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Objective: This study is aimed at understanding the ways in which faculty at community colleges utilize their industry experiences to inform their teaching. Method: The research drew on Merriam’s basic qualitative approach in analyzing data from 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews. Results: Our findings expand upon prior research surrounding faculty development and community college faculty experiences. Our analysis revealed several themes in regard to how community college faculty with industry backgrounds follow diverse pathways leading to their teaching positions; how they teach using practical applications of concepts and sharing real-life examples; how they utilize their industry networks to enhance their academic programs and create practical opportunities for students; how they replicate workplace settings in their classrooms; and how they prepare students for their future careers. Contribution: Our study contributes new empirical evidence on the myriad ways in which faculty apply industry experiences in their instruction. The findings indicate that community colleges would benefit from offering targeted supports and pedagogical training for faculty with an industry background; encouraging faculty from all backgrounds and disciplines to share successful teaching strategies; and utilizing faculty members’ expertise, networks, and experiences from industry in mathematics-oriented classrooms.
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Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition Instructional Materials and Resources for Energy Education Programs
The CREATE Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition (SCADA) project is an industry driven initiative brought about by three colleges, working with an industry utility partner. The project began in July 2019 with the goal of integrating 21st century SCADA technology into existing energy education programs. The project delivered both in-person and online faculty professional development for 28 faculty representing 17 U.S. states. Products produced and distributed through the project network include a SCADA job task analysis, curriculum modules, control board trainers and lab activities, computer-based labs, and a web based open-source SCADA platform. The SCADA open-source platform allows colleges to connect their renewable energy generating systems and provide analytical training to their students using their own data, along with data from other regions and simulation sets. This resource will foster student engagement and ownership of learning through generation, visualization, and analysis of long term and large data sets. This study demonstrates the value of collaboration between multiple academic institutions, and how educational programs can benefit from collaboration with industry partners.
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- PAR ID:
- 10417318
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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