ESCOLA Module 2 Innovative Teaching

Module 2 - Innovative teaching
This programme has been funded with
support from the European Commission

Objective:
The objective of this module is to get an
introduction into innovative teaching methods and
the new technologies that are developing in the
world of learning in engineering and how teachers
can use those for promoting educational equality.
Expected learning outcomes:
• Get to know new teaching technologies and methods
• Be inspired by new trends emerging in the world of education
• Learn how to become in the mindset of an innovative educator
• Gain insight into techniques and tools for educational innovation
• Identify the technologies and methods useful for the specific
classes
INTRODUCTION
Innovation is the process of making lives better while Innovative Teaching is the process of making teaching and
learning experiences better. There are many reasons why Innovative Teaching is required today – some of these are:
• Our society today needs people who are flexible, creative, and proactive – people who can solve problems, make
decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work efficiently within teams and groups
• Technological and pedagogical advances are changing the way we learn and consume knowledge
ESCOLA | DIGITAL TEACHING TOOLS FOR ENGINEERING LABS

Trends in education01
This programme has been funded with support from the European Commission. The author is
solely responsible for this publication (communication) and the Commission accepts no
responsibility for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
02
03
04
05
06
Innovative teaching methods
Characteristics of being an innovative
educator
Innovative use of technology
Technology-enabled laboratory-based
teaching and learning
Summary

1. Trends in education

Technology is changing the way we
communicate and interact with
others.
There is constant and instant
access to information.
Society is changing and education
needs to change with it.
A CHANGING SOCIETY

The European Commission identified 8 key competences fundamental for each individual
in a knowledge-based society.
• Communication in the mother tongue
• Communication in foreign languages
• Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology
• Digital competence
• Social and civic competences
• Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
• Cultural awareness and expression
• Learning to learn
8 KEY COMPETENCES: EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Teaching methods need to adapt to current society and provide students
with the skills needed in a global, competitive and complex labour market.
Valued skills are:
• Creativity
• Innovation
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Initiative
• Flexibility
• Commitment
EDUCATION IN A CHANGING SOCIETY

A turn-around is needed from traditional knowledge transfer where the
teacher is the transmitter and the student the receiver, to one in which the
student is a pro-active asset in its own learning.
Digitally based or enhanced learning contributes to this turn-around, as it
increases the control of a student over their own learning process, while at
the same time increasing the role of the teacher as mentor, motivator and
provider of expert knowledge.
EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION

Bringing about a change in engineering education is key in view of trends such as:
• New and sustainable resources for production
• Environmentally responsible manufacturing
• Digitally enhanced manufacturing
• Open innovation
All requiring the skillset mentioned before, as well as knowledge on a particular
engineering subjects.
Successful engineers increasingly need technical competency and professional skills that
differ from what worked in the past (Diran Apelian, editor of the Bridge,2013)
WHAT ABOUT ENGINEERING?

Engineering education needs to offer a pathway which integrates traditional
engineering subjects with topics that provide them with the skills set
mentioned before, e.g. creativity techniques, communication, ethics,
environmental conscience, social media etc.
Engineering teachers are key. By embedding creativity and innovation into the
students’ learning process, taking maximum advantage of technology and
learning tools, they are pivotal in the process.
THE ROLE OF ENGINEERING TEACHERS

Lavernia et al., “The Bridge"
NAE, 43/2, Summer 2013

2. Innovative teaching methods

There are several approaches for innovative teaching, here are some examples:
• Problem Based Learning – Constructive problems are designed to address
the planned learning outcomes. It assumes that students have some level of
knowledge about the topic.
• Collaborative learning – Learning which involves groups of learners working
together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product (ref)
• Inquiry based learning – Students pose the questions they want to see
answered on a particular topic, they research the topic and then present
their findings to the larger group.
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: DIFFERENTS MODELS, PART 1

• Crossover or Contextual Learning – Learning in informal settings (e.g.
factories, museums, cities..) linking educational content with issues that
matter to learners in their profesional or personal lives.
• Experiential learning is the process of learning through experience and is
also defined by “learning through reflection on doing”.
• Learning Portfolio – Students collect, analyse and select a representative
sample of their course work into a personal portfolio (according to a
guideline), and complement it with a reflective essay. It is then used for
evaluation purposes.
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: DIFFERENTS MODELS, PART 2

