Teaching Engineers …everything you wanted to know in 90 minutes or less… College of Engineering New Faculty Orientation

1. Teaching Engineers …everything you wanted to know in 90 minutes or less… College of Engineering New Faculty Orientation August 24, 2011 Thomas F. Wolff Richard W. Lyles Associate Dean Professor, CEE wolff@egr.msu.edulyles@egr.msu.edu 355-5128 355-2250

2. Overview • The role of teaching in the college • Nuts and bolts, rules and regulations • Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation • Tips and tricks: How to survive, succeed, facilitate learning, and inspire

3. The Role of Teaching Your priorities Teaching vs. research Teaching in the promotion and tenure process Teaching? Or facilitating learning? College is moving aggressively in reaching out to freshmen

4. Nuts and Bolts -- Rules and Regulations Admission to Engineering Grading systems and policies Semester calendars Code of Teaching Responsibility Syllabus Attendance Exams Privacy Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities Academic Dishonesty

5. Admission to Engineering • New freshmen are admitted to the university and may freely declare any major, regardless of academic preparation • Students are admitted to engineering (access to 3rd and 4th year classes) after • Completing six core courses • Attaining a required GPA

6. Grading systems • Grades may be 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.0, I • For grades below 2.0, 1.0 provides credit but is repeatable, 0.0 fails, but is repeatable. • Maximum repeat credits is 20, unless approved by Associate Dean (delegated to Advising Director) • When course is repeated, second grade replaces the first in the GPA, both show on transcript. • Students with 2.0 and 2.5 grades sometimes request a lower grade (?)

7. Semester Calendars • During first five class days, students may freely add classes for which they have prerequisites, and for which there are seats. Prerequisite and space overrides require department approval. • During the first four weeks of class, students may drop a class without a grade, and receive a full refund. • Until mid-semester, students may drop a class without a grade. • After that date, students may only drop based on extenuating circumstances with approval of Associate Dean’s office. • Incomplete (I) grades may be awarded in certain extenuating circumstances.

8. Code of Teaching Responsibility • Ombudsman’s web site • www.msu.edu/unit/ombud • Code of Teaching Responsibility • https://www.msu.edu/unit/ombud/CodeofT.html • Faculty are bound to the code. It is one of the few “real” codified obligations of faculty • Faculty have much leeway around attendance, grading, etc., but are required to communicate what they will do and expect • Includes syllabus, attendance and work ownership policies. More to come about syllabi

9. Exams • Classes meet for two hours during final exam week, whether a final exam is given or not • If a final exam is given, it must be given at the scheduled time (and NOT the last day/week of classes) • Final exam times rotate from year to year • Students are not required to take more than two exams in the same calendar day, and there are rules for make-up times

10. Privacy • Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) • University policies (somewhat more strict) • Course work, performance, etc. are a private matter between you and student –not classmates, roommates, friends, or even other faculty or parents

11. Accommodations • Persons with disabilities have the right to a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) • Certification of these rights are handled by the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD). • Student is obligated to give you prior notice of the need for an accommodation with a VISA form • Accommodation may mean additional time on exams or a separate test location • Questions should be referred to Dr. Wolff or the RCPD

12. Academic Dishonesty • If you believe academic dishonesty has occurred, you may • Award a penalty grade on the assignment or exam • Award a 0.0 for the course • The action is reported to the University with an electronic form linked from the Registrar’s Instructor System • This is copied to the student; student has rights of appeal • Instructor may choose to recommend additional sanctions • If a report is filed, student is required to take a zero-credit remedial course, with significant deliverables, unless the charge is successfully appealed

13. Accreditation, Assessment, and Evaluation

14. Accreditation • ABET (formerly the accreditation board for engineering and technology) • Made up of representatives from various technical societies (e.g., ASCE, ASEE, ASME) • ABET accredits degree programs (not departments), primarily at the undergraduate level • ABET normally “visits” on a 6-year cycle—the next general visit to MSU is in fall 2016! • used to be that ABET was of concern every now and then—now, generally continuous (check for the “ABET person” in your department

15. Assessment…Evaluation There are different levels of assessment and evaluation… • …in the context of accreditation and general program review. • …in the context of evaluating faculty for advancement. • They are (or should be) related!

