Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught

1
Chapter 4

• Making the Most Out of How You Are Taught
• (4.2, 4.4, 4.5,4.6, 6.6)

2
Topics

• (1) Getting the most out of your lectures
• (2) Getting the most out of your professors
• (3) ??

3

• Succeed !!

4
(1) Getting the Most out of Your Lectures

• Preparation
• Good listening skills
• Effective note-taking
• Asking (good?) questions

5

• (2) Getting the Most out of Your Professors

6
How Professors Can Help You

• Instruction
• Academic advising career guidance
• Monitor your progress
• Help you find a summer job
• Hire you on their research grant
• Nominate you for scholarships or academic awards
• Serve as a reference !!

7
Winning Behaviors

• Address your professor properly
• Mr. / Ms. ?
• Dr. ?
• Professor ?
• Arrive on time class office hours appointments
• Pay attention
• Ask focused and targeted questions
• Do your assignments
• Compliment your professor (when appropriate)

8
Understanding What Your Professors Do

• Teaching undergraduate graduate
• class room teaching grading curriculum
  development (update, new courses, laboratories)
• Service
• Department, college, university, external
• Research
• RU/H
• Publications journal conference papers
• External funding - grants
• Theses dissertations
• Editorships
• Organizing participating in professional
  society meetings
• Many Duties !! HIGH STRESS JOB!!

Publish or perish !!
9
Grading
10
Teaching Styles

• Professors have diverse teaching styles
• Experts in their technical fields

11
Characteristics of Your Professors

• Chose an academic career over professional
  practice
• Believe their areas of technical specialty are
  important and interesting
• Believe they are outstanding teachers and
  researchers
• Are very knowledgeable, and love to convey what
  they know to others

12
(3) ??
13
Instrumentation Engineer

• EducationBachelor of Science in Mechanical,
  Chemical or Electrical Engineering.
• Experience Minimum of 3 years exp. as an
  Instrument Engineer working in a chemical plant,
  refinery, or equivalent. Instrumentation
  Electrical design, maintenance engineering,
  reliability engineering, and/or project
  engineering experience are essential. Skills in
  troubleshooting/specifying instrument and
  electrical equipment associated with process
  equipment i.e. pumps, heat exchangers, vessels,
  compressors, piping, including DCS and PLC
  hardware. The candidate should have excellent
  verbal and written communication skills and
  possess ability to work independently and
  collaboratively. Good interpersonal skills.

14
Hardware Engineer

• Section II - Qualifications Required1.Bachelors
  degree in Electrical Engineering/Electronics or
  equivalent experience in electrical
  engineering/electronic fields. Level 1 0-2
  years Level II 2-4 years Level III 4- 6
  years2.Logical and analytical problem solving
  skills.3.Knowledge of standard laboratory
  practices.4.Good communications skills, both
  written and verbal.

15
Electrical Design Engineer

• B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from an
  accredited, 4 year university. 2 years
  Electrical Engineering experience Professional
  knowledge of electrical engineering concepts,
  principles, and practices, and familiarity with
  other engineering disciplines and architecture.
  Ability to plan, conduct, and record
  site/facility surveys and inspections. Ability
  to research, analyze, interpret, and apply rules,
  regulations, and procedures to a variety of
  situations and to recommend timely and economical
  solutions. Ability to plan and organize work
  and coordinate with other engineering disciplines
  and architects.. Ability to communicate
  effectively both orally and in writing and
  maintain good working relations.

16
Assistant Professor

• REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS At the time of
  appointment, applicants must have a Ph.D. in
  Civil Engineering or a closely related
  engineering field expertise in the area of
  Infrastructure/Materials Engineering an
  undergraduate degree from an accredited Civil
  Engineering program excellent communication
  skills and be a registered professional engineer
  within the State of Idaho or have the ability to
  become registered within three years of
  appointment. This position requires a strong
  commitment to teaching, advising, and curriculum
  development at both the undergraduate and
  graduate levels. The successful candidate will be
  expected to teach undergraduate and graduate
  classes and establish a program of externally
  sponsored research.

17
Instrumentation Engineer

• EducationBachelor of Science in Mechanical,
  Chemical or Electrical Engineering.
• Experience Minimum of 3 years exp. as an
  Instrument Engineer working in a chemical plant,
  refinery, or equivalent. Instrumentation
  Electrical design, maintenance engineering,
  reliability engineering, and/or project
  engineering experience are essential. Skills in
  troubleshooting/specifying instrument and
  electrical equipment associated with process
  equipment i.e. pumps, heat exchangers, vessels,
  compressors, piping, including DCS and PLC
  hardware. The candidate should have excellent
  verbal and written communication skills and
  possess ability to work independently and
  collaboratively. Good interpersonal skills.

18
Hardware Engineer

• Section II - Qualifications Required1.Bachelors
  degree in Electrical Engineering/Electronics or
  equivalent experience in electrical
  engineering/electronic fields. Level 1 0-2
  years Level II 2-4 years Level III 4- 6
  years2.Logical and analytical problem solving
  skills.3.Knowledge of standard laboratory
  practices.4.Good communications skills, both
  written and verbal.

19
Electrical Design Engineer

• B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from an
  accredited, 4 year university. 2 years
  Electrical Engineering experience Professional
  knowledge of electrical engineering concepts,
  principles, and practices, and familiarity with
  other engineering disciplines and architecture.
  Ability to plan, conduct, and record
  site/facility surveys and inspections. Ability
  to research, analyze, interpret, and apply rules,
  regulations, and procedures to a variety of
  situations and to recommend timely and economical
  solutions. Ability to plan and organize work
  and coordinate with other engineering disciplines
  and architects.. Ability to communicate
  effectively both orally and in writing and
  maintain good working relations.

