
- Report on different techniques attempted in classes being taught
during the quarter; use learned vocabulary to avoid local jargon and insure
communication across engineering disciplines.
- In order to experience learning about engineering in an active
learning environment, students can:
- Participate in workshops, either on teaching or specific content area;
- Attend this class diligently;
- Observe and take part in classes that use active learning;
- Present acitve learning techniques in this class and give feedback to
other presenters;
- Develop activities and report on success;
- Read case studies of other active learning experiences and summarize;
- Work in team teaching situations.
- In order to prepare engineering material for their own students
using different teaching methods, students can:
- Present active learning activities in this class;
- Reformat lectures to use active learning methods;
- Presenting the same material three different ways;
- Create online resources to deal with different learning styles;
- Prepare new course materials with a student-centered, active learning focus.
In this course, along with in-class activities, students will:
- Submit an annotated web link for at least one course topic. Find a
website or reference that is either informative or a good or bad example of
one topic. Briefly explain why and how it is useful and email it to becky@ee.washington.edu;
- Interview a college level teacher using the questions developed in class;
- Observe undergraduate classes where active learning is used;
- Participate in an on-line discussion forum;
- Be able to report to the class any interesting teaching experiences;
- Prepare and present to the class an active learning module. (Some
preparation time will be available in class.)
This page is maintained by Rebecca Bates (becky@ee.washington.edu).
Last updated on 3 Apr 02.