Aeronautical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering: A Learner-Centered Teaching Perspective in Higher Education

National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.nsta.org

Y

8

Engineering; Engineering Education; Engineering Technology; Aerospace Education; Learner Controlled Instruction; Educational Practices; Educational Strategies; Aviation Education; Discussion (Teaching Technique); Lecture Method; Psychoeducational Methods; Higher Education; Teaching Methods; Instructional Innovation

10.2505/4/jcst14_044_01_64

0047-231X

Teaching in the 21st century requires a modern teaching practice coherent with the evolutions of the Information Age. Interestingly, teaching practices have stretched beyond an art form and into the realm of science. Following these scientific trails, one can argue that one of the greatest challenges educators currently face is to maintain student interest in demanding subjects. From an educator's point of view, however, all subjects are equally demanding, as the adopted teaching practice for a particular subject matter equally needs to ensure that a student-learning experience is generated. Furthermore, an efficient teaching method for a particular subject is not necessarily equally efficient for another subject. Hence, the road map to professional teaching could essentially start from an empty page and develop into a detailed map that could prove to be valid for a specific teaching environment. In this article, particular facets of learner-centered education in higher education are highlighted with an emphasis on teaching subjects in aeronautical/aerospace engineering. Implementation of novel techniques in communicating ideas through illustrations, posters, and animations represents one of the interactive educational approaches of this specific era.

As Provided

38

2014

EJ1040342