Engineering dean part of NSF team charged with faculty development

National Science Foundation picks Dr. Jenna Carpenter to help pilot framework for framework for recognition of engineering faculty professional development in teaching

Graduate students in the United States typically spend five years earning their Ph.D. and conducting important research in an area of interest, but receive little, if any, training in how to teach. While most of those who earn their Ph.D. in engineering wind up working in research positions within industry or government laboratories, a small percentage become faculty members at colleges across the U.S. and teach multiple courses in their discipline each year.

A team of faculty, including Campbell University Dean of Engineering Dr. Jenna Carpenter - together with the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) - recently received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop a program to encourage all engineering faculty to participate in professional development focused on quality teaching. Their goal is to make this type of training nationally recognized and to help faculty identify important content and content providers.

To accomplish these goals, this ASEE Faculty Teaching Excellence Task Force is developing a three-level framework to support and document faculty members' professional development in teaching. The first level covers key educational concepts related to teaching and learning in college-level engineering and engineering technology courses. The second level focuses mainly on applying these concepts in the classroom. The third level recognizes faculty who, after becoming accomplished teachers, make impacts outside their own classrooms. The ASEE Task Force itself consists of more than two dozen faculty, faculty administrators, and training content providers from almost thirty US institutions.

"Given that our innovative engineering program here at Campbell is unusual in its strong emphasis on quality teaching and use of evidence-based instructional practices, this grant provides an opportunity to help guide the development of a national recognition program to encourage such at all institutions," Carpenter said. "Our goal is to elevate faculty professional development in teaching and encourage faculty interest and participation."

The first level of the recognition framework is being piloted at eight diverse colleges of engineering across the United States. The professional development providers who create the content for the first-level of training will initially come from these eight institutions, as well as two dozen partner schools and the National Effective Teaching Institute. After the pilot is concluded, any content provider around the US and beyond will be eligible to submit their training to be considered for this certification effort.