Communication Revolution Effects On 21St Century Education

Session

THE COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON 21ST CENTURY ENGINEERING EDUCATION

Tristan T. Utschig1

Abstract  The communication revolution that began in the two-way compressed video. They may perform laboratory latter portion of the 20th century has brought a new focus on exercises from remote locations. They may go to the communication to 21st century students both in and out of Internet for lecture rather than the classroom. They may the classroom. In the classroom, student communication is have immediate feedback on homework or practice problems rapidly increasing through the application of active learning over the Internet. Asynchronous learning for large classes strategies and cooperative learning. No longer are students has become possible. And finally, they can ask questions expected to learn in isolation. Outside the classroom, and participate in discussions from the comfort of their home technology has brought the classroom to the student in a or while they are at the library. variety of ways now centered on the World Wide Web. The second communications-focused change in 21st Students have access to e-mail and information 24-hours a century engineering education is a paradigm shift in teaching day and are often expected to collaborate and communicate methodology that is moving away from a concentration on with classmates in design teams and on homework. This the individual and towards a concentration on teams. This paper explores the nearly all-encompassing focus on shift has been accelerating in recent years due to the communication as a cornerstone in the education of today’s Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology engineering students. (ABET) 2000 criteria and due to a growing literature demonstrating the benefits of active and cooperative Index Terms  Communication revolution, active learning, learning. Finally, industry has shown a consistent desire for World Wide Web, teamwork. a pool of engineering talent that can demonstrate good communication and teamwork skills. INTRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY IN/OUT OF THE CLASSROOM The communication revolution has introduced far-reaching effects into society as we enter the 21st century. These Today’s engineering students have access to information effects are prevalent not only in the workplace, but in our unimaginable 15 years ago. Not only has the face of the personal lives as well. The concepts of instant access to classroom itself changed for many of these students (who information, constant accessibility via wireless may be enrolled in courses from remote locations), but communications, and the global economy have cemented traditional students enrolled in courses on location are also communication as a solid cornerstone on which the world exposed to a great variety of new technology. market operates. Engineering and computer science students are training New Technology In the Classroom to become driving forces behind the further development of the products and services that run the global economy and The World Wide Web in the 21st century will readily extend continue to improve our quality of life. In order for these to nearly every classroom. Indeed, the classroom itself can students to be successful, their communication skills are extend to students in multiple locations. This means paramount. The engineering classroom of the 21st century instructors can demonstrate how to access information, is evolving to produce students who are not only acquire real time data for use in class examples or laboratory comfortable with the technology of modern communication, procedures, and prepare for presentations in purely but who are also good communicators themselves. electronic format if desired. The students, one would hope, Within the changing focus of the learning environment will benefit by being on the receiving end of clear, relevant, of engineering education are two main communication and engaging information presented in a variety of styles. components. Both of these changes are based on efforts to While many communication tools now available as increase the level of communication that students can use as instructional aids in the classroom, four major tools are: a part of their engineering toolbox.  Internet Access The first change is the increased use of technology  Integrated Data Collection Packages hardware and software related to the World Wide Web. The  PowerPoint Presentations students of the 21st century have access to volumes of  Two-way Compressed Video technical reference and general engineering information over the Internet. They can enroll in classes delivered through

1 Tristan T. Utschig, Lewis-Clark State College, Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 500 8th Avenue, Lewiston, ID 83501 [email protected] 0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference 1 Session

