Online Teaching/Learning
Tad S. Golosinski
Professor of Mining Engineering
Department of Mining Engineering, UMR
www.umr.edu/~golosins
TSG
1
What Do You Know of Mining?

Huge industry, but…..
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Technology intensive

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Little visibility
Unfriendly perceptions
Consider CAT mining truck …
Mining Engineering enrollment


Low and decreasing nationwide
Number of programs going down, down,
down……
2
Mining at UMR

Small Department
Compare to Civil or Mechanical
 Low graduate enrollment

Shaky feature?
 Clausewitz on strategy:

“..the best form of defense is
offensive…”
Raymond Aron: Penser la guerre, Clausewitz. Routledge, 1976. Or was it Sun Tzu?
Our Strategy
Not to survive but to thrive!!!
 “Go for it” philosophy

Increase student numbers in general
 Increase the number of graduate students
 Generate additional resources
 Generate interest in what we have on offer


New educational methods and
technologies create a unique opportunity
4
Why “Online”?
Look at banking
 Look at other services
The public wants services:

When needed, and
 Delivered in a most convenient way


Online education does just that with
education
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Features of Online Education



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It is more cost efficient
It is more time efficient
It takes advantage of recent technological
advances
It is better suited to the needs, lifestyles and
professional activities of the public
Allows better match of learning & teaching
styles
Allows for close teacher-student interactivity
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For Whom?

Is it for everybody?

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For professionals to maintain their professional
status?

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To maintain PE registration?
For educated people who wish to broaden their
knowledge?
For knowledge workers?


Likely not for school age students ….
Our example?
For upwards mobile …..
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What Does Peter Drucker Say?
Drucker, P. 2000. Putting more now into knowledge. Forbes, May 15, pp. 84 to 88
…Continuing adult education may well
become our greatest growth industry …
Approx. cost of education in the US during 2000:
 Traditional, classroom based:
$1.0 trillion
 E-education
$0.3 trillion
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This Is Where We Fit

Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, other engineers,
and Geologists, working in mines



Mining Engineers trying to bring their
education up-to-date

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Continued PE registration, professional curiosity
Non-mining college graduates with interest in
mining


No ready access to mining education
“Blocked” career path
Accountants, stock brokers scientists ….
Employees of regulatory/other Gov’t
organizations
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Online Master of Engineering
Fully distance-based
Non-thesis
Targeting industry/government
Mining professionals (non-mining, mining)
Ability to specialize
Cost: same as resident students
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Our Program
Details available at:
www.umr.edu/~mining/ME.html
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Projected Enrollment
Year:
1
2
3
4
5
Full-time
4
6
9
12
15
Part-time
8
12
24
30
35
12
18
33
42
50
Total
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Publicity? Marketing?

No initial publicity
R
“Word of mouth”
 No formal approval of the course


Advertising in Professional Magazines
February 2002; too late for WS 2002
 Some 30 inquiries since
 Some 8 new enrollees


Now we are flying!!!!
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Actual Enrollment

First offering: FS 01



Ten online students, 42 paid credits
$19,594.26 in fees
Second Semester: WS 02

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Six additional students, 9 enrolled for 42 cr.
$20,111.26 in fees
No “full time students”??
 Enrollment / fees higher than assumed
 Graduate enrollment tripled

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Our Experience ….
Online education is a serious business
 It is here to stay; will most likely expand
 Provides education when and where
needed
 Most suitable for mature public
 Unlikely to replace traditional schoollevel education soon, but ….
 Can enhance the last

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Challenges: External, Internal

Administration
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Fees, admissions, approvals, budgeting
Delivery
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Remote locations, slow Internet connections
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Technical Help
 Quality
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Assure that we deliver

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The appropriate content & breadth
The most efficient delivery method
Breadth of the courses on offer

Get other Mining Schools involved?
Crs
T
MGT
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On Teaching / Learning
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Much more than lecturing!!!
Teacher-student communications are
important
Well timed and fast assessment (progress
monitoring) is important
Access to additional / external information is
important
Other requirements ….
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Lecturing

HTML alone
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HTML plus streaming audio
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Most efficient compromise at present?
HTML plus streaming video

