| May, 2006 Santa Clara University - School of Engineering PIPE Teaching and Learning Library Annotated List of Holdings Compiled by Tim Healy, PIPE Chair, School of Engineering This is a list of the books and videos in the PIPE Teaching and Learning Library. The books are available for loan. The library is located in Room EC 212. See Tim Healy (extension 5309) for access to the library or for borrowing books or videos. The library was developed primarily through an IBM Research Grant from the University. PIPE (Program Improvement Process for Engineering) is a committee and a process that was created in 2004 to ensure continuous improvement in the work of the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University. The books below are listed alphabetically by the last name of the author(s). The URL after some titles are Amazon links where you can get reader comments and order the book if you wish. Books Ackerman, Diane, An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain, Scribner, New York, 2004
“… the brain is silent, dark, and dumb. It feels nothing. It sees nothing. The art of the brain is to transcend those daunting limitations and canvass the world.” How it does this, and the implications for how we live our lives is the subject of this book. It is quite non-technical, very interesting and very well-written.
Allen, Mary, Assessing Academic Programs in Higher Education, Anker Publishing, Bolton, Mass., 2004
The movement from teaching-centered education to learning-centered requires that we do a better job as assessing how we are doing, that is how much students are learning. We find this our by our various assessments. That’s the subject of t his book.
Armstrong, T., Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA 2000
It is quite well accepted that different people have different learning strengths. This book is based largely on Howard Gardner’s taxonomy. He lists eight styles of learning: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. This is good introduction with lots of ideas about how to use these concepts in the classroom.
Bain, K. What the Best College Teachers Do, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. 2004
Ken Bain spent a number of years traveling around the country observing and talking to teachers who were considered to be among the best. He first defines what he means by “best”. He then lists six categories of things that the best teachers do, and writes a chapter on each. It’s a good read, and offers some very interesting insights on things that each of can do in the classroom.
Barkley, Elizabeth, Collaborative Learning Techniques, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2004
Boice, R., Advice for New Faculty Members, Allyn and Bacon, Boston, 2000
This is an excellent guide for the new faculty member, though it can be used by any of us, no matter how long we have been teaching. It covers very nicely just about all of the basic challenges all of us face, with excellent advice.
Bok, Derek, Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More, Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J., 2005
Derek Bok is the former president of Harvard University, and is now back filling in for the time in that job. In this highly readable book he surveys the state of University education, technical and non-technical. His section on the professional schools should be of particular interest to all of us in engineering education.
Boyle, E., and Rothstein, H., Essentials of College and University Teaching: A Practical Guide, New Forums Press, Stillwater, Okla, 2003
The subtitle says it all. This is a very practical approach to many of the steps in the educational process. It should be of great interest to the new teacher, and also to the veteran.
Byrnes, James P., Minds, Brains, and Learning: Understanding the Psychological and Educational Relevance of Neuroscientific Research, The Guilford Press, New York, 2001
How does the brain develop as we learn, and what does that have to do with how we teach. That’s the subject of this book.
Carmichael, T., Integrated studies: Reinventing Undergraduate Education, New Forums Press, Inc, Stillwater, OK, 2004
Fink, L. Dee, Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2003
If you have ever thought of settling down to take the time to completely redevelop an old or new course in a systematic way, this is the book for you. Fink leads you through the organizational stages of constructing that course.
Fisher, A. Critical Thinking: An Introduction, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001
This is a fairly interesting introduction to the concepts of critical thinking. It is a bit structured but that will appeal to some of us.
Gladwell, Malcolm, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Little, Brown, New York, 2005
Gladwell tells the Story of the Getty Museum purchase of a Kouros, a Greek statue from 300 B.C. They had scientists meticulously study it for months before proclaiming it to be genuine. Later, noted curator Thomas Hoving looked at it for a couple of seconds and said it was a fake. Blink is about the ability of the expert – we are all experts at some things – to see the truth in the blink of an eye. This is a powerful tool, and one that can get us into trouble. This is a fine read, with possible applications to teaching.
Gopnik, Alison, Meltzoff, Andrew, and Kuhl, Patricia, The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells us About the Mind. HarperCollins, New York, 1999
Perhaps the world’s greatest scientist is a one-year old child. Probing, poking out into the world in search of understanding, sifting through the wheat and the chaff, learning about the world through experimentation. Gopnik et al believe that we can learn from that child. Read this book and see why the authors say that your students, and you and I for that matter, are just big babies, and what that implies for their learning and your teaching.
Hart, Tobin, From Information to Transformation: Education for the Evolution of Consciousness, Peter Lang, New York, 2001
I grew up with an educational paradigm that said that my job was to give students information. Today teaching and learning paradigms speak not only of information, but of helping the student use that information and their knowledge to transform themselves. This wonderful short book explain the whole thing.
