As
an alumni of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus and two
online post-graduate education environments, I have participated in multiple
forms of learning, including live classroom, tutorial/laboratory, and asynchronous
instruction. I do not believe there is a
single right way to instruct. Instead,
all modalities need to be considered and the right method be selected based on
the requirements of the given scenario.
It
is essential that learners be treated as equals in the quest to understand the history,
theory of operations, and applications associated with the topic. While the students have enrolled in a class to
learn, the instructors have an opportunity learn from them as well. The role of
faculty is to guide and mentor learners by furnishing a comprehensive and thorough
foundation of knowledge. Teaching how to
critically think, frame logical arguments, present information, and challenge
expectations creates an environment where the learner can actively engage the
subject matter. Having an in depth
understanding of these concepts will prepare learners for more advanced studies
and career growth once their degree is complete.
My
primary goal for students is to relay knowledge in a manner that ensures
comprehension, understanding practical application, and realization of why what
they are learning is relevant. The
ability of a professor to motivate their students, while remaining quick to
react to change, is necessary to realize success. Success as an instructor is learner-centered,
where the challenge is to identify student weaknesses and strengths, while
promoting a flexible approach to ensure maximum growth and development. An
instructor needs to understand how to communicate effectively to prevent
confusion, inspire trust, motivate, understand, and set goals with
students. When a goal is important to a
student, they are more likely to succeed. Likewise, providing a learner with
opportunity to accept responsibility, such as learning to use a system, can
improve their overall effectiveness.
I have developed and presented courses describing the theory of
operations of a simulation system to operators, including the user interfaces
and data inputs. I tailored my
instruction design to focus on making the material relevant to how students use
the system, to improve their understanding and motivation to learn. When the material was introduced as a way to
simplify use of the system, they became invested in the learning process,
desiring to learn more. Through our
interaction, they began to understand new ways to make their jobs easier,
providing the motivation to delve deeper into the material. The students wanted to become experts,
understanding the intricacies of the design to lead their fellow operators and
provide higher fidelity experiences for their system users (i.e., military
pilots and soldiers). The key to success
was finding out what was most important to them and leveraging that desire into
a motivating factor.
One personal area I would like to focus on building is experience
with University administration and education from a faculty perspective. While I do have some experience developing
and leading courses, I would benefit from a mentor/mentee relationship with
senior faculty to gain a more thorough understanding of how to teach using
various modalities, such as the blended methods. I believe that improvement is a constant
cycle, there is always room for it, it is driven by the desire for personal
growth, and it is focused by feedback from our colleagues, students, and
leaders.
The design and development of miniature or micro unmanned aerial systems (MUAS) are taking more cues from the insect world. A team of researchers at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have modelled their Robobee UAS on honeybees (Falconer, 2012). The Robobee system was recently made capable of remote controlled flight through the inclusion of two actuators for pitch and roll control (Falconer, 2012). The team is working to develop yaw and feedback capabilities to the system (Falconer, 2012). Law enforcement groups have begun to examine the use of such small scale UAS, while the US Army has been considering their tactical advantages for a couple years (Foxnews, 2012; Robinson, 2010). 