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“Basic” level
Better than classroom???
Yes, it does have problems ….
Two (Multi)-way video link with interactive
communications
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Example: Streaming Video
TSG
Mi Eng 311 / 400
Mine Plant Management
Room ATC(EMGT 103), tel 573-341-6643
#
U1
U2
U3
U4
U5
U6
U7
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5
M6
M7
M8
M9
M10
M11
M12
M13
M14
M15
M16
M17
M18
M19
M20
Topic
Real Player
(live)
Windows Media RealPlayer (Archive)
(live)
28/56
200
Introduction pt. 1 and 2
Available
Available
Availability
Available
Available
Reliability & Utilization
Available
Available
Productivity
Available
Available
Loads
Available
Available
Load Optimization
Click here
Click here
Available
Available
Case Study
Available
Available
Maintenance
Available
Available
Organization
Available
Available
Concepts
Available
Available
RCM
Available
Available
Prevetive Maintenance
Available
Available
PM Case Study
Available
Available
Condition Monitoring 1
NOTE:
Available
Available
Condition Monitoring 2
Available
Available
M-ce Planning
Tuesdays & Thursdays
Available
Available
Scheduling
Available
Available
M-ce Control
from 8:05 am to 8:55 am only
Available
Available
Information Management Call 573-341-6643
Available
Available
KPI
if you can not connect
M-ce Facilities
Inventory Control pt.1.
People
Contracting
Teamwork
Equipment Replacement
Equipment Selection
Windows Media
(Archive)
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Available
Comments
1/15/2002
1/16a/2002
1/16b/02
1/16c/2002
1/16d/02
1/17/02a
1/17/02b
1/29/02a
1/29/02b
01/31/02a
01/31/b
02/05/a
02/05/b
02/08/a
02/08/b
02/12/a
02/12/b
02/14/a
02/14/b
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On Steaming Video

Consider the cost of facility and support
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Multi - mode encoding?
“Synchronous” delivery of little value

Most of the students work /live in different
time zones
Questionable quality of displayed slides
 Consider mail-out of a CD with prerecorded lectures?

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“Synchronous” Example
Lecturing to RSM students in London; the “other end”
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“Synchronous” Delivery
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Significant cost of equipment

Lectures can be recorded for distribution
Students gathered in delivery points with
access to compatible equipment
 Delays in communications are annoying
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In most cases the mikes are switched off!!
Time differentials of major concern
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Streaming Audio, Then?

Seems to be the:
The best value for money
 Liked by the students
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Ability to review a slide, or its parts, numerous
times
Stv.
Technology easy to master

“Crude” delivery does not require “streamlining”
Lern
Can be pre-recorded on a CD
 Lots of work for the teacher!!!

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Communications
BBd
Online

Most challenging part
 Electronic boards: waste of time?
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Takes time to master
Inefficient time-wise
Chaos and inability to track
Discussion Board (asynchronous)
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Probably the most efficient for the purpose
Discussion needs to be controlled and
streamlined
Not quite a face-to-face quality
BBd
File
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Laboratories

Invite the students to UMR for a weeklong laboratory session?
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Video tape the laboratory sessions and
send out to students

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A team-building exercise?
With a set or data to be processed /
reported on?
Develop a laboratory simulator?
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Conclusion: A Teacher Perspective

Think of what you do!

Not a routine job
Adapt your communications and
assessment to the needs of the
course and your students.
 Blackboard software is of great help

Facilitates discussion / assessment
 Students need to be trained in its use

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Conclusion: A Student Perspective

Lots of work

2 hrs/day for a 3 cr. Course?
Communications / interfaces ok.
 Streaming audio ok

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Add couple of streaming video pieces
Modularize content
 Not always able to do all on time
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Allow for delays / exceptions
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Online at UMR

Engineering Management
Different target audience
 Different course delivery methods

Master of Engineering vs. Master of
Science
 Courses vs. programs
 State-of-art facilities are available

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Is This All Roses?
Where are the Prickles?
…Converting an intellectual activity into
commodity form for commercial use…
…De-professionalization of education ….
…Treat to faculty autonomy, intellectual
property and job security ….
..Education: realm of freedom, open
access, debate, inquiry and learning….
American Ass’n of University Professors; American Ass’n for Engineering Education
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Learning Curve ….
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www.umr.edu/~mining.html
More Info
Only a click away …
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References
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http://www.umr.edu/~mining/ME.http
T. S. Golosinski. 2002. Online Mining Education: A
Reality. Mineral Resources Engineering, Vol. 11. No. 1,
pp. 137 to 146
T. S. Golosinski and R. L. Grayson. (In print). Online
Mining Engineering Education. Mining Engineering.
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On Technology
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