Keynote presentation for Rutgers/NJIT RU Online Conference, January 2015

1. The Move to Online:
Transmission or Transformation?
Wayne P. Pferdehirt
Director, Graduate Distance
Engineering Degree Programs
U. of Wisconsin‐Madison
Sixth Annual RU Online and Hybrid
Learning Conference
January 14, 2015

2. If Online is the Answer,
What’s the Question?
Transmit more of the same? Transform the quality of learning?or

3. A Bit of Context
 UW‐Madison launched first online degree program, Master of Engineering
Management (Professional Practice) in 1998
 Curriculum and format optimized for experienced, mid‐career professionals
 420 graduates as of 2014
 97% program completion
 54% of students report significant promotions/raises before graduation
 Has proven that quality graduate engineering education can be delivered
online when effectively designed and supported
 Top awards and rankings for educational quality
 Sloan Consortium
 USDLA
 UCEA
 U.S. News and World Report
 “This Masters of Engineering in Professional Practice is as good as it gets
as a model of the development, implementation and maintenance of a
distance education degree program.”
–UCEA Awards Judging Committee

4. Context: Online Graduate Engineering
Degree Programs at UW‐Madison
 Current Degree Programs
 M.S. Electrical Engineering (Power Systems)
 M.S. Mechanical Engineering (Controls)
 M.Eng. Engineering Management
 M.Eng. Engine Systems
 M.Eng. Sustainable Systems Engineering
 M Eng. Technical Japanese
 M.Eng. Polymer Science and Engineering
 Under Development
 M.Eng. Environmental Engineering
 M.Eng. Applied Computing & Engineering Data Analytics
 Students are mid‐career engineers
 Emphasis on project‐ and problem‐based learning
 Strategic goal is developing best‐in‐class graduate programs that enhance
on‐campus centers of strength in engineering research and education

5. Engineering Education is Undergoing
a Major Transformation
 Transformation is happening at many of our
campuses
 Active learning
 Project‐ and problem‐based
 Experiential & authentic
 Rethinking learning from student’s perspective
 John Hennessy, President, Stanford U.:
“The large lecture class is dead.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXs‐LJtl5gI&feature=youtu.be
 Why would we try to replicate
the large lecture hall online?

6. If Online Education is the Answer,
What is the Question??
 What is your goal?
What is the motivation driving your interest in
online learning?
What needs, opportunities, and constraints are
part of the puzzle?
 Online education can be a means, but is
not itself an end
 Let your end be a vision worth your
university’s very best people and efforts
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7. Is “as good as classroom instruction”
an Adequate Goal?
 Going online can
remove/reduce barriers
to education
 Who learns
 Who teaches
 When teaching and learning happen
 How teaching and learning happen
 Efficiency and effectiveness of learning
 Done well, online education practices can improve
classroom practices
 Can be a game‐changer for colleges and departments
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8. Going Online: A Typical Scenario
 Starts with a desire to increase institution’s revenues
… with minimal incremental cost
 Instructors understandably want a model that requires as little
change as possible to their teaching practices
 Goal is to have online courses be “as good as existing on‐campus
courses”
 The result
 Record and stream existing lecture‐based courses
 More of the same
 What’s wrong with that?

9. How do you envision
online learning?
 A digital file cabinet
Digitize and post existing docucourse
resources from f2f course
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10. How do you envision
online learning?
 A one‐way hose for
streaming course
recordings and
related content
Students are receivers of
content with little/no
meaningful personal
engagement with other
students and faculty
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11. How do you envision
online learning?
 An opportunity to
create a
new learning space
collaborative
engaging
authentic
new freedom in where, when,
and how learning occurs
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12. The best online learning actively extends
the boundaries of active learning
 Increasingly, we are seeing how active
learning strategies increase student
learning in on‐campus courses
 Then why use online learning
to recreate the lecture hall?

