Feedback on Learning Diary 7
ME 546 - Designing Product Families - IE 546
Timothy W. Simpson
Professor of Mechanical & Industrial
Engineering and Engineering Design
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802 USA
phone: (814) 863-7136
email: tws8@psu.edu
http://www.mne.psu.edu/simpson/courses/me546
PENNSTATE
© T. W. SIMPSON
Changing the slides per page
I was looking through the old 546 notes and I noticed that the format on the handouts change
around. Sometimes the there are four slides to a page, 3 slides with lines on the side and recently
we have been getting four slides that when you turn or flip the page that the slides are right were
they need to be. All semester we have been talking about learning. This to me sticks out as being
awkward that the handouts have not been consistent. I was wondering if this was something that
Dr. Simpson did on purpose for the fact of the different learning styles or was it purely by
incident. No matter what reason I kind of like the fact that it was done that way.
One thing that this does is that it switches things up. To me it’s sort of like weightlifting. When
you are lifting to build muscle you don’t want to get into the same routine and do it over and
over. Otherwise the muscles do not respond and basically they get bored. So then you just end
up toning the muscles. The whole purpose is to confuse the muscles. I want to use the word
“confuse” lightly. It’s not really confusing the muscles but It’s making them build up using different
techniques. The same can be said about the notes. To me I feel that these notes and throwing
something different at me in class is a good thing. Otherwise I would get bored and tend to just
flip the page when everyone else is flipping. Even though this is a subtle change for the class I
feel that subconsciously it catches kids off guard.
The second reason is thinking from a teachers perspective. I’m not saying that this really helps
students and I’m not saying that Dr. Simpson does this on purpose for this very reason. I just feel
this is a good way to cater to the different learning styles and the different routines of
people. Some students write everything on the notes, write what only seems to be important and
nothing at all. For me I am visually able to remember what part of the semester that these notes
are from or I can narrow it down. The last couple of lectures they have been four slides on the
page and are able to be flipped with little or no effort. It seemed like the slides with the lines were
about mid semester.
PENNSTATE
© T. W. SIMPSON
How my learning essays have progressed
• Learning Essay 1: I was clueless. I was not sure what to write in
the learning essay.
• Learning Essay 2: Understood what learning diary demands, but
still couldn’t come up with new insights.
• Learning Essay 3: I was finding transition from my comfort zone.
I started to think beyond the course.
• Learning Essay 4: I tried to come up with new insights. I started
finding learning diary as an improvement tool for myself.
• Learning Essay 5: Thoughts started coming fluently. I felt
comfortable to put my thoughts.
• Learning Essay 6: I got the motivation in many ways. I thought I
can still do better. There is always room for improvement.
• Learning Essay 7: While writing learning essay 7, i.e., the
present one, I feel I’m in control of my learning essay and know
what it is doing to me. I am expressing myself and competing
with myself.
PENNSTATE
© T. W. SIMPSON
A Challenging Dissection Project
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Learning as a Team
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Sequence diagram for reducing cost of education
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Reducing “cost” of term project
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An S-Curve for learning
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Modules and Platforms for Teaching
PENNSTATE
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