email: berg1786@umn.edu | © 2008 - 2012 Devin R. Berg | linkedin logo Google+ logo

Experience

Engineering and Technology Department, University of Wisconsin - Stout
Assistant Professor, Starting August 2012

Medical Devices Center, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Lab Supervisor, July 2011 – present
School of Engineering, University of St. Thomas
Adjunct Faculty, January 2012 - May 2012
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Teaching Assistant, Senior Design Projects, September 2011 – May 2012
Teaching Assistant, Design and Manufacturing I, January 2010 – August 2011
Teaching Assistant, Design and Manufacturing II, January 2010 – May 2010

Teaching Philosophy

As an engineering educator, I recognize that each individual learns in their own way and that I need to be both flexible and adaptable. Further, by creating an environment of open communication, I hope to reach my students in such a way that both benefits their educational experience and provides me with the feedback I need to continually improve as an instructor. With these things in mind, my approach to teaching can be categorized as a blend of mentoring, developmental learning, and nurturing of the students' abilities.

In the context of higher education, mentoring involves actively engaging the student in the learning process and seizing the opportunity to transfer knowledge and skills by finding ways to link theory with hands-on experiences. As the engineering curriculum expands with the addition of new technological developments, it is important to find ways to adapt the learning process to meet these ever-changing needs. One approach that I am particularly interested in is the use of hands-on, project-based education in order to keep students engaged in the coursework and give them the motivation to self-educate. An example of this would be the use of in-class or take-home kits that demonstrate the concepts covered in lecture or on the homework. This mentoring activity can be further enhanced by making the curriculum industry relevant and finding ways to link theory with applications from my research that students may find interesting. I have found this approach connects with the students at a more fundamental level and reminds them why they chose to pursue a career in engineering in the first place. When the students can clearly see the application and value of what they are learning, they will be more likely to take ownership of their own educational development.

In practice, I have had the opportunity to explore these issues and witness the effects of having this hands-on experience. For example, when teaching manufacturing theory, students often struggle with the relationship between machine operating conditions and the quality of the resulting part. Thus in teaching a manufacturing lab, I have been able to demonstrate these relationships directly and allow my students to produce parts with their own hands. In this way they get first-hand experience and it is possible to observe the moment when they make that connection between the theory and the application. In my role as a mentor in this example, I am able to guide my students through the process and help them to learn from my experience. By helping the students to make these connections, I am able to promote their active involvement in the educational process and work with them at any skill level. Additionally, this educational approach provides the inherent opportunity to teach and practice both communication and teamwork skills, both of which the students will find useful no matter their eventual career path.

Building on this mentoring approach, the theory of developmental learning can be applied in the context of providing students with the tools they need to tackle complex problems intelligently. Students often get overwhelmed with the intricacy of some engineering exercises. However, by getting the student to take a step back and start with the fundamentals, I find it easier to break the intellectual impasse and develop some educational momentum. I try to apply this approach in my teaching and particularly when students have questions. By challenging students to transition towards increasingly complex methods of analysis, I feel that I am helping the student develop their own problem solving approach that will prepare them for the future. When covering complex structural loading, for example, I often go back to simple problems and re-explain the use of free body diagrams. Additionally, I plan to employ homework assignments covering a range of difficulty designed to challenge and build understanding of the material. Feedback that I have received from my students suggests that this approach does indeed help to better their grasp of the material.

Stemming from the idea of developmental learning, I see the educational process in engineering as an opportunity to nurture a student's abilities. Despite the fact that students will often struggle with the complexity of various engineering fields, the systematic process of applying the basic skill sets and working through the issue is an essential tool for understanding and solving the engineering challenges at hand. Even problems that seem beyond the grasp of the student provide an opportunity to engage them in a new way and help them develop an approach that they may not have realized was relevant. One example of this that I have used in practice was to help a student who was struggling with a problem involving sliding friction. By showing the student how concepts he was comfortable with such as a load balance could be used to solve the problem, I was able to provide him with an approach that is applicable to comparable situations he will face in the future. Similarly, in my teaching practice I plan to revisit newly mastered problems and subjects in order to help the students see clear evidence of the progress they have made in the course. This will give students a measurable appreciation for the work they have put in and a sense of accomplishment that will help them be successful in the future.

Another method that I use to nurture my students' abilities is taking the time to communicate with them to assess their skill level and instruct them according to their preferred learning style. By making myself approachable in this way, the students come to me early with their difficulties and I am able to address them swiftly. This student interaction allows me to find a teaching method that is appropriate to that individual and build their confidence in their own abilities.

To summarize, I plan to mentor my students, engaging them with the practical application of engineering fundamentals, build understanding through developmental teaching practices, and nurture the students' potential. It is important to recognize that everybody learns in a different way and there is no general solution for engineering education. In engineering it is important to be adaptable and to use natural problem solving abilities as both a learner and an educator. Ultimately, I hope to create an open learning environment where I work in partnership with my students to provide the best possible educational experience. Further, by incorporating hands-on projects into the classroom, I hope to encourage more successful learning and promote greater knowledge retention. Taking each of the three aforementioned perspectives (mentoring, developmental learning, and nurturing) into account, I believe that I am able to reach students on a personal level and facilitate their growth as skilled and capable engineers.

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