16. Assessment…Evaluation • Faculty and programs/departments continually monitor the delivery of the program and achievements of its students and alumni. • Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)—broad longer-term goals of the program • Program Outcomes—more specific goals achieved by the time of graduation • Course Learning Objectives (CLOs)—what is to be learned in a specific course

17. Assessment…Evaluation Example of PEOs… The Department…provides opportunities to obtain the knowledge, skills, and professional perspective needed for: • advancement in civil or environmental engineering practice and the pursuit of advanced studies; • life-long learning; • professional practice consistent with the principles of sustainable development…

18. Assessment…Evaluation Example of program outcomes…largely defined by ABET and a relevant technical society. Not an exhaustive list, but includes things like… • apply knowledge of math, science, and engineering • design system, component, or process with realistic constraints • knowledge of contemporary issues

19. Assessment…Evaluation Example of course learning objectives (CLOs) from intro to civil engineering (not exhaustive) • measure and compute horizontal and vertical distances • explain the difference between engineering analysis and design in the context of defining and solving ill-posed problems • describe basic principles of sustainability (e.g., carbon footprint, green design, LEED certification)

20. Assessment…Evaluation Various departments do assessment and/or evaluation differently! Achievement of CLOs and/or program outcomes is tracked using evidence from class (e.g., achievement on exams, homework assignments, term papers). Shortcomings (e.g., a CLO is not being covered or covered adequately) are highlighted and remedied.

21. Assessment…Evaluation Teaching effectiveness and quality are also assessed on an ongoing basis… • Student Instructional Rating System (SIRS)…students anonymously provide feedback at end of semester • e.g., “rate the instructor on the following scale (0.0 → 4.0)” • currently used in annual reviews, tenure and promotion deliberations HOLD ON TO YOUR SIRS FORMS!

22. Assessment…Evaluation • Student Opinion of Courses and Teaching (SOCT) • “overall, was the instructor effective?” • summary statistics made available on-line to all for each instructor by course—NOT used in T&P or annual reviews • department-based assessments of teaching—method/extent varies by department

23. Tips and Tricks:…how to survive, succeed, facilitate learning, and inspire…

24. Tips and Tricks – Preparing a class We all want to be remembered as the professor who made a major impact on students’ lives and was an inspiration… How we do that is a mixture of the mundane and the unique.

25. Tips and Tricks – Preparing a class • Syllabus • Clear and concise • Expectations—yours and theirs—be clear! • Means of communication–e-mail, office hours, appointments—be honest!, then do it! • Grading • Meeting with TAs

26. Tips and Tricks – Delivering a class • Freshmen vs. other undergraduates vs. graduate students—they ARE different! • Mutual respect • Posting course materials • ANGEL – www.angel.msu.edu • Course web site • Others • Course presentation • Powerpoint issues (death by powerpoint)

27. More Tips, More Tricks • Should we call it teaching or learning? • Active learning • Clickers • Forced feedback • “Here’s what I am telling you” vs. “Tell me what you have found”

28. More Tips, More Tricks… • Cooperative learning • Assigning groups • Group issues • You need to figure out what works for you! • Can you use humor? • Are you a traditionalist? • Whatever your approach, you really need to “get comfortable”

29. So, you’ve been diligent, you’ve really tried, and it still goes to hell! Now what? First, be honest in your own assessment of your performance—don’t be defensive! If you’re not sure, have someone come into your class and give you an honest appraisal.

30. TAKE ACTION! Seek help! We’ve all been there at one time or another. • Talk to your department chairperson • Talk to your mentor (and/or get one!) • Use formal resources like the Office of Faculty and Organizational Development (F&OD) • Use informal resources like other faculty in your department or the college!

31. But, don’t “do nothing!” If all else fails, do what the kids do— (googling “teaching effectiveness” returns 2.3 million results—surely there’s something there that will help; the first result is “enhancing your teaching effectiveness”)

32. Resources • MSU Registrar • www.reg.msu.edu • MSU Ombudsman • www.msu.edu/unit/ombud • MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) • www.rcpd.msu.edu • MSU Counseling Center • www.couns.msu.edu • Office of Faculty and Organizational Development (F&OD) • www.fod.msu.edu/Mission.asp

33. Resources • Engineering Undergraduate Studies • www.egr.msu.edu/undergraduate/ • ASEE • www.asee.org • Rich Felder’s website • http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ Watch for other college and university seminars and presentations