Tiia Rüütmann

Teaching strategies for direct and indirect instruction in teaching engineering

It is important to select the proper instructional strategy for a specific learning outcome in teaching engineering. There are two broad types of learning outcomes: facts, rules and action sequences (on lower levels of complexity in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains), and concepts, patterns and abstractions (on higher level of complexity in the above named domains). Facts, rules and action sequences are taught using instructional strategies of direct instruction. Concepts, patterns and abstractions are taught using strategies of indirect instruction. Strategies of both types of learning may be combined, providing a menu of teaching strategies that help students solve problems, think critically and work cooperatively. This article presents teaching strategies suitable for direct and indirect instruction used in teaching engineering.

Analysis of STEM Teaching – Most Common Strategies and Methods Enabling Deep Understanding and Interactive Learning Applied by Graduates of Technical Teacher Initial and Continuing Education Programs in Estonia

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and analyze results of the research carried out at Estonian Centre for Engineering Pedagogy at Tallinn University of Technology (TUT). Micro-lessons of 260 technical teachers teaching at vocational schools, gymnasiums and universities have been analyzed with special matrix for lesson analysis. The research has been carried out in 4 groups: (1) STEM teaching at vocational schools, (2) STEM teaching at gymnasiums (high schools), (3) STEM teaching at universities (including colleges and universities of applied higher education), and (4) STEM continuing education in engineering companies. Most common teaching models, strategies and methods enabling deep understanding and interactive learning used in STEM teaching by technical teachers who have graduated from TUT either on master level or in continuing education have been determined and analyzed in the present article.

Teaching computing for non-IT students experience of Tallinn University of Technology

The present paper demonstrates the teaching methods and principles in informatics course for the first year non-IT students at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. The authors suggest some ways for active learning and achieving better results in the issues that are usually complicated for the beginners.

Analysis of the program for continuing education of technical teachers on the basis of graduates' feedback results

The article presents the results of the analysis of the designed learner-centered program for continuing education of technical teachers, including initial teacher training, on the basis of the feedback of the first graduates of the program. The aim of the qualitative research was to evaluate the quality of the curriculum and the quality of teaching in order to improve and enhance the curriculum for continuing education of technical teachers.

Optional STEM courses for secondary schools designed and implemented for enhancement of K-12 technology education in order to excite students' interest in technology and engineering education

The aim of the present paper is to introduce optional STEM courses designed for secondary schools at Tallinn University of Technology, and to give the overview of implementation and integration of these courses, describing the relevant teacher education and analyzing the feedback of teachers participating in the courses.

Self-evaluation of Pedagogical Competencies of Academic Staff in the Context of Career Management

The model of Assessment of Academic Staff Work Performance and Feedback has been designed at Tallinn University of Technology (TTU). The model links the main stages of the assessment process from collecting data for compiling a personal portfolio and analyzing personal training needs, to conducting the development and career interview and finalizing with attestation interview. Professional Competencies Self-Evaluation Questionnaire for evaluation of pedagogical/professional competencies of academic staff has been designed based on the model of IGIP competencies of engineering educators’ obtained by passing the IGIP curriculum. The main emphasis of this paper lies on training needs analysis pilot survey, carried out by implementing Professional Competencies Self-Evaluation Questionnaire for academic staff members in TTU in March 2017. The results of the analysis of the pilot survey are presented in the paper.

Scholarly teaching and scholarship of teaching and learning in teaching engineering

The present article introduces the importance of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in engineering education and principles of effective teaching and learning in engineering. Examples and experiences of implementing SoTL at Tallinn University of Technology (TUT), Estonia are provided. Principles of SoTL, collegial coaching, continuing education of the faculty, and mentoring are presented in the framework of the main model of Engineering Pedagogy Science. The results of preliminary pilot analysis of levels of evolution of engineering educators at Tallinn University of Technology (TUT) are presented.

Work in progress — Semantic annotations and teaching analytics on lecture videos in engineering education

In this paper we discuss work in progress regarding the challenges in education (generation z, smart devices, etc.), especially at technical universities where the teaching staff lack or have very little pedagogical background. One potential way of aiding the instructors who want to improve their teaching practice is through the recording and observation of their own classroom activities (e.g., using video or other sensors), which would enable lecturers analyse their teaching and make informed decisions about any necessary changes in their teaching methods. The present article will give a short overview of related work (teaching analytics and instruments currently used in recording classroom management) and share the steps taken in implementing the approach at Tallinn University of Technology (TUT), Estonia.

Additional specialty of a technical teacher for engineers afforded in continuing education at Tallinn University of technology

The present article introduces the newly designed curriculum of continuing education at Tallinn University of Technology. Educational demand of technical teachers in Estonia has been of high importance today, as there are not enough of STEM and technical teachers at gymnasiums and vocational schools. This has been the primary reason for the design of a new curriculum creating the possibilities of acquiring the additional specialty of a technical teacher for engineers. The curriculum has been designed and implemented and the first feedback of the graduates is analyzed in the article.

Adolf Melezinek — The supervisor of doctoral thesis based on Klagenfurt School of Engineering Pedagogy

Theses of the presentation of IGIP Special Session in memoriam Adolf Melezinek on IGIP/ICL 2015 conference have been presented in this paper.