Under these approaches one can find many innovative teaching methods,
some examples are:
• Flipped classroom
• Simulation & role-playing
• Short lecture methodology
• Game-based learning
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: EXAMPLES

There are many more, here is a list of techniques which you could check out and see whether
they can be of use for you (or search online for more):
• SCAMPER technique - tool that helps to generate ideas by encouraging to think about how
you could improve existing ones
• Design thinking – uses the strategies designers use during the process of designing for the
practical, creative resolution of problems
• Six Thinking Hats - a tool for group discussion and individual thinking involving six colored
hats.
• Five Ws and H - questions the answers to which are considered basic in information
gathering or problem solving (Who; What; Where, When, Why; How)
• Brainwriting – group-structured brainstorming technique aimed at aiding innovation
processes ESCOLA | DIGITAL TEACHING TOOLS FOR ENGINEERING LABS
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: EXAMPLES

Flipped classroom: a strategy
It “flips” the traditional classroom; the students are involved with lecture
notes or videos in out‐class sessions and engage in an interactive, and
collaborative in‐class activities.
It has been adopted in many engineering faculties and has been an
effective method to improve the performance of students.
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM

The University of Waterloo (Canada) applied the approach in large engineering classes in Civil & Environmental Engineering, where
students learn the material in their own time, and come to class prepared to interact and solve problems with the instructor.
However they faced the challenge that in large classes students are less prone to become to class prepared and more prone to be
passive during the lecture. Also the use of on-line preparation materials required a specific assessment method is needed to
measure the learning outcomes of online modules.
Solution:
• Adding online mini-quizzes to motivate and encourage the students to do the work as part of the course before coming to class.
• Design individually tailored pathways for the online modules, where students go through an online video, which is followed by a
quiz. When failing the quiz the student is guided through a 2nd pathway which includes a more detailed video, and a different
quiz. If this quiz is failed they are taken through a set of 4 sequential video and question series, which allow them to identify
their misunderstandings and solve them. Then they were guided back to the main quiz allowing as many attempts as necessary.
Results: Students indicated to have benefitted in using the combination of flipped classroom with the online quizzes. Class
participation rose from 50% to 98%.
Lessons learned: make sure to add a sufficient number of examples in the videos, provide a handout to the students, and if possible
use a tool for real-time online discussion.
THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM: AN EXAMPLE

Simulation and role-playing
• Creates a workplace scenario which is similar to the working environment and tasks
students will encounter in the future.
• It allows to not only acquire technical skills but also develop their “soft” or social
skills.
• The rules of play need to be firmly grounded and explained.
Careful planning is needed by the educators who must define clear learning outcomes,
and if needed, develop preparation material for the students before engaging in the
exercise.
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: SIMULATION AND ROLE-PLAYING

The University of Lund applied this approach in their course for construction management. It starts at day 1 where each
group of students are invited to meet up with a profesional client, a role normally played by a profesional engineer. The
students act as a engineering firm and prepare a name, logo and business plan for their ficticious company before the first
meeting. This enhances teambuilding and introduces them to the subject field. Whenever posible the meetings take place at
the sites of the profesional engineer to add on realism. Students are responsible for every related to the meeting (time,
agenda, minutes).
The “clients” are given a step-by-step guideline, which has been developed in dialogiue with the profesional engineersto
ensure realism, relevance and validity to the work done by the students.
The meetings take place at recurrent moments and form the milestones of the course. The clients will introduce and express
new requirements, which generates a need among the srudents to acquire new disciplinary knowledge, motivating them to
engage more in the subject to be able to rpvodue an answer to their client needs.
The meetings and the deliverables to be handed over as part of the project assignment help to distribute the workload
across the course.
The students value the experience as very postitive and think it is motivating and they learn how it works in a real-life
company and in interaction with real clients.
SIMULATION AND ROLE-PLAYING: AN EXAMPLE

