Promoting Class Room Creativity, Innovation and Discovery V.Thanikachalam, Ph.D.,M.Tech.,B.E.,M.S. (drthanikachalam@aol.com)
What is creativity in engineering education?
Creativity in engineering education Solving real life problems Seeking new solutions Meeting the challenges through innovations Combinatory play Synthesizing Self assurance Risk taking
Creativity, Invention, & Innovation Creativity is visualizing what no one else has thought before Invention is transforming those new thoughts to tangible ideas Innovation goes even further, involving preparedness to mix with the world to turn novel ideas into products
Creative Thinking Skills Suggesting hypotheses Generating and extending ideas Applying imagination, and Looking for alternate innovative outcomes
Creativity Is the application of knowledge and skills in new ways to achieve a valued goal. Identifying new problems, rather than depending on others to define them. Transferring knowledge gained in one context to another to solve a problem. Continuous learning will eventually lead to success
Creativity: The capacity to focus attention in the pursuit of a goal or set of goals -Seltzer& Bentley,1999
Barriers to Innovation Lack of leadership and commitment Lack of resources Lack of clearly articulated institutes’ needs/ challenges Lack of innovative culture in institutions Lack of technology resources and linkages Risk averseness Inadequate trained faculty
Innovations in Instructional Design Generating new learning models Planning instruction from a new perspective Moving outside the existing paradigms Improving the existing instructional processes Adopting successful instructional designs
Instructional Design Inquiry process Collaborative to cooperative agency Interagency collaboration Building professional competencies Solving Interdisciplinary problems Reasoned discourse Globalization Conceptualization to implementation
Students’ Behaviour Students’ behaviour progressively mirrors that of the faculty In class room innovative instructional designs both teachers and the students are learning in new situations Tough field problems are challenging and they lend to innovative solutions Intrinsically motivating and engaging
What do students possess? Untapped potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavor Potential can be realized by policies, programs and procedures Capability to build professional knowledge Creativity Ingenitivity
Incremental Innovation Minor modifications to existing product Swims with the tide Starts with present and works forward Minor improvement
Radical Innovation Significant breakthrough representing major shift in design Swims against the tide Imagines the future and works backwards Major transformation
Innovative Learning Active and student-directed; peer-and faculty monitored Cooperative learning and teamwork Learning in context assists students to organize their long-term memory for retrievals Communication skills, respect for the views of others, the critical faculty, the satisfaction of contributing to the group, ability to give and take criticism without offence being caused.
Students’ Motivation The excitement of self-discovery Getting additional information from the Internet, journals, books, reports Visualizes the role of senior executives Ability to analyze the failures in planning, design, construction and maintenance. Ability to evaluate alternatives Ability to create alternate products
Self-directed Learning and Self-assessment Developing the critical learning habit Self evaluation Group decision making
Definition of Innovative Learning A pedagogical strategy for posing significant, contextualized, real world situations/problems, and suggesting resources, guidance, and instruction to learners as they develop content knowledge and problem-solving skills.
Learners’ Role In self directed learning, students collaborate to study the issues of a problem as they strive to create visible solutions (Aspy, Aspy & Quimbly,1993). Learning in problem based situation normally occurs within small discussion groups of students facilitated by a faculty (Bridge&Hallinger,1991).
Faculty’s Role Subject matter expert Resource guide Task group consultant Encourage learner participation Provide appropriate information Assume the role of fellow learner Avoiding negative feedback
Advantages Task group processes information Competencies to solve the problem Develops flexibility Develops cognitive strategies Helps to analyze unanticipated,ill structured situations Produces meaningful solutions
Conventional Lecture Method Information on knowledge and rules Situation specific with well-defined problem parameters Predetermined outcomes with one correct / best answer Focus on instruction is to solve predetermined problem Does not prepare the learners to solve real life complicated problems Ineffective in transferring the learning to new domains
Real Life Problems (Undefined Field Problems) Seldom Parallel to well-structured Problems A Case on Failure Demand Critical Thinking Skills Learners need to interact with life beyond class room walls ( >2->4->6) Demand Problem Solving Skills
Innovative Learning is concerned with: What should students learn to perform in the workplace where teacher will not there to guide? How they should learn? What are the short comings? Whose problem is this? Designer? Field engineer? Contractor? What type ultimate solution that they are expected to suggest?
Problem-1: The incoming GI water pipeline to a RCC water tank fails every time in two weeks after repair ! Why? Poor quality materials? Poor workmanship? Inefficient supervision?
Problem-2 The RCC bridge for ECR constructed on the backwaters in Kovalam near Chennai started settling. The EE was suspended! What could be the cause for settlement? Poor execution? How will you prevent the settlement?
Problem-3: The PG Professor of structural engineering designed a shell structure for an auditorium. The auditorium collapsed. •The contractor faithfully followed all the
construction procedures specified. •Four carpenters died at the time of removing the shutters. •The quality of materials were good. •Why did the failure occur?