Harte, John, Consider a Spherical Cow: A Course in Environmental Problem Solving, University Science Books, Sausalito, CA, 1988
Engineers have to make a lot of approximations when things cannot be measured exactly, leading to “back of the envelope estimates”. For example, what is the approximate specific gravity of a cow? Well, if we knew its weight, and its volume we could find our answer. So, to get started, let’s consider a spherical cow…..
Hawkins, Jeff (with Sandra Blakeslee), On Intelligence: How A New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines, Times Books, New York, 2004
Jeff Hawkins was one of the principle inventors of the Palm Pilot. In addition he has a strong background in neuroscience. Hawkins begins this book with a discussion of why artificial intelligence efforts have not as yet borne great fruit. But most of the book is about how the brain works. If you want to know what happens inside your students’ brains, this is a clearly written, though somewhat controversial, explanation. Hawkins believes that the brain always starts by making predictions about new experiences, based on old experiences, and must only modify these predictions if something is inconsistent. Not everyone agrees, but the model does make sense, and it should help you understand one picture of how your and your students function.
Higbee, Kenneth, Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It, Second Edition, Marlowe and Company, New York, 1996
This is an excellent general review of how memory works, and how to use various mnemonic and other approaches to remembering. The stress is on lists of things – state capitols, e.g. Applications to studying science and engineering is not explicit, but would have to be developed by the reader.
Johnson, LouAnne, Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brains, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2005
This is a very well-written guide for how to work with students. The second part, in particular, is largely geared to grade school children, but the first part is very relevant to the college teacher.
Koch, Christof, The Quest for Consciousness: A Neorobiological Approach, Roberts and Company Publishers, Greenwood Village, CO, 2004
Kuhn, Thomas, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, University of Chicago Press, 1962.
Is has been over 30 years since Kuhn changed the way that we look at how science works. His concept of an existing scientific paradigm, and of paradigm shifts, is as fresh today as it was in 1962. And, in fact, we can look on the entire process of learning as one of establishing a paradigm, and then shifting that paradigm when we learn something new. Then the question is how can we best encourage our students to evolve their paradigms as they go about learning.
Lee, Virginia S., Teaching and Learning Through Inquiry: A Guidebook for Institutions and Instructors, Stylus Publ, Sterling, VA, 2004
Inguiry-guided learning (IGL) refers to a set of practices that move the classroom from a passive, lecture-based mode toward an active participation-based approach. Chapters include a discussion of IGL in a highly technical curriculum, and the use of IGL in computer engineering.
Lewis, E.E., Masterworks of Technology: The Story of Creative Engineering, Architecture, and Design, Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York, 2004
Lewis traces the history of technology, beginning with crafts, and then moving from the world of relatively static craftsmanship to the dynamic engineering of the last couple of centuries.
Michaelsen, L, A. Knight, and L. Fink, Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching, Stylus Publ, Sterling, VA, 2004
Can students working in teams learn more effectively than from a conventional lecture? Michaelsen et al think so, and have used this approach for 30 years. This is an excellent read for anyone who uses teams or small groups, or is thinking about it. This idea is powerful, it is not difficult, and it has had great success. I have not tired it yet but I will in the Fall of 2005.
Mullis, Kary, Dancing Naked in the Mind Field, Vintage Books, New York, 1998
Mullis won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his invention of PCR. But that doesn’t keep him from debunking much of the scientific world. This is a wild romp through science and Mullis’s eccentric life. It’s a great read if you don’t mind some irreverence. Try it over a summer vacation.
National Academy of Engineering, The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century, National Academic Press, Washington, D.C., 2004
This short little book gives a projected picture of engineering in 2020. The directions that the Academy foresees can help us shape our curricula. Of particular interest are chapters on “Aspirations for the Engineer of 2020”, and “Attributes of Engineers in 2020.”
National Research Council, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, M. Donavan, J. Bradsford, and J. Pelligrino, eds, The National Academies Press, Wash. D.C., 200
This book is the result of years of work by the NRC and others in studying how we learn. It is something of a bible in teaching and learning circles these days. If you write papers or seek grants in the field, it is pretty much assumed that you have read and absorbed this book. It is quite readable, interesting, and well worth your time.
National Research Council, How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom, M. Donavan and J. Bradsford, eds, The National Academies Press, Wash. D.C., 2005
This is a follow-on to the previous book. It focuses on some specific learning areas. The copy that the library has stresses science. Other volumes stress history and mathematics. These chapters are not in the hard copy that we have, but are to be found on a CD ROM that we have.
National Research Council, Scientific Research in Education, R. Shavelson and R. Towne, eds, The National Academies Press, Wash. D.C., 2002
Are scientific research and research in teaching and learning comparable, or is the latter essentially different because of the difference in the nature of the data? This is a good book to look at before embarking on rigorous educational research.
National Research Council, Learning to Think Spatially, The National Academies Press, Wash. D.C., 2006
Spatial thinking is a powerful tool for engineering. This book guides you through a number of ways to increase the ability of students to use this important approach.
Palmer, Parker, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1998
Palmer’s book is a spiritual journey through the wonder of the teaching life. It is a compassionate vision of the way we teach, the way we learn, and what all this has to do with the students we spend our days with.