Short lecture methodology
• Introduces a problem solving case (e.g. duration of 20 minutes)
• Students discuss and debate in smaller groups the possible solution
• Educators acts as facilitator who guides and enhances student interaction
• Groups summarise their discussion for the large group
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: INNOVATIVE SHORT LECTURE METHODOLODY

A game is a physical and/or mental contest that is played according to specific
rules, they goal is to make the participants learn in an entertaining way.
Apart from acquiring knowledge on the subject taught they contribute to
developing a whole range of key skills.
Games can be offline or online.
Existing games can be used or they can be developed specifically for the
purpose of the course.
INNOVATIVE TEACHING METHODS: GAME-BASED LEARNING

• Computer games have
positive effects on students
• Computer games give
chances to students to do
all these laboratory works
from their homes,
whenever they want
TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: GAME-BASED LEARNING

Atılım University Civil Engineering Department (Turkey) used the West Point Bridge Designer
software (a game to understand trusses for Statics course).
The tool was used to estimate the type of member forces under different loading conditions for
various types of truss systems.
“The West Point Bridge Designer software is a free educational computer-aided design program
developed to introduce the engineering design process and to demonstrate how engineers use
the computer as a problem-solving tool. The software enables the user to create a structural
model of a truss, and then run a simulated load test to determine if the structure can safely carry
its applied loads (its own self-weight and the weight of a standard highway truck loading)”.
TECHNOLOGY: GAME-BASED LEARNING – AN EXAMPLE

3. Characteristics of an innovative educator

Initial and in-service training of staff should include innovation in pedagogy
and the use of technology.
A competence framework for digital skills of teachers is recommended: e.g.
European Framework for Digitally Competent Education Organisations
A system for appointments, promotion and tenure to reward innovative
teaching.
CHALLENGES FOR INNOVATIVE EDUCATION IN EUROPE

• Many teachers/educators have been educated in times when knowledge
about learning and teaching was less developed.
• New teaching methods and much of the tools and technology were not
available.
• To keep up to date additional and continuous training is needed.
But above all: a mindset change in which the educator is no longer the mere
transmitter of expert knowledge
CHALLENGES FOR EDUCATORS

Educators/teachers should support students acquire not only “the skills that are
easiest to teach and easiest to test”.
They should educate them about
• ways of thinking (creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
and learning)
• ways of interacting (communication and collaboration)
• tools for managing information (including information and communications
technologies)
• citizenship, life and career and personal and social responsibility
WHAT SKILLS TO TEACH?

Although lab-based teaching is considered a hands-
on and practical way of learning,it does not
necessarily mean that the aforementioned skills
are actually taught.
Innovative practices and tools can enhance the
learning experience enormously.
WHAT ABOUT LAB-BASED TEACHING?

Reflective: with regards to what is working and what not. Constant
evaluation/examination of processes and concepts are needed to ensure it is the best for
your students. Be brutally honest to yourself on what does not work.
Learning: always learning, reading and listening, professional development is an
opportunity which has to be grasped at anytime.
Creative: in thinking and approach. Using unconventional approaches to engage and
motivate students. Business as usual is not their thing.
Connected: to students and trends in their future profession as well as education in
general. Knowing the trends allows to prepare students better.
INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR TRAITS: PART 1

Collaborative: working together with other educators, sharing what you know, one alone
is not smarter than the group. Peer-learning is an important aspect for them.
Inquisitive: always asking questions. It is about asking the right questions not about
having all the answers.
(How can I improve?; What went wrong? How to adapt this? ......)
Value-based: living life according to strong values and wanting to make a difference.
Standing up for their beliefs and being a role model for students.
INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR TRAITS: PART 2

To adopt new teaching models requires teachers to revisit their pedagogy.
This is time consuming and requires effort (and this costly).
Full backing by management and teachers.
Impact of technology-based learning does not come from the technology alone.
It is the pedagogy that goes with it that makes the difference.
To support the adoption of technology based practices specific and focussed training is
needed and mutual sharing of knowledge and experiences is to be stimulated.
TECHNOLOGY BASED INNOVATIVE PRACTICES:
WORTHWHILE BUT CHALLENGING