20
Assistant Professor

• REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS At the time of
  appointment, applicants must have a Ph.D. in
  Civil Engineering or a closely related
  engineering field expertise in the area of
  Infrastructure/Materials Engineering an
  undergraduate degree from an accredited Civil
  Engineering program excellent communication
  skills and be a registered professional engineer
  within the State of Idaho or have the ability to
  become registered within three years of
  appointment. This position requires a strong
  commitment to teaching, advising, and curriculum
  development at both the undergraduate and
  graduate levels. The successful candidate will be
  expected to teach undergraduate and graduate
  classes and establish a program of externally
  sponsored research.

21
Employers Want More !!

• National survey of over 1,000 engineering
  employers revealed that industrys 1 concern
  was
• To give engineering students more instruction
  in written and oral communication
• Strong technical communication skills will aid
  obtaining a job and in advancing a career
• More than 80 of Fortune 400 companies identified
  writing skills as their organizations greatest
  weakness.
• Communication skills head the list of traits
  wanted by employers by eight recently surveyed
  companies, including Nike

22
Perfect Job Candidate (January 29, 2009)
http//www.naceweb.org/press/display.asp?yearpr
id295

• A new study by the National Association of
  Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that, for new
  college graduates in this tight economy, becoming
  the perfect job candidate is a tall order.
• Todays employers have an extensive list of
  attributes, skills, and qualities they look for
  in their job candidates, says Marilyn Mackes,
  NACE executive director. And thats assuming
  that the candidate meets the employers basic
  criteriaincluding having the requisite major,
  course work, and GPA.
• Nearly 70 percent of employers taking part in
  NACEs Job Outlook 2009 study said they screen
  candidates by GPA (grade point average).
• For most, the cutoff is 3.0or a B average,
  says Mackes. If a student passes that hurdle,
  then the employer takes a look at other
  attributes.
• Among the skills, attributes, and qualities
  employers prize most are communication skills, a
  strong work ethic, ability to work in a team, and
  initiative.
• These are the type of skills and qualities that
  will help a new hire succeed as an employee and
  contribute to the organization, says Mackes.

23
ABET Accreditation Board for Engineering
Technology (see pg. 20)

• 11 attributes
• Attribute (g)
• An ability to communicate effectively

24

• Technical communication skills
• are important for Engineers !!

25
What is Technical Communication?

• Communicating engineering ideas and results, both
  orally and in writing, to a targeted audience

26
Writing Demands of an Engineer

• Letters, memoranda, and e-mail correspondence
• Design specifications, manuals
• Proposals
• Contracts, patents
• Written progress reports
• Technical reports
• Publications in professional engineering journals
• Written performance evaluations of subordinates

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Oral Communication Demands of an Engineer

• Oral progress reports
• Project and committee meetings
• Team collaborations
• Short courses and training seminars
• Guest lectures at engineering schools or
  professional society conferences
• Oral evaluations of subordinates

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• Develop a plan to improve your
• technical communication skills

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• Course in Technical Communications?
• 128 credit hours for EE and ECE
• ECE 495i Technical Writing Presentation
  Seminars
• 1 credit
• Memos, reports, resumes, cover letters, oral
  presentations

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Improve Your Writing Skills

• Take writing assignments seriously
• Lab, Projects, Course
• Take courses in writing
• ENGL 120 Advanced composition
• ENGL 290 Intermediate analytic writing
• ENGL 291 Intermediate technical writing
• Writing Centers (www.siu.edu/write)
• Faner Hall (Morning Afternoon)
• Lentz Hall (Evening)
• Trueblood Hall (Evening)

31
Improve Your Speaking Skills

• Take courses in speech
• Dept. of Speech Communications
• Persuasive communications
• Cross-cultural Communications
• Interpersonal Communications
• Public relations
• Organizational communications
• Look for opportunities to speak
• student organizations, high school class, regular
  class

32
Cross-Cultural Communications(6.4)

• See Table on page 227
• 41 of current engineering and computer science
  graduates are women, ethnic minorities, and
  foreign nationals (2004-5 data)
• As an engineer, you can expect to work with,
  manage, and be managed by people differing from
  you in
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Cultural background
• Personality types
• What can you do to improve your effectiveness in
  working and communicating with people who differ
  from you?
• Seek opportunities to interact with people from
  different ethnic and cultural backgrounds
• Refrain from stereotyping
• Avoid trying to build yourself up by putting
  others down

33
Balancing Work and Play

• Strike a balance between immediate and
  future gratification
• Too much immediate gratification dont get
  work done feel guilty
• Too much delayed gratification feelings of
  deprivation and resentment can sabotage your
  commitment

34

• Find a proper balance between work and play
• You will be successful !!
• Good Luck !!

35
Questions for the Day

• (1) List 2 ways your professors can help you
• (2) A survey of industry representatives
  conducted by the National Society of Professional
  Engineers indicated that the 1 area in which
  more coursework was called for was
  __________________________

36
Einstein talks to God

• Einstein climbs to the top of Mt. Sinai to get
  close enough to talk to God.
• Looking up, he asks the Lord... "God, what does
  a million years mean to you?"
• The Lord replies, "A minute."
• "Einstein asks, "And what does a million dollars
  mean to you?
• The Lord replies, "A penny."
• Einstein asks, "Can I have a penny?
• The Lord replies, "In a minute."

37
Grading

• A professor gave a final test.
• The students handed back the tests when the exam
  was over.
• The professor noticed one student had attached a
  100 bill with a note A dollar per point.
• In the next class, the student got back his test
  and
• 
  56 change.