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Session 2793

Learning to Teach Engineers: The Applicability and Compatibility of One Approach Keith K. Knapp Iowa State University

Abstract

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently initiated a program that has Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) as its goal. In 1999 the author attended the first ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Workshop (ETW) at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The ETW participants consisted of 24 new (i.e., less than four years experience) civil engineering faculty. For this reason, the focus of the ETW was basic and effective teaching skills. It consisted of 12 seminars, three demonstration classes, and three classes that were prepared and taught by each participant.

This paper documents and summarizes several topics related to the author’s ETW experience. First, the preconceptions of the author (who has attended a number of teaching workshops in the past several years) with respect to the ETW are described. Second, the format of the ETW and the main components of the “ExCEEd model” for teaching are summarized. Third, the “post- conceptions” of the author about the workshop in general and the overall applicability of the “ExCEEd model” are documented. In particular, the author’s initial and ongoing experiences with the application of some techniques taught at the ETW are discussed. The results of a brief student survey are also summarized. Finally, the general compatibility of the “ExCEEd model” teaching approach with active and group learning techniques and the general requirements of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) are briefly discussed.

I. Introduction

Most new engineering faculty are expected to teach undergraduate and/or graduate classes from the first day on their appointment. The majority, however, have had almost no training or guidance about how to teach effectively, or how to assess that effectiveness. This results in a trial-and-error teaching approach that uses students as experimental subjects. It can also introduce the use of long-lasting teaching techniques that have questionable effectiveness.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently initiated the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) program. One objective of this program is to fill the educational training gap for new civil engineering faculty. This paper documents several topics related to the author’s attendance at the first ExCEEd teaching workshop (ETW). The following paragraphs summarize the author’s preconceptions, the workshop content, the main components of the “ExCEEd model” for teaching, the author’s post-conceptions, and some of the experiences the author has had with the application of some techniques and methods presented at the ETW.

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Knapp, K. K. (2000, June), Learning To Teach Engineers: The Applicability And Compatibility Of One Approach Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8540