Alternative Energy Education Using Alternative Design and Delivery

Stephen R. Fleeman

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Interdisciplinary Education in Engineering Technology
Tagged Division: Engineering Technology
Page Count: 10
Page Numbers: 22.156.1 - 22.156.10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--17437
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/17437
Download Count: 403

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Stephen R. Fleeman Rock Valley College

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Stephen R. Fleeman is an Associate Professor and Academic Chair of Electronic Engineering Technology and Sustainable Energy Systems at Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. He has been at the college for 28 years and retired in 2009 from Hamilton Sundstrand (an aerospace company) after 31 years of working as an electrical engineer concurrently.

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Abstract

Alternative Energy Education Using Alternative Design and DeliveryIt is often said that a crisis is an opportunity in disguise. When faced with declining enrollments,the Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) faculty at [Rock Valley College] responded bytapping into two modern trends: the burgeoning field of sustainable energy systems, and themove towards online education. By adding a sustainable energy emphasis to the EET degree, thedepartment prepares its students for the next generation of energy technology. By modifying itscourses to be delivered in a hybrid format (lectures online, labs in person), the program offers aconvenient option for students who have jobs and require more flexible course scheduling.There is a bold new mission for EET in the area of alternative energy. Sustainable EnergySystems (SES) professionals are needed to advance our nation’s move toward freedom fromfossil fuels. A curriculum has been designed based on the alternative energy job task analysisorchestrated by the Electronics Technicians Association, International. The resulting curriculumprovides Alternative Energy Hybrid System Integrator graduates and embeds a student learningoutcomes assessment of that curriculum through industry-recognized, third-party certifications.The challenge to EET educators is to push the envelope of their comfort zones to tackle newinterdisciplinary imperatives. Many students today are very comfortable learning from theinternet. Hybrid educational experiences permit the lectures, and additional resources such asvideos, to be delivered asynchronously, but paced to ensure timely completion. Laboratoryactivities are still conducted to provide students with hands-on experiences, and direct interactionwith their professors. The design of alternative-format hybrid classes inherently leads to adetailed, concise, week-by-week course construction.The paper includes four sections: (1) Alternative Energy – A Comprehensive Overview, (2)Designing a Curriculum for Assessment, (3) The Pros and Cons of a Hybrid Course Design, and(4) The Critical Issues of Enrollments and Employment. The SES degree program curriculumfinishes its first two years of delivery in June 2011.

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Format

Fleeman, S. R. (2011, June), Alternative Energy Education Using Alternative Design and Delivery Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17437

TY - CPAPER
AB - Alternative Energy Education Using Alternative Design and DeliveryIt is often said that a crisis is an opportunity in disguise. When faced with declining enrollments,the Electronic Engineering Technology (EET) faculty at [Rock Valley College] responded bytapping into two modern trends: the burgeoning field of sustainable energy systems, and themove towards online education. By adding a sustainable energy emphasis to the EET degree, thedepartment prepares its students for the next generation of energy technology. By modifying itscourses to be delivered in a hybrid format (lectures online, labs in person), the program offers aconvenient option for students who have jobs and require more flexible course scheduling.There is a bold new mission for EET in the area of alternative energy. Sustainable EnergySystems (SES) professionals are needed to advance our nation’s move toward freedom fromfossil fuels. A curriculum has been designed based on the alternative energy job task analysisorchestrated by the Electronics Technicians Association, International. The resulting curriculumprovides Alternative Energy Hybrid System Integrator graduates and embeds a student learningoutcomes assessment of that curriculum through industry-recognized, third-party certifications.The challenge to EET educators is to push the envelope of their comfort zones to tackle newinterdisciplinary imperatives. Many students today are very comfortable learning from theinternet. Hybrid educational experiences permit the lectures, and additional resources such asvideos, to be delivered asynchronously, but paced to ensure timely completion. Laboratoryactivities are still conducted to provide students with hands-on experiences, and direct interactionwith their professors. The design of alternative-format hybrid classes inherently leads to adetailed, concise, week-by-week course construction.The paper includes four sections: (1) Alternative Energy – A Comprehensive Overview, (2)Designing a Curriculum for Assessment, (3) The Pros and Cons of a Hybrid Course Design, and(4) The Critical Issues of Enrollments and Employment. The SES degree program curriculumfinishes its first two years of delivery in June 2011.
AU - Stephen R. Fleeman
CY - Vancouver, BC
DA - 2011/06/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Alternative Energy Education Using Alternative Design and Delivery
UR - https://strategy.asee.org/17437
DO - 10.18260/1-2--17437
ER -