Technology in the Classroom
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May 23, 2014
Technology is playing a large role in our research labs with state-of-the-art equipment from an innovative drilling simulator to a MMR scanner, but it’s also strategically incorporated into UT PGE classrooms, increasing students’ learning and better preparing them for careers in industry.
Technology is the driving force of innovation and economic prosperity in our society. The oil and gas industry is using it in a variety of ways to enhance the recovery of hydrocarbons, which were thought to be unattainable. The technology upgrades have changed our recovery schemes, increasing efficiency and leading to potential energy independence for the U.S.
Two professors at UT PGE have integrated the tools into the curriculum from technical and communications standpoints. UT PGE students are experiencing the best of both virtual and physical worlds; they have face-to-face interaction in the classroom, but also gain an understanding for how technology can improve their overall knowledge of a subject as well as their careers.
Dr. Mark McClure explains a solution to students during a study session on his Windows Surface Pro
“The main technology tool I use is the Windows Surface Pro – it’s a tablet PC that comes with a stylus,” said UT PGE Assistant Professor Mark McClure, who teaches Theory and Application of Reservoir Transients. “I prepare detailed PowerPoint slides in advance, but constantly write on it to answer student questions and further explain my slides. I have found it to be an extremely useful tool.”
McClure isn’t incorporating technology for the sake of it. He wants it to make sense and positively impact the learning experience.
“The students really like it,” said McClure. “They don’t want me to just go through a PowerPoint deck, so this makes it more interactive. I think it makes me more effective as a teacher, which translates to better student learning.”
Beyond the benefits of removing the need for the whiteboard and creating a one-stop-shop for students that’s in real-time, the students are connecting to the tablet. Unlike the doc-cam, the tablet is much more flexible as it allows for erasing and a high-resolution image.
Joshua Bautista Anguiano, a UT PGE graduate student, took Dr. McClure’s class during the spring 2014 semester. He is happy with the way technology is being fused with the curriculum.
“The stylus is great as it allows Dr. McClure to write down examples that we can always go back and reference since the changes are saved within the PowerPoint that he shares with us,” said Baustista Anguiano. “You can’t turn the whiteboard into a PDF, so it gives us a big advantage.”
McClure also takes his students into the newly renovated UT PGE computer lab, so they can engage in active learning and solve real-world examples.
“We use commercial well test analysis software,” said McClure. “For the final class project, I ask students to investigate a novel question involving well test analysis and build a numerical reservoir simulation. By doing the investigation, they see how different parameters affect the pressure transient.”
Another example of how McClure incorporates technology into the classroom and the computer lab is by recording video tutorials on how to use the commercial software packages instead of writing out the instructions.
“I think a written document is very hard to follow when using a graphical user interface, so the tutorial video shows exactly what it looks like on the screen,” said McClure. “It’s more intuitive for the students and it allows them to learn at their own pace, which is important.”
McClure wants his students to walk away from his class with practical knowledge and the ability to think critically beyond the textbook.
Engineering Communication Class Lecturer, Deborah Hempel-Medina (UT BSPE ’93), dedicates a series of her classes to mastering videoconferencing. UT PGE students take the class during their sophomore year, so it generally occurs right before the start of their first internships.
“Our students will encounter more technology than we did in the workforce,” said Hempel-Medina. “From a communications standpoint, I see a trend in videoconferencing and telecommuting.”
Hempel-Medina incorporates different styles of communication, so technology has been a part of that mix. Her class is the first one in the Cockrell School of Engineering to incorporate videoconferencing.
“I want to teach our students how to present in teams over videoconference,” said Hempel-Medina. “We meet in two adjacent buildings on the UT campus, however the students are smart enough to understand it could be a building half a world away. Videoconferencing can feel like a boring TV show, so I remind them that there are two roles: a presenter and an active listener.”
Hempel-Medina believes it is important to shake up the traditional presentation style – in today’s world, meetings are not all conducted in person or over the phone. New technology is allowing better communication, but it takes practice. Students are providing her with positive feedback.
“The students are glad they are having this experience now and not for the first time at an internship,” said Hempel-Medina. “There is a big difference between face-timing your friends from the phone and conducting a meeting through videoconferencing. The technology is similar, but now it’s within a professional setting.”
Undergraduate student Sameer Sahi took Hempel-Medina’s class during the 2014 spring semester. He valued the opportunity to practice videoconferencing.
“Almost all oil and gas companies have international operations, so communicating via videoconferencing saves the company's money and the employee's time,” said Sahi. “The university is meeting the students’ expectations too - our generation grew up with iPhones so we feel very comfortable with this technology.”
Meeting the needs of three audiences, Hempel-Medina creates curriculum that will benefit the students, professors in the department who will have her students and will expect a certain level of communication skills, as well as employers.
“When the industry talks about communications, they are referencing how to communicate one’s ideas effectively, so the goal is my students leave the class with this understanding,” said Hempel-Medina.
Technology tools may come and go, but technology itself is here to stay. It’s in the professors hands now to discover what should be incorporated into the classroom to enhance the course curriculum and student learning.