A.J. Juliani and John Spences in
their book Empower

4. Innovative use of technology

Any higher education nowadays cannot refrain from using technology in teaching and
education:
• Students are digital natives, who cannot perceive activities without the use of
mobile/computing devices
• They search information on the internet, and are always online
• There is a wealth of providers of anywhere-anytime educational resources outside
the classroom
Higher education institutions need to focus on student centered learning methods,
which provide flexible learning paths and give the students life skills. The adoption of
technology is key in this process. ESCOLA | DIGITAL TEACHING TOOLS FOR ENGINEERING LABS
TECHNOLOGY IMPERATIVE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Interactive
boards
Increasing
use of own
digital
devices
Improved
manage-
ment of
learning
Easier
collabora-
tion
Replacement of chalkboards with smart boards, interactive displays
and interactive projectors .
Students are carrying their computers and smartphones into the
classroom.
Learning Management Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning
provide automated administration services that deliver information
effectively and help students in learning on-line.
Technology has enabled improved interaction between instutions,
communities, educators, and students.
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Impact of widespread use of
technology in higher education is that
the learner will always be at the center
of the education ecosystem. Learning
at the university, and also from peers,
industry and society at large.
THE STUDENT AT THE CENTER

Examples of technology for engineering teaching:
• Remote and virtual laboratories
• Robotic applications
• 3D virtual worlds
• Augmented reality
• Complex data visualizations
• Mobile applications
TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Mobile devices have a high
penetration in education in
general and in the
Engineering field specifically.
TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION: M-LEARNING

Example 1
Competence in Topographical Observations using
mobile devices
Aim: to develop the ability to carry out
topographic observations by means of satellite
positioning.
Description: Students are given the geographic
coordinates of the first point as well as the
description of its exact location. Once on the
location point, they use their mobile to read a QR
code with the next coordinates and location, etc.
Until they complete the itinerary (which differs
for each group). The winner is the one who
completes the itinerary in the shortest time.
Example 2
An augmented reality (AR)-based information delivery
tool, CAM-ART, was implemented in classroom-scale
experiments to enhance traditional lecture-based
instruction and information delivery methods. In the
research reported in this paper, the contents of an
ordinary textbook were enhanced using computer-
generated three-dimensional (3D) objects and other
virtual multimedia (e.g., sound, video, and graphs), and
delivered to students through an AR application
running on their smartphones or tablet computers.
M-LEARNING: EXAMPLES

5. Technology-enabled laboratory-based teaching and learning

Developments in technology have
generated innovative approaches for
laboratory-based learning for
engineering students.
From online preparatory activities to
virtual laboratories.
TECHNOLOGY AND LAB-BASED TEACHING AND LEARNING

• Safe time - for instance, instructional videos on how to use equipment or,
demonstrate how to apply specific techniques can save time in the physical
laboratory.
• Increased access - mobile devices can be used to connect to large screens for live
demonstrations, and accessed at a later stage for referral.
• Increased safety - use of online quizzes on safety as obligatory preparational activity
of the lab practice.
• Increased confidence /reducing fear of failure - the use of virtual laboratories allows
the student to make mistakes and retry without real-life consequences
USE OF TECHNOLOGY: EXAMPLES OF BENEFITS

Virtual laboratories – Virtual equivalent of the physical labs.
Students work on experiments in simulated environments.
Remote laboratories - Here students work on real equipment and instruments by
controlling the experiment from a different location.
Blended approach – combination of activities in physical and virtual or remote
laboratories, based upon the requirements of the curriculum and traits of the subject.
More detail on virtual and remote laboratories can be found in Module 4.
ONLINE LABORATORY ACTIVITIES