Internet access in the classroom has enumerable communicator on team projects. Team communication advantages in accessing information for use in engineering skills are examined further in the second half of this paper. courses, or any other field. For example, real time PowerPoint as a lecture tool may become commonplace earthquake data is available online [1]. This could be used in the 21st century. Although the upfront time requirements in geology courses or in civil engineering courses when of putting together a PowerPoint lecture can be daunting, teaching about earthquake resistant structural designs and there are a number of advantages. The instructor can easily where they are needed. Web sites such as “How Stuff backtrack to help answer questions; anecdotal evidence Works” contain valuable background information that can be suggests student attention may be increased in some cases; introduced to beginning engineering students as they explore text, equations, images, and animation can be combined in a and build on ideas [2]. The government now maintains single package; and the format is easily transferable to the patent information online [3]. Design courses such as those World Wide Web. Some details of incorporating of Garris have used online patent information extensively PowerPoint technology as a mode of communication in [4]. Fortunately, resources such as patent data, journal classroom lectures to facilitate learning are explored by databases, and online journals will only increase for students Milano and Golub, and by Mines [7]-[8]. and educators in the 21st century, thus enabling quick Two-way compressed video is extending live classroom classroom demonstrations to train students in how to find interaction off campus. Such technology greatly enhances support information for their coursework and conduct access to engineering courses. Community colleges and efficient, effective background research. campuses with a number of branches such as Lewis-Clark Integrated experimental data collection packages are State College especially benefit from this communication now widely available. These packages allow efficient technology. In combination with the out of classroom communication between computers, sensor data, and technologies below, two-way compressed video can provide students by eliminating the manual transfer of data from a level of student-instructor interaction near to that of a sensors to the computer and data analysis packages. For student taking a course on location. However, it should be many students in the 21st century, access to lab equipment noted each of these technologies have limitations. For and integrated data collection packages will be available example, courses delivered via two-way compressed video remotely. Examples of these types of courses are now often have a cohort of students on location as well. These available in the literature [5]-[6]. students often receive more attention than those The advantage of integrated data collection packages is communicating via video [9]. that much of the busy work in data collection and analysis is eliminated. This enables instructors to give more than just a New Technology Out of the Classroom demonstration in a limited amount of time, and students can quickly deduce trends in data. However, there is a danger in 21st century students are comfortable with a variety of that students often lack the experience or background communication options to enhance their learning outside the knowledge to understand the meaning of the data they classroom. They are web savvy and have nearly universal acquire. For this reason, guidance in the classroom from the access to the Internet and e-mail. As a result of this high instructor is especially important. Real time data acquisition level of connectivity, 21st century students can take and analysis of demonstrations in the class and laboratory advantage of a number of modes of communication outside provide students a correct model, while the usual time-tested the classroom that were unavailable to most students for analysis of data with proper lab report guidance and most of the 20th century. These include: instructor feedback help complete the cycle of learning.  Internet Access PowerPoint presentations are creeping into the 21st  E-mail century classroom not only in short presentations, but as an  Chat Rooms integral part of lectures as well. The majority of  The eTeach Concept PowerPoint use in the classroom is still in the self-contained  Automated Feedback presentation format often used by students for oral reports on  Asynchronous Learning design or research projects. Due to the ease of use of such presentation software such as PowerPoint, students are Internet access is an important component of the naturally led to organize presentations in a predictable, engineering student’s toolbox. Access to course information compartmentalized format. This may enhance and subject information from a vast and growing array of communication effectiveness due to a relatively standard resources is invaluable when used judiciously. Furthermore, format for presentations. However, it remains essential that the broad array of tools comprising the World Wide Web students are trained in effective planning for presentations give students twenty-four-hour opportunities to take an and are given ample opportunity to practice during the active part in their learning. course of their education. Oral presentation is a key skill E-mail has evolved into one of the most commonly used desired by industry and is required to be an effective forms of communication between students and educators

