Cooperative Teaching in a Distance Education Environment

Chi N. Thai; Yan-Fu Kuo; Ping-Lang Yen

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Conference: 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Publication Date: June 23, 2013
Start Date: June 23, 2013
End Date: June 26, 2013
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Education Technical Session
Tagged Division: Biological & Agricultural
Page Count: 15
Page Numbers: 23.341.1 - 23.341.15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--19355
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/19355
Download Count: 668

Paper Authors

biography

Chi N. Thai University of Georgia

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Dr. C. N. Thai is an associate professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He teaches courses in Robotics, Machine Vision and Systems Simulation. His research areas are in theater robotics and spectral imaging for plant health and quality characterization of agricultural products.

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Yan-Fu Kuo National Taiwan University

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Ping-Lang Yen National Taiwan University

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Dr. Ping-Lang Yen was born in 1966. He received his B.S. degree from the Dept. of Power Mechanical Engineering at National Tsing-Hua University, his M.S. degree from the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at National Taiwan University, and his Ph.D. degree from the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College in London in 1998, 1990, and 1996, respectively. He joined Acer Peripheral Incorporation as a researcher from 1997 to 1999. Currently he is associate professor in the Department of Bio-Industrial Mechatronics Engineering at National Taiwan University. His research interests are medical robotics, computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery and computer-assisted breast cancer diagnosis.

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Abstract

Cooperative Teaching in a Distance Education Environment (work in progress) A project‐based course in Robotics was created to serve as a senior‐level engineering elective for both a US University (USU) and a Far‐East University (FEU). It was implemented for the first time in Spring 2012 with 3 students at USU and 12 students at FEU. It is currently implemented (Fall 2012) for only 12 FEU students. It was designed around 4 projects with lectures and laboratory demonstrations performed by the instructors (from both sides) to provide necessary background materials for students to carry on successfully with their chosen projects. The major difficulties were the differences in the start date and duration of the respective courses at each university and prevented our attempt to synchronize student progress about half way into the Spring 12 semester. The "technical" issues were easily solved by each side using similar hardware and software. The instructional materials were shared via a Blackboard Learning Management system with the USU students participating in live classroom lectures that were recorded in multimedia format and provided asynchronously to the FEU students "attending" the same lectures (or slightly modified to accommodate the flow of the materials and frequency of class weekly attendance ‐ twice a week for USU students and once a week for FEU students). We also had found the necessity to change the after‐class instructor‐student interaction method due to cultural differences between USU and FEU students. Student surveys at the end of Spring 2012 showed strong enthusiasm for the PBL approach and level of materials covered, especially from the FEU students as this was the first time that they attended such a course. Other details regarding differences in student aptitudes and difficulties will be reported in the full paper. For Fall 2012, FEU students will be asked to keep design notebooks that would be reviewed after each of the 4 projects.

Citation
Format

Thai, C. N., & Kuo, Y., & Yen, P. (2013, June), Cooperative Teaching in a Distance Education Environment Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--19355

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -              Cooperative Teaching in a Distance Education Environment (work in progress) A project‐based course in Robotics was created to serve as a senior‐level engineering elective for both a US University (USU) and a Far‐East University (FEU).  It was implemented for the first time in Spring 2012 with 3 students at USU and 12 students at FEU. It is currently implemented (Fall 2012) for only 12 FEU students. It was designed around 4 projects with lectures and laboratory demonstrations performed by the instructors (from both sides) to provide necessary background materials for students to carry on successfully with their chosen projects. The major difficulties were the differences in the start date and duration of the respective courses at each university and prevented our attempt to synchronize student progress about half way into the Spring 12 semester. The &quot;technical&quot; issues were easily solved by each side using similar hardware and software.  The instructional materials were shared via a Blackboard Learning Management system with the USU students participating in live classroom lectures that were recorded in multimedia format and provided asynchronously to the FEU students &quot;attending&quot; the same lectures (or slightly modified to accommodate the flow of the materials and frequency of class weekly attendance ‐ twice a week for USU students and once a week for FEU students).  We also had found the necessity to change the after‐class instructor‐student interaction method due to cultural differences between USU and FEU students.  Student surveys at the end of Spring 2012 showed strong enthusiasm for the PBL approach and level of materials covered, especially from the FEU students as this was the first time that they attended such a course.  Other details regarding differences in student aptitudes and difficulties will be reported in the full paper. For Fall 2012, FEU students will be asked to keep design notebooks that would be reviewed after each of the 4 projects.    
AU  - Chi N. Thai
AU  - Yan-Fu Kuo
AU  - Ping-Lang Yen
CY  - Atlanta, Georgia
DA  - 2013/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Cooperative Teaching in a Distance Education Environment
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/19355
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--19355
ER  -