Richard Felder's Home Page

RESOURCES IN SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING EDUCATION


College teaching may be the only skilled profession for which no preparation or training is provided or required. You get a Ph.D., join a faculty, they show you your office, and then tell you "By the way, you're teaching 205 next semester. See you later." The result is the consistent use of teaching techniques that have repeatedly been shown to be ineffective at promoting learning. Many professors are surprised to learn that...
  • There are well-defined instructional techniques that make teaching more effective.
  • These techniques can be introduced slowly and methodically, without compromising coverage of the syllabus. They do not require large expenditures of money, time, and effort.
  • Most importantly, the techniques have been validated by careful, documented, repeatable research. Their effectiveness is not simply a matter of opinion. They work!
This Web site offers guidance on what those techniques are and tips and resources for using them. If you have a specific aspect of teaching in mind, click on the link to "Education-related papers" on the left and then click on your topic if it is listed. Otherwise, just enjoy browsing.

Dr. Richard M. Felder is the Hoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University. He is coauthor of Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, an introductory chemical engineering text now in its third edition. He has contributed over 200 publications to the fields of science and engineering education and chemical process engineering, and writes "Random Thoughts," a column on educational methods and issues for the quarterly journal Chemical Engineering Education. With his wife and colleague, Dr. Rebecca Brent, he codirects the National Effective Teaching Institute (NETI) and regularly offers teaching effectiveness workshops on campuses and at conferences around the world. He has seven spectacular grandchildren.

What's new? As of November 18, 2009

"A Teacher's Teacher" [Chem. Engr. Education, 43(4), 313-314 (Fall 2009).] A celebration of Professor Jim Stice, a legend in engineering education.

"Active Learning: An Introduction." [ASQ Higher Education Brief, August 2009.] A short paper that defines active learning, gives examples of activities and formats, and answers frequently-asked questions about the method.

"Analysis of Fifteen Years of the National Effective Teaching Institute." [2009 ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings, ASEE, June 2009.] Influence of the NETI on its participants' teaching practices, attitudes toward teaching and learning, student ratings, and engagement in educational scholarship and instructional development, with implications for design and assessment of faculty development programs in engineering and the sciences.

"Priorities in Hard Times" [Chem. Engr. Education, 43(3), 241-242 (Summer 2009).] A satirical (but not entirely unrealistic) look at how university administrations function in budget crises.

Comments or questions? Send mail to Dr. Felder at rmfelder@mindspring.com