0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference 2 Session outside the classroom. Its convenience gives students the focus more deeply on the content of a course and, hopefully, opportunity to articulate questions when they come to mind. helps students to achieve higher levels of learning without This prevents questions from going unasked if they must be extra overall effort. Of course, this benefit is only achieved made in person. Also, it is sometimes helpful for the after the initial time investment of producing the automated educator to have time to reflect before answering a question, feedback material. Current capabilities are still limited in and e-mail provides that opportunity. Another advantage of the types of questions that be used for feedback [12]-[13]. e-mail is the capability for students to submit their work Nevertheless, as the volume of material grows, it may electronically. The instructor can then choose to evaluate become readily available to any instructor. and comment on students’ work electronically if they desire. Finally, the combination of communication tools The electronic format is advantageous because it is easy to available to 21st century students makes the notion of keep electronic records of assignments and correspondence widespread asynchronous learning an attractive possibility. for future reference. However, the easy access and relative The limited availability of personal mentors previously anonymity of e-mail can produce a veritable torrent of rendered this idea impossible. Now, much of the interactive questions that are sometimes more easily and efficiently communication necessary for learning can be accomplished handled in class. without the immediate presence of a mentor. Interactive The use of chat rooms can be valuable in holding class lecture material can be placed on the World Wide Web. discussions, allowing students to communicate for limited Automated feedback is available for homework problems. group work from remote locations, and reducing the volume E-mail allows communication to occur at times convenient of e-mail generated in a course. They are also very useful in for both students and instructors. In short, the live lecture providing an alternative venue to lecture for interactive format, relied on for its efficiency in communicating to large feedback, especially in distance learning. However, chat numbers of students, can now be supplanted. rooms can be frustrating in science and engineering courses due to the difficulty of producing mathematical equations in A SHIFT FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TO TEAMS text format. Nevertheless, work is in progress and this limitation will eventually be overcome [10]. The rise of communications technology hardware and The eTeach concept challenges the very nature of the software described above is only one aspect of the standard class lecture followed by assignments at home. communications revolution in the 21st century engineering eTeach reverses the approach completely. The eTeach classroom. The second aspect is an emerging change in the format puts the lecture on streaming video accessed from the methods employed for teaching and learning themselves. web at home or a computer lab (with links to further The 21st century student will graduate from a student- information available on pausing), followed by group work centered approach in the classroom where active learning and discussion on assignments in the classroom [11]. This techniques and teamwork are the norm. These approaches to technique has been implemented with some initial success at teaching and learning are much more focused on the the University of Wisconsin-Madison. interactive nature of communication than the traditional one- The advantage of the eTeach format is clear – maximize way lecture style. Engineering curricula across the country interactive, applied learning when the instructor is present are being revamped with a new focus on communication without losing the efficient mode of knowledge transfer through active learning and teamwork. through lecture. Clearly, the eTeach model would not be The reasons behind these changes center on two major possible without the use of technology in communication. movements. First, the ABET 2000 accreditation criteria has Although at first glance the eTeach format may not appear shifted standards to outcome-based evaluation, where significantly different than videotaped lectures followed by desired outcomes have come from an industrial community discussion, it is much more flexible than the videotape wishing to hire engineering graduates with good design and format. Links to further information and worked examples, communication skills. Second, a new cadre of engineering typeset equations displayed simultaneously with the verbal educators attaching high importance to classroom portion of the lecture, and the lack of a bulky videocassette methodology has begun to grow in recent years. are all improvements in the technology of content delivery. Educational research has shown that active learning and It does, however, require intensive preparation time. teamwork can produce better outcomes in student Automated feedback on example problems and performance, and these educators are prepared to begin homework assignments is another revolutionary concept implementing active learning and teamwork techniques in resulting from the communication revolution. The the classroom immediately upon hiring. Together, these two interactivity of scripted instructions in web pages provides forces are increasing the focus on communication in the 21st students the opportunity to learn from their mistakes through century classroom. appropriate feedback twenty-four-hours a day. Indeed, with Effects of ABET 2000 the multitude of options for instant access to information, instant access to feedback on students’ work may become The ABET 2000 accreditation has resulted in many expected. The use of this technology frees the instructor to engineering schools shifting to a new focus on integrated 0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference 3 Session design during the last decade of the 20th century [14]. Since be very productive when a properly guided class becomes design is usually a team effort and is inherently an iterative familiar with it. However, it is important to keep in mind process, communication among team members is a key to that not all students will gain the same benefit from active success. Indeed, industry actively searches for engineering learning due to their different learning styles. Felder graduates with strong communication and teamwork skills. provides a good introduction to learning styles [17]. As such, the engineering curricula of the 21st century have Teamwork and cooperative learning are also gaining evolved to incorporate design