Susan Powers


Assoc. Dean of Engineering for Research and Graduate Studies

Environmental Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Clarkson University

8 Clarkson Ave.
Potsdam, NY 13699-5700

Phone:
315-268-6542

FAX:
315-268-4494

http://internal.clarkson.edu/cee/faculty/powers.html


What are, to you, the key issues in creating learning resources that support your teaching style and your student's learning styles?

Finding materials that are consistent with my logical flow of information, especially in classes that cover new and different material than typically covered in the discipline. The students' expectation that all courses cover standard material found in a textbook is a barrier that needs to be overcome when trying to teach in more creative ways.

What is your vision for the "textbook" of the future and what impediments do you see to realizing that vision?

Electronic with lots of modules that can be mixed and matched as approriate for the particular course. The material would expect students to think critically, solve open ended problems and find additional resources on their own. The cannot be presented as the "whole body of knowledge", but rather a tool for opening doors to the subject matter. No spoon feeding and no plug-and-chug problem solving (especially for engineering quantitative problems).

Describe briefly any research you have undertaken on teaching or learning.

Using and researching value of project based learning styles in middle school through PhD level classes.

Have you created publicly accessible learning resources?

How would you like to contribute to the workshop?

I'm not sure. Wiling to facilitate break out sessions.

What would you like to take away from the workshop?

Better idea of what resources are available now and opportunity to bring these ideas back to CU faculty for their improved perspectives on teaching and learning.