Engineering Teaching Day

Information about Engineering Teaching Day 2023

The First Annual Engineering Teaching Day

Presented by MTEI, the James McCormick Family Teaching Excellence Institute, Cornell College of Engineering

August 10, 2022, 10 am – 4 pm
Upson Hall, Rooms 206 and 216

This inaugural annual event celebrates the teaching mission of Cornell Engineering. Join us to share your passion for teaching, workshop ideas with fellow faculty, and —most importantly— improve the learning experience you offer to students in the coming year.

Register for free by filling out this form by August 8. You are welcome to attend as many or as few sessions as you like. Snacks and beverages will be provided throughout the day.

9:30 am – 9:50 am, Upson 206

Coffee and pastries available.

10:00 am – 10:50 am, Upson 206

Course Policies: Crafting Syllabi that Benefit Your Students and You

Michael Clarkson, CS
Hadas Ritz, MAE

Your syllabus establishes course policies that necessarily balance flexibility with predictability — for your students, your teaching staff, and yourself. The last two years in particular have demonstrated a need for enhanced flexibility. In response, many of us have experimented with new course policies. This workshop is an opportunity for us to share what's working and what's not, and to be inspired by one another. Specific topics of interest include: attendance policies, deadlines, workload, missing work, and Academic Integrity. Participants will be invited to share excerpts from a recent syllabus in advance, and workshop organizers will synthesize these contributions. During the workshop, small groups will be formed to discuss trends, challenges, and solutions.

11:00 am – 11:50 am, Upson 216

Active Learning: Building Student Connections with Content, Peers, and Your Course

Kathy Dimiduk, MTEI
Kyle Harms, IS

Students learn more and retain that learning longer when they make connections with the content and with their peers. Active learning techniques draw students in and make classes more engaging and dynamic. Learn several easy to implement, quick, active learning techniques and practice writing prompts. Use these techniques to reinforce key points, uncover and counter misconceptions, develop critical thinking skills, while simultaneously helping students combat isolation and build connections with peers.

12:00 pm – 12:50 pm, Upson 116 (Lounge)

Joint Luncheon with New Engineering Faculty

Complimentary lunch will be provided.

1:00 pm – 1:50 pm, Upson 216

Helping Students Learn: Tools to Help Students Reset Study Strategies

Shivaun Archer, BME
Jennifer Bokaer-Smith, Learning Strategies Center
Amy Godert, Learning Strategies Center

Many students have experienced COVID-related academic disruptions, but not every student has been affected in the same way. There are various ways instructors can support students’ learning in the classroom, including helping them effectively prepare for and use office hours and other learning supports, use homework and problem sets as effective learning tools, engage in useful notetaking practices, and develop plans to study for prelims. Participants will leave this session with concrete ideas on supporting student learning that they can incorporate in their classes. This session will be highly interactive and the sharing of best practices will be encouraged.

2:00 pm – 2:50 pm, Upson 216

Teamwork: Facilitating Group Work and Collaboration

Shivaun Archer, BME
Rob Parker, Engineering Leadership Program

Teamwork is one of the most vital components of an engineer’s education and training. This workshop is an opportunity to learn how to make group work "work" for your class and set your students up for professional success. Ways in which instructors can help students develop high performing teamwork skills and manage conflict within teams will be presented. Sharing and discussion of best teamwork practices will be encouraged.

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm, Upson 206

Metacognition and Reflection: Easy, Practical Ways to Improve Student Learning and Satisfaction

Celia Evans, Engineering Learning Initiatives
Kyle Harms, IS

Teaching students to think proactively and reflectively about the material in the course will make their study time more effective as well as deepen their understanding of the material. "Reflective prompts" can be incorporated into teaching in easy ways to help students integrate content, identify their challenges with course material, share feedback with teaching teams, and be "heard" by sharing reflections as feedback.  Incorporating these practices into your expectations for students can enhance engagement. Metacognition — thinking about one's thinking —  goes hand in hand with reflection, and both support critical thinking skills.

For more information, contact Michael Clarkson (mrc26@cornell.edu).