on a broad spectrum. prevalence even at introductory levels of engineering Freshman design courses and integrated curricula involving curricula. A wealth of information on how to create and multiple semester design projects now have a burgeoning maintain successful teams is available. In engineering literature. Rarely do students work alone in these courses, courses involving design projects, pre-assigned specific roles and thus they obtain essential training in engineering for each student are becoming quite common and have been communication and teamwork from the outset of their shown to be successful [15, 18]. In these cases the undergraduate careers. Workshops have been offered to new communication role for each team-member is quite specific. educators that explore the need for such training [15]. Therefore, it may be advantageous if each student is able to ABET 2000 has also resulted in a new focus on play out a variety of roles as they progress through the evaluation of student learning outcomes. Faculty are curriculum. Peer and self-assessment can also be used to required to document these outcomes, which presents a need create a cooperative learning environment. Although for closer communication between faculty and students communication between teams may be limited until a project about course content and course outcomes. is complete, when multiple teams work on the same project, the truly open-ended nature of design can be quite New Engineering Educators and the Evolution of enlightening. With the many issues of teams in mind, the Classroom Methodology new engineering educators for the 21st century are prepared Concurrent to the changes in engineering curricula over to use teams in their courses and will see their students reap the last decade have been a growing number of the benefits of cooperative learning. engineering educators with a passion for teaching and a Finally, it is important to note that the use of technology and basic familiarity with current educational research. progressive techniques to enhance communication in and out Many of these educators have participated in summer of the classroom should be approached with at least a workshops such as the Preparing Future Faculty minimum amount of caution. New faculty will usually workshops and the Science and Engineering Education benefit from trying out new techniques slowly. Using a host Scholars Program. These one week intensive of new techniques in one semester may result in confusion workshops provide aspiring and first-year faculty a and a reactionary approach to fixing perceived problems that thorough introduction to current trends in classroom will diminish benefits to students. Also, the twenty-four methodology and other topics related to performing well hour availability of new communications technology can in faculty positions. This concept has been taken one easily turn into a twenty-four hour work schedule. This, of step further through an innovative, campus-wide 10-12 course, quickly becomes counterproductive. Finally, it may credit graduate certificate program in teaching and help to remember that newer isn’t always better. learning scholarship at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. All of the programs mentioned above are CONCLUSIONS proving to be popular, and the result is that new faculty It is clear that 21st century engineering students will be are bringing enthusiasm, active learning, and teamwork heavily affected by the communication revolution. The face to all levels of the engineering curriculum. of the engineering classroom is changing rapidly to one that Active learning techniques have been shown to improve is technology enhanced. In fact, significant reductions in retention of content. For example, people remember roughly logistical access problems for the World Wide Web are 20% of what they hear (passive), but 70% of what they say resulting in a learning environment that is spreading from (active) [16]. More to the point, active learning requires the classroom right into the home of most students. As higher levels of communication among students and with communications hardware increases in speed, more instructors than traditional lecture formats. Small group advanced communication technology such as streaming discussions, brainstorming, and reporting out on results of video will spread to individual homes. Furthermore, in small exercises are a few techniques. One technique called parallel to advances in the hardware and software of think-pair-share can be especially effective when used communication, the classroom learning environment itself properly. Here a question is posed by the instructor for has begun a communications revolution. Active learning students to ponder for a minute or two individually. The through dialogue, cooperative learning and teamwork on students then pair up and discuss their ideas for one more design projects, and the necessity of constant feedback to minute, after which the instructor solicits a response or two help assess student learning outcomes has cemented to the question on behalf of the entire class with further interpersonal communication as a cornerstone to 21st century discussion if necessary. The think-pair-share technique can 0-7803-6669-7/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE October 10 - 13, 2001 Reno, NV 31st ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference 4 Session engineering education. All of the tools and techniques [15] Courter, S.S, M.J. Smith, and S. Pfatteicher, "Communication, described above have the potential to improve student Teamwork, Ethics, and Other Trends to Weave into the Engineering Curricula: Professional Need and ABET Mandate", Workshop at learning, and many of those tools and techniques have data Science and Engineering Education Scholars Program, University of backing up claims of improved levels of learning. Now, as Wisconsin-Madison, 1999. we progress into the future, we must take care to integrate [16] Hyland, B., "Cone of Learning", from material by E. Dale of these tools and techniques across the student body such that unknown origin. a dichotomy of isolated, remote learning versus cooperative [17] Felder, R.M., "Matters of Style", ASEE PRISM, December 1996, team learning does not grow to produce two distinct classes pp. 18-22. of students: one communicating solely through hardware [18] Larson, D.S, C. Bersbach,, K.H. Carels, and J. Howard, "Team and software, the other unable to produce quality individual Talk and Learning Project Management", Proceedings, ASEE Annual work. Conference & Exposition, 2001.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author would like to thank Dr. Sandra Courter from the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her inspiration and encouragement.

REFERENCES

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