On April 14, E&EM Lead Professor Jonathan Deason served as the coordinator of a work session on “Ways to Improve the Masters Programs in SEAS” as part of The George Washington University's Workshop on the Future of Engineering Education. The workshop was held at the on-campus One Washington Circle Hotel across the street from the GW Hospital.
During Professor Deason’s session, 10 faculty members discussed topics such as how we can better prepare students to be the innovators of the next generation; how our curricula should be re-designed to accommodate changing needs in the world and new emerging disciplines; new teaching methods and pedagogical approaches that can help engage the current generation of students.
Professor Deason’s session was one of four sessions in the workshop, which featured four external speakers who have distinguished themselves in the field of University education. SEAS dean Timothy Tong and GW Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Don Lehman and other University officials also participated in the event.
Recently, several reports from distinguished national committees organized by the National Academy of Sciences, as well as many thought-provoking papers, have suggested that fresh thinking is needed to better engage students and adapt to a changing world. To educate the next generation of environmental managers, these reports and papers challenge universities to consider new approaches.
The workshop focused heavily on those reports, covering topics such as:
* Exploration of innovative approaches to pedagogy
* Ways to revitalize curricula to respond to challenges issued in the NAE reports, and to current changing realities in the marketplace.
* Examination of key issues, challenges, and obstacles in developing new curricula and in fostering innovative pedagogy.
* Identification of faculty development opportunities, and funding to support course and program development.
The workshop represented an important step in an ongoing process to improve the undergraduate and graduate curricula at GW, to facilitate faculty development, and to undertake other measures to improve our educational programs.