6. Summary

• Engineering education needs to offer a pathway which integrates traditional engineering subjects with topics
that provide them with the skills set mentioned before, e.g. creativity techniques, communication, ethics,
environmental conscience, social media etc.
• Also a turn-around is needed from traditional knowledge transfer where the teacher is the transmitter and the
student the receiver, to one in which the student is a pro-active asset in its own learning.
• New tools and methods needs to be embedded into the learning process, to ensure this turn-around becomes
a reality and students acquire the key competences they need.
• Technology can be very helpful in introducing new means of teaching and learning in a classroom or lab setting,
but is not enough all by itself. The content and approaches need to be adapted as well.
• Innovative teachers have a set of traits, which dinstinguishes them, and allows them to provide student-
centered learning and education.
• There are specific tools which can be used to make laboratory teaching more engaging and more interactive.
SUMMARY

When introducing innovative approaches and technologies into your lab teaching
activities, ask yourself:
• Will it work in my context?
• Has it worked for others?
• What is the level of digitalisation among students (e.g. devices or knowledge of
technologies to be used)?
• What kind of infrastructure can I use/access?
And last but not least: Does the innovation motivate me?
Making a change in the teaching requires time and effort!
ASK YOURSELF

Best places to start implementing new approaches and/or technologies are:
• Those parts of the curriculum which have become outdated, stale or are
very tedious
• Those parts of the curriculum with which students seem to struggle
more or underperform
• Areas you feel you teach particularly well or badly
• Those parts which your students particularly enjoy or dislike
SO WHERE TO START

• Do not spend too much time researching – it is good to read books or
articles on educational innovation and how to apply it in your teaching.
But don’t overdo it. You still need to do work to make a change in your
teaching.
• Don’t do it alone – talk, network and share with other teachers. Their
ideas on what has worked and what has not are the most valuable
things you can learn. Ask if you have doubts.
• Do not innovate for the sake of innovation – do not go for the latest
technologies or ideas, just because they are new. Think about what fits
best your subject, your students and yourself.
FINAL TIPS

escolaproject.eu
Facebook.com/EUESCOLAPROJECT
eu.escola.project@gmail.com
Thank You

1. European Commission, 2007
2. Lavernia et al., “The Bridge" NAE, 43/2, Summer 2013
3. Laal Seyed, M. & Ghodsi, M. “Benefits of collaborative learning” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences Volume
31, 2012, Pages 486-490
4. Priyaadharshin, M & Vinayaga Sundaram, R.; Evaluation of higher-order thinking skills using learning style in an
undergraduate engineering in flipped classroom. July 2018. Computer Applications in Engineering Education. DOI:
10.1002/cae.22035
5. Askham P (2004). The feeling’s Mutual: Excitement, dread and trust in adult learning and teaching. Education,
Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield.
6. ÇalıĢkan, Nihan Tuğba, Enhancing civil engineering education using active learning techniques; Thesis. M.S., Civil
Engineering Department. Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Halit Cenan Mertol. July 2013,
7. European Commission Working Groups on the Modernisation of Higher Education and Digital Skills and
Competences ; Transforming higher education: how we teach in the digital age.
8. International Summit on the Teaching Profession; 2011. OECD. ISSN: 23127090 (online),.
https://doi.org/10.1787/23127090
9. Article appeared on Teach Amazing! and was written by Rachelle Wootten, an Educational Technology Specialist
and author of the iBook: Mission ‘Pod’sible: A Teacher’s Guide to Podcasting.
10.EY; Leapfrogging to Education 4.0: Student at the core. November 2017.
REFERENCES

11.M. Á. Conde, F. J. García-Peñalvo, M. Alier, M. J. Casany and J. Piguillem, Mobile devices applied to Computer
Science subjects to consume institutional functionalities trough a Personal Learning Environment, International
Journal of Engineering Education (IJEE), 2013, pp. 610-619.
12.Herrera, S.; Fennema, M.; Morales, M; Palavecino, R.; Goldar, J.; Zuain, S.; Mobile Technologies in Engineering
Education. National University of Santiago del Estero. Santiago del Estero, Argentina Conference paper, Sept 2015
REFERENCES

ESCOLA Module 2 Innovative Teaching

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (20)

Similar a ESCOLA Module 2 Innovative Teaching

Similar a ESCOLA Module 2 Innovative Teaching (20)

Más de caniceconsulting

Más de caniceconsulting (20)

Último

Último (20)

ESCOLA Module 2 Innovative Teaching