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Session 2355

Preparing Future Engineering Faculty through Active Learning

Rebecca A. Bates Angela R. Linse bates@mnsu.edu linse@engr.washington.edu Computer and Information Sciences Center for Engineering Learning and Teaching Minnesota State University University of Washington Mankato, MN USA Seattle, WA USA

Abstract This paper describes the development, presentation, evaluation, student feedback, and recommendations of a graduate level course for engineering students titled "Active Learning in Engineering Education." The objective of the course was to provide engineering graduate students with information about the learning process and resources on teaching and academia to help them make informed decisions about teaching as a career and to help them be better teachers. We believe this course is unique because it provides a curriculum taught to graduate students by a graduate student. This work was funded by a Huckabay Teaching Fellowship, a program that provides support for teaching projects conducted by graduate students paired with mentors.1

I. Introduction

Preparing engineering graduate students for a future in academia should include providing methods and support for teaching as well as guidance in research. While research guidance is typically provided within a department via a research advisor, teaching guidance can be provided at the college or inter-departmental level. Even though many campuses provide the opportunity for graduate teaching development at the university level (e.g., through campus teaching centers), it is also useful to approach graduate teaching development within an engineering context. Specific engineering examples of active learning help teaching assistants and graduate instructors understand how active learning can improve engineering student learning. Bonwell and Eison define active learning as “instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing.”2

The work described here includes the development and presentation of a course on active learning for engineering graduate students. The course was developed with the support of a graduate teaching fellowship and the advice of mentors. Three of the motivating ideas inspiring the development and offering of this course in a graduate engineering curriculum are 1) to create a culture where talking about teaching is expected and useful; 2) to give engineering students access to a vocabulary for talking about education with members of other academic disciplines; and 3) to model active learning techniques and good teaching practices.

The Huckabay fellowship program is part of the larger Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program at the University of Washington (see web links for more information3,4). The Huckabay Teaching Fellowship was proposed by and awarded to Bates. Linse (Associate Director of the

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Linse, A., & Bates, R. (2003, June), Preparing Future Engineering Faculty Through Active Learning Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--11660