By Emily Cook, TLS staff writer
When most students enter a classroom, they expect to hear a professor talking at them for three hours straight. But Professor Jeffrey Erochko is hoping to change that expectation by flipping the classroom and showing students the value of class time.
Erochko has been teaching structural engineering at 杏吧原创 University since 2013 with a research focus on earthquake engineering. In 2015, he won a for his commitment to teaching excellence and innovation. When he first developed his courses he says he decided to make them unique.
鈥淚 thought, if I鈥檓 going to do something interesting, I better do it the first time,鈥� he says.
Erochko says he adopted a flipped classroom model of teaching, where the 鈥渓ecture鈥� happens at home in the form of videos or readings and class time is saved for more interactive, hands-on activities. He says this was tricky to implement because engineering students expect to be presented with information before working independently.
鈥淪tudents are not used to preparing to come to class,鈥� he says.
Erochko has his students watch YouTube videos with sample problems and complete readings and quizzes ahead of time. During his first year with the flipped classroom model he assigned textbook readings, which students didn鈥檛 like, so he adapted by giving them his notes on textbook chapters.
鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges is to convince students that there is value in what you鈥檙e doing, in order to convince them to actually engage with the kind of learning context that you鈥檙e trying to get them to adapt to,鈥� he says.
Erochko says students also need to be encouraged to come to class. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the pitfall of the flipped class sometimes, that if they don鈥檛 perceive the lecture time as valuable then they just won鈥檛 come,鈥� he says.
What works for Erochko is allowing students to get stuck on problems in class so they realize they need help.
鈥淚t鈥檚 much better for them to get that help from professionals in lecture or in tutorial than it is for them to try and struggle with that part on their own,鈥� he says.
Erochko is now looking to incorporate an assignment where students post short videos on YouTube explaining an engineering concept or skill.
He says he is constantly adapting and changing his teaching every year, with student perception influencing the changes.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 something good I should be able to explain it to them in a way that they also agree it鈥檚 valuable,鈥� he says.