Teaching problem solving
Dr. Philip L Varghese,
Stanley P. Finch Centennial Professor in Engineering and Distinguished Teaching
Professor
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
DATE & TIME:
Tuesday, September 19th from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Large Conference Room
located on the 10th Floor of the ECJ Building.
Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP only. If
you would like to attend the seminar, please contact
Terri Lavorgna or call the
Academic Affairs Office at 471-7995 on or before September 18th.
OVERVIEW: In many, if not most, engineering courses students are assessed primarily on their ability to solve problems rather than on their ability to recite facts related to the course material. As teachers we tend to assume, correctly in my opinion, that students have not mastered the course content unless they can use the material to solve problems. One problem is that many students want to memorize sample problems and are lost if the question represents a variation of one they have seen before. We will discuss how we can use the time spent doing sample problems in class as a way to improve problem-solving skills..