Nicholas Pohlman is a Professor in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) in
the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Christine Nguyen is an Associate Professor in the CEET in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. This fall, they taught, “Technology Adoptions of 21st Century: Affordable Access or Intrusive Invasion.”
Why were you attracted to offering an Honors seminar?
NP: “I want to work with great people, and Dr. Nguyen is a colleague engaged in challenging students to think and learn in complex ways. Furthermore, I wanted to interact with the non-engineer to see how they can grow my own understanding and perspective.”
CN: “I agree with this. Nick and I have had many conversations about pedagogy and teaching about technology and data ethics. So, when Nick asked if I was interested in teaching an Honors Seminar, it was natural for these two pieces to come together. For a long time, we’ve discussed how we wanted to teach an interdisciplinary course and the Honors Seminar is a fantastic environment for it.”
How do you teach your subject or specialty to an interdisciplinary group of Honors students?
NP: “We have eliminated the math of engineering but retained the process of taking problems apart. It is fascinating to ask these students to break down devices such as ATMs, smart watches, and robotic vacuums into the separate elements that make the technology work.”
CN: “Technology has become a crucial part of our day-to-day activities. So, we keep that in mind when we talk about the different technological devices and services. We focus more on the purpose of the technologies, which allows for great discussions from the users’ perspective.”
What are some of your tricks of the trade to engage students in the course materials?
NP: “There are no tricks because the Honors student already wants to be engaged. Honors students have a penchant to not wait for the exam, but ask the great depth: “Tell me more about …”
CN: “Students already have the proclivity for curiosity. When you go into an Honors Seminar, you already know it’s different from any other class. We welcome the students to challenge the tough questions with more tough questions, and it opens up the class for great conversations. We are actively listening to the students, and that helps us become even better educators.”
What’s the best thing about teaching Honors students?
NP: “The seminar has allowed me to explore teaching pedagogy that is focused on open-ended discussions rather than known equations that must be derived and then applied. I feel like a crew member on a ship, but the students are navigating which direction it points.”
CN: “I agree with Nick. The best thing so far has been the expansion of our own teaching pedagogy. In a previous answer, I mention how the students challenge us. The topic of our course also doesn’t have a “right” or “wrong” answer, as many mathematical questions do. Instead, we are exploring different topics together as a class and we are learning so much from the students.”
