Engineering courses could take on a new form thanks to a $267,000 portion of College of Engineering’s continuous improvement initiative for undergraduate education. With record enrollment and imminent enrollment increases, educators must find creative ways to teach within the college infrastructure.
Construction engineering Associate Professor Chuck Jahren was recently awarded a grant of $267,000 for a proposal, which focuses on course improvement involving hybrid learning. The goal is to redevelop courses so they efficiently combine online and in-classroom content. “This will hopefully improve collaboration between faculty and classmates,” Jahren says.
Jahren proposes a type of course that fosters active learning in several smaller group discussions, instead of passive learning a single, large group lecture. In addition, the material covered in lectures could be learned online, giving instructors and students more time for one-on-one and small group interaction. “This active learning approach reinforces the Iowa State University brand by providing a hands-on, personalized and pragmatic education,” Jahren says.
Engineering departments directly involved in this process are civil, construction and environmental engineering; industrial and manufacturing systems engineering; agricultural and biosystems engineering; as well as College of Engineering-Liberal Arts and Sciences Online Learning.
Costs associated with the grant include salaries and benefits for project leader Jahren, a consultant who specializes in active learning techniques, a consultant who specializes in online learning techniques, and faculty who will teach the revamped courses in a hybrid learning format. Grant monies, totaled at $267,292, will be utilized from now through June 30, 2014.
The grant is part of the collective $2.2 million distributed by Iowa State College of Engineering to engineering departments for continuous improvement in undergraduate education.