Pan, Eric T-S, Perpetual Business Machines: Principles of Success for Technical Professionals, Meridian Development Corp., Fremont, CA, 2005
Our students usually do not know much about the business world as they leave school. This book was designed to help such students with the business side of the business. It would be a fine text for a graduate course intended for recent engineering graduates who do not have a background in business.
Parini, Jay, The Art of Teaching, Oxford University Press, New Your, 2005
This one has a lots of anecdotes about the teaching life. The content and interest level are good, but many of the examples come from the humanities. If you were to read just one book like this, I would choose the Pickering book below.
Pickering, Sam, Letters to a Teacher, Atlantic Monthly Press, Boston, 2005
Pickering was the inspiration for the book and movie “Dead Poets Society”, and his book has much the same philosophy. It is a wonderful set of anecdotes from many years of teaching. Older teachers will find themselves saying, “Ah, yes, I remember that student”. Those new to the profession can get a glimpse of what’s to come, probably to their benefit.
Prieto, L. and Meyers, S., The Teaching Assistant Training Handbook: How to Prepare TA’s for Their Responsibilities, New Forums Press, Inc, Stillwater, OK, 2004
Qualters, D.M. and Diamond, M.R., Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, New Forums Press, Inc. Stillwater, OK, 2004
This is a very easy read and lots of fun. It consists of a number of Ann Landers-type letters seeking advice on teaching problems. Jonas Chalk is actually a composite name for a number of academics who answer the questions. These are practical down-to-earth matters. “Should I let my students work on homework together in pairs – and maybe even hand in just one solution?” “I don’t want to be a role model – do I have to be?” “I’m always anxious at the beginning of my freshmen class each year. How can I speed up the process of relaxing?” “If I ask my class how things are going in the class they say okay or fine, but with no enthusiasm. What can I do to get a more useful response?” - and many more along these lines.
Riordan, M. and Hoddeson, Lillian, Crystal Fire: The Invention of the Transistor and the Birth of the Information Age, W.W. Norton, New York, 1998
This is a great telling of the story of how Bill Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain came together to invent the transistor. The book also traces the early years of the integrated circuit that made the information age possible.
Selinger, Carl, Stuff You Don’t Learn in Engineering School: Skills for Success in the Real World, Wiley Interscience, Hoboken, N.J., 2004
This one is really designed for students just graduating, but it makes an interesting read for all of us, and raises the question of whether really could learn some of this “stuff” in engineering school.
Shavelson, Richard, and Towne, Lisa, Editors, Scientific Research in Education, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2002
Can education be effectively studied through conventional scientific methods, or is it somehow not susceptible to such approaches? This questions has been debated for decades.
Suskie, L., Questionnaire Survey Research: What Works, Association for Institutional Research, Tallahassee, FL, 19
This is a guidebook to writing and using more effective surveys in your assessment work.
Tufte, E.R., Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative, Graphics Press, Cheshire, Conn. 1997
Tufte has published a number of books on graphical representations. You may have received one of his ads in the mail. This book is quite aesthetic, and discusses a broad range of topics on graphics.
Weinbaum, A., et al, Teaching as Inquiry: Asking Hard Questions to Improve Practice and Student Achievement, Teachers College Press, New York, 2004
Inquiry here refers to conversation among teachers and peers in search of good ways to teach. The book is drawn primarily from K-12 experiences, but the ideas are relevant to any field.
Zull, J. The Art of Changing the Brain: Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning, Stylus Publ, Sterling, VA, 2002
This is a great introduction to the workings of the brain for those of us who do not happen to be neuroscientists. Zull then ties his discussion of the brain to practical problems in the teaching world. Read this one to understand a bit about the brain and relate what you learn to the classroom.
Videos
Derek Bock Center , The Act of Teaching, (VHS Video), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (42 minutes)
What can professors learn from the world of the theatre. Quite a bit according to Harvard’s Nancy Houfek, who leads us through 40 minutes of practical ideas that can be used tomorrow in your classroom. She tells us about projecting yourself, naming your objective, overcoming stage fright, taking pleasure in words, and using metaphors.
This video can be seen in its entirety at: http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/booksvid.html
Derek Bock Center , From Questions to Concepts: Interactive Teaching in Physics, (VHS Video), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. (28 minutes)
Harvard’s Eric Mazur teaches electromagnetics to a class, and finds a way to make interactive learning fun.
An excerpt of this video can be seen at: http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/booksvid.html
National Institute for Engineering Ethics, Incident at Morales: An Engineering Ethics Story, (CD Video), Lubbock, Texas, 2003 (36 minutes)
Fred is a young chemical engineer who has been hired by Phaust Chemicals to design a new pain stripper production plant. There is competition from other vendors, cost limiting is an issue, time is of the essence. Roll these all together and you have the makings of more than one ethical dilemma. This story is quite well done, and makes for excellent student discussions.
More information and an excerpt is at: |
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