Real Field Engineering Problems are to based on the Program Objectives Usually written cases are derived from field experience, accidents, failures, breakdowns‌ Stimulate active learning Not only based on the local situations but also on the global field works Integrated approach (investigation, planning, design, manufacturing, testing, improvement, maintenance)
Typical Engineering Field Cases
MIC gas leak at Union Carbide factory in Bhopal… Sudden floods in Himalayas… Fires in submarines … Airbus 787 accidents… Tsunami in Eastern Coast of Tamil Nadu… Buildings collapse due to earthquake in Gujarat… Low foreign exchange reserve… Volvo bus sudden burning after accidents…
Implementation of Innovative Learning Process Less Lecturing More Learner Contact Self Directed Learning Relevant Materials from Internet You tube Video Clippings Creative thinking to practical problems Clearly Related to Objectives & jobs
Focus of Innovative Learning Encourages the learners to work on real problems [ analysis, design, prototype development, testing, manufacturing, safety, efficiency and maintenance] Integrates experience Recalls previous knowledge Looks for new sources of information Networks skills and procedures
Innovative Learning Steps Clarify Terms and Concepts which are not clear Define the Problem Analyze the Problem Brain storm List Possible Outcomes
Formulate Learning Objectives and Set Priorities Look for Additional Information Outside the Group Report back, Synthesize and test the Decisions
Specialty of Innovative Learning Places the Responsibility for Learning in the Hands of Students Very Useful Teaching Strategy for Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs
Provides Exposure to Learning in the real life situations Good Starting Point for Shared Learning Learning from Case Aanalysis of the material seen by Learners Themselves Uses Video tapes/ multimedia packages
Highlights of Innovative Learning Students’ Learn by Analyzing the Given Field Problems Students Work in Executive Groups Recording Key Areas for Learning Learning is Active and Student -Directed
Self-Directed Learning Skills are developed and enhanced Teachers Guide and Facilitate rather than direct Discovery and Application of Knowledge emphasized over Recall
Assessment Assessment focuses on final product design, reasoning and self directed learning as well as recognition of facts
Assumptions of Innovative Learning Students are assumed to be better able to learn and recall information through: - Activation of prior knowledge - Elaboration on newly acquired knowledge - Contextual knowledge
Learning Process Preliminary discussions in small groups Students mobilize available knowledge Constructs explanatory models based on the prior knowledge Processes and comprehends new information
Elaboration (Construction of Cognitive Models) Discussion. Note-taking and searching for solutions. Answering questions. New information is understood if students are stimulated to elaborate on it.
Facilitating Student Learning Use small discussion groups Supplement by traditional methods to stimulate active learning on the parts of students Choose problems by deriving from clear objectives Problems are sensitive to the level of sophistication at different stages of learning
Traditional Approach Curriculum overload Inappropriate teaching methods Shifted to the emphasis of the curriculum away from field challenges
Implications of Innovative Learning Less lecturing More student contact Small group work Self-directed learning
Advantages of Innovative Learning * Preliminary discussion in small groups * Activation of prior knowledge * Elaboration on newly acquired knowledge * Contextual learning
General problem solving ( task-dependent) skills A task or challenge as a source of learning Ability to care for user needs and solve their problems Acquisition of knowledge Exposure to real-life problems Problem solving skills dependent on acquisition of knowledge
Problem / Learning Task The group’s task is to evaluate and define the different aspects of the problem, physical, social, environmental etc. Achieve an understanding of the basic mechanisms involved A planned strategy-a way of enabling students to develop the required reasoning and critical thinking more efficiently Speeding up the process of acquiring the experience
Integration of basic science concepts into field problems Focusing on application of old knowledge in new situations Encourages the integration of knowledge from domains (basic sciences, IT enabled analysis and management) Students are able to integrate basic science knowledge into the solutions of field problems
Self-directed Learning Skills Learn to learn to meet the personal needs Independent Self-directed Lifelong learners Self evaluate Conduct literature searches themselves
Intrinsic Interest in Subject Matter Enhances intrinsic interest in subject Increases motivation Involves the learners more actively in the issues at hand
Potential Difficulties with Innovative Learning Process The variations in quality of the faculty Guiding skills Confusion among the students Lack of a sense of purpose Orienting and training the students Seminars and lab. demonstrations are essential
Competency list
Conduct job analysis List the tasks to be accomplished Prepare competency list Grade them Write educational program objectives
Development of Cases Based on the professional challenges Cases are to be written from real life observation Small groups are to be formed Guidance is to be provided for learning materials Brain storming is to be conducted Give feedback and encourage them
Review of Cases (Formative Evaluation) Interdisciplinary approach Editing Instructional materials Youtube Video Clipping Newspaper cuttings Extracts of speeches of VIPs
The Government of India protected Indian Manufacturing Companies since 1947 as an Economic Policy. They did not allow any market competition. There were too many restrictions in manufacturing,
pricing‌
The Finance Minister stated that: Japan’s Toyota motors got the technology for car manufacturing from GM Motors in early 1950s Hindustan Motors also got the technology for manufacturing Ambassador car from the same GM Motors during the same period. Now the quality of the Ambassador lags far behind Toyota !
Why?
Indian government has not fully globalized the higher education.
One of the Chairmen of the IITs stated that India did not attract any foreign professor ! Who is responsible? Have we globalized our engineering education? Can we recruit any foreign professor by paying US $ 250000/- per annum? What could be the motivation of comparable Indian professors if this salary is offered to foreign professors?
Summative Evaluation Review the findings Fine tune the case files based on the performance of the learners Recycle
Plan an instructional design for “Human Resource Dynamics” * Identify the course objectives • Identify the intended course outcomes • What are the sources of information? • How will they plan the self-directed learning? • What is the role of the faculty?
Instructional Planning Counsel the students to choose an MNC Let them identify the corporate HR needs Assess the HRD policies, goals and process Explore from the web of the company Identify the HR strategies and programs Evaluate the HRD program objectives and implementation
Thank You Creative & Innovative educators. What are your creative questions, please?