Trends in Improved Teaching and Learning

There has been a lot of discussion going around improved education and learning in engineering domain. This is one area that has been transforming continuously over decades and today we are leveraging technology to bring in modern tools and methods into teaching. We are listing the trends in improved teaching for the benefit of the teaching community.

Training the trainers

Learning is never ending not only for students, but also for the faculty/ professors. To stay on top of the modern methods, teachers are relying on courses and certifications to raise themselves above the bar every time. In these trainings, the points that are covered in general are:

  • Identify the learning and employability needs of 21st century learners – what they are like – how they learn?
  • Define the Learning Process – how learning happens & how to use that knowledge to transform our teaching methodology.
  • Explain key components of Course Design and learn to write modify course learning objectives.
  • Create a vibrant classroom – so that students are motivated to learn and enjoy being there.
  • Design and deliver an effective lecture to ensure student engagement and motivation
  • Identify advantages of partnering with  technology to enhance classroom instruction
  • Create a course website
  • Create good questions
  • Create rubrics to provide transparent and constructive feedback
  • Evaluate yourself as an engineering educator and define your personal and professional goals as an engineering educator

Outcome based education

Designing the course outcomes and analysing assessment data from time to time towards the outcomes is important.

  • Incorporate formative assessment into courses to guide adaptive instruction
  • Measure student learning through direct and indirect assessment
  • Develop a list of measurable course outcomes
  • Develop and implement a program assessment cycle
  • Measure higher level learning outcomes by direct assessment
  • Incorporate rubrics for effective instruction and outcomes assessment

Design experiments for students

Experiments based learning is a trend today.

  • Explain the inquiry scale
  • Convert a cookbook lab into a structured or challenge lab experiment
  • Utilize the design of experiments rubric to guide students to develop an effective experiment
  • Interpret and present experimental results
  • Write an effective lab report

Project based learning

Introduce ethics into education. To better explain the concepts, involve students in groups for small scale projects.

  • Explain the instructional benefits of project-based learning
  • Design a project for your course with appropriate scope
  • Write learning outcomes for course project
  • Design a system for assessing the student achievements with the project
  • Utilize a system for peer assessment of team functionality

Research and paper presenations

Technical education is all about research. The faculty has to continuously innovate and prepare their research reports effectively to stay in touch with industry. Participate in symposiums, events and present advanced technical papers.

  • Complete a literature search for a research project
  • Describe the impact of the research
  • Write the methods for the research
  • Write all of the measurable outcomes for the project
  • Determine and articulate the potential risks/pitfalls of the project
  • Identify a funding source for your project
  • Edit a research proposal
  • Write a budget for the project
  • Write the timeline for the research
  • Write an effective executive summary of the project

These are some of the trends we could gather, in due course we would be publishing more articles around the same. For more information, please mail us at info@l4g.in