13. M.Eng. Engine Systems:
Accelerated Learning
Engine Design
Project
Management
Fluid Dynamics
Combustion
Thermo-
dynamics
Modeling
Control and
Diagnostics
Trend Analysis
10-15 Years Experience in
Engine Development
3.5-Year
MEES Program

14. An “Aha” moment for me
UW‐Madison Master of
Engineering in Engine Systems

15. Creating a New World
 New opportunities for learners with shared,
unique needs and goals
 Engaging best instructors, speakers and projects
from anywhere
 Learning that fits the needs and expectations of
distributed teams of students, learning with and
from each other
 Authentic, immediately applicable learning

16.  Curriculum that Fits their Needs and Goals
 Responsive Faculty
 Culture that Fosters Valued, Supportive Community
 Assignments that are Authentic and Meaningful
 Elimination of Unnecessary Frustrations and
Hurdles
Clear Instructions
Reliable Technology and Support
Removal/Mediation of Institutional BS
 Right Mix of Structure, Consistency, and Flexibility
 Knowing Their Feedback Matters
Defining Quality:
What Matters to Students?

17.  Effective Support
 Knowing Their Efforts are Valued and
Appreciated
 Fair, Appropriate Compensation
 New Opportunities
 Knowing their Input Matters
 Motivated, Capable Students
Defining Quality:
What Matters to Faculty?

18. Framework for Quality Online
Learning Environments
Sources: UW‐Madison Division of Continuing
Studies; and Shea, Pickett and Pelz, 2003.

19. Use “the Move to Online”
to Transform
Engineering Education
 Decide (really decide) to make meeting the learning
goals of students as the #1 priority.
 Design each degree program as an integrated
curriculum rather than simply a bundle of courses.
 Engage faculty in assessing and achieving program outcomes
 Engage experienced, capable instructional designers
in the design of programs and each course.
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20. Use “the Move to Online”
to Transform
Engineering Education
 Effectively support faculty throughout course
development, delivery, evaluation, and improvement
 Use online formats and tools to build effective,
meaningful community in support of learning
 at course and program levels
 Integrate learning and practical application
(professional practice) as part of coursework
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21. Using “the Move to Online”
to Transform
Engineering Education
 Use what you learn and develop for online
courses to improve all courses
 Build new and deeper connections
between your faculty’s research and
industry
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22. Some Practical Advice
 Use group projects in online courses to develop skills
needed to lead and contribute to distributed teams
 Thoughtfully complement asynchronous learning
with live, authentic interactions (e.g., interactive web
conferences, team sessions, residencies)
 Have students contribute meaningfully to online
learning
 Lead web conference presentations
 Lead asynchronous discussion forums
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23. Some Practical Advice
 Provide free access to tools that enable student groups
to meet and work effectively anytime, anywhere
 Project groups
 Study sessions, etc.
 Teach and support effective use of collaboration tools
 Use online tools to engage alumni in networking,
learning, collaborating, and teaching
 Engage the best faculty, speakers, and resources,
wherever they are
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24. … and Some Things to Avoid
 Avoid anything that makes online students
feel like distant, second‐class participants
in courses and the sponsoring
departments and colleges.
 Avoid faculty frustration and burnout
caused by inadequate support.
 Avoid the failure to plan well for meeting
students’ needs at the program level
 Avoid the “build it and they will come”
syndrome to program development
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25. Re‐Creating
Engineering Education
 With your faculty create a compelling vision
worthy of them and your institution
 Create a path and stepping stones to get there
 “You must be the change you wish to see in the
world”
 Mohandas Gandhi

26. Let’s Discuss Your Ideas and Questions …

27. Thank You
Wayne P. Pferdehirt
wppferde@wisc.edu
608.265.2361
University of Wisconsin–Madison
College of Engineering
Department of Engineering Professional Development
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28.  Build culture that values, affirms and is committed to quality
 People pay attention to what gets measured
 Need to be able to have the difficult discussions
 Evaluation needs to be safe, supportive, team‐based
 Sometimes you have to change who’s on the bus
 The value in evaluations lies in what you do with what you
learn
 Enable linkages between the right nerves and the right
muscles
 Find ways to model and affirm what you expect from others
Principles of Building Quality