A New Breed Of Interactive And Distributed Classroom Environments For Freshman And Sophomore Technology Courses
- Conference
- Location
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Austin, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 14, 2009
- Start Date
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June 14, 2009
- End Date
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June 17, 2009
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Engineering Technology
- Page Count
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10
- Page Numbers
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14.72.1 - 14.72.10
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--4932
- Permanent URL
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https://216.185.13.131/4932
- Download Count
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436
Paper Authors
Niaz Latif Purdue University, Calumet
Dr. Niaz Latif is Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology and Dean of the School of Technology and also the Dean of the Graduate School at Purdue University Calumet. He was ETD program chair for the 2003 Conference on Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), and he served as the Director and Secretary of the Executive Board of the Engineering Technology Leadership Institute (ETLI). He is a program evaluator for Mechanical Engineering Technology and also Manufacturing Engineering Technology under the Technology Accreditation Commission (TAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Dr. Latif is currently serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) and he was the past Editor-in-chief of JET.
Akram Hossain Purdue University, Calumet
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
A New Breed of Interactive and Distributed Classroom Environment for Freshman and Sophomore Level Technology Courses
Abstract
A Synchronous Distance Delivery (SDD) of a course provides a pseudo live classroom environment, and it is a reasonable compromise between a live classroom and an asynchronous distance education. Synchronous Distance Delivery also allows a learning environment for the course that requires laboratory activities and utilization of software tools due to real time interaction between the instructor and the students. For a multi-campus institution, an SDD course offered by an instructor allows the institution to meet the minimum course enrollment requirement, thus avoiding cancellation of required courses for a degree program. The institution can count the total course enrollment by adding enrollment at all its campuses. SDD courses are also attractive to students because they allow students to take required courses at the campus location nearest to their home or workplace. At Purdue University Calumet (PUC), with two campus locations, all the departments within the School of Technology (SOT) actively pursue SDD for all freshman and sophomore level courses, especially for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET) program. This paper discusses the strategies related to technology, course schedules, technical support, and the cohort-based enrollment that leads to successful offering of SDD courses and corresponding enrollment growth in the ECET program. This paper also presents assessments data and use of this data which have improved the SDD courses and student learning.
Introduction
Purdue University Calumet (PUC) is primarily a commuter campus with 9500 students. Additionally, 1400 students take classes at its Academic Learning Center which is 17 miles away from the main campus. Seventy percent of the University students work more than 30 hours a week and many of these students are enrolled for courses scheduled for evening hours.
To accommodate more of its students by delivering course work at an accelerated rate, PUC has initiated distance delivery of ECET courses by using Synchronous Distance Delivery (SDD) method.
“The term synchronous implies that the distance learning environment is real-time: students at the host and remote sites are able to hear and see the instructor and the equivalent of the instructor’s blackboard in real-time. They can ask questions and hear responses from the instructor regardless of the campus at which they are located. In contrast, the asynchronous mode of distance delivery involves video streaming or DVD- based delivery of classroom content. Students view transcripts of class sessions whenever they choose; the live interaction with the instructor and ability to have physical interaction with classmates is absent.”1
One of the biggest disadvantages of asynchronous delivery of freshman and sophomore level technology courses is the lack of professor-student interaction in a classroom environment.
Latif, N., & Hossain, A. (2009, June), A New Breed Of Interactive And Distributed Classroom Environments For Freshman And Sophomore Technology Courses Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4932
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