U N I V ER S I TY OF
WEMPEC
WISCONSIN
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
Prof. R.D.(Bob) Lorenz, Ph.D., P.E., F.IEEE,
Co-Director
Wisconsin Electric Machines & Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
President, IEEE Industry Applications Society
Control and Sensor Integration Leader
Center for Power Electronic Systems (CPES)
SEW Eurodrive Guest Professor
Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives
Technical University of Rhein Westfalen-Aachen
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Premise: "Distance learning, if properly formed, can have a
strategic capability to enable dynamic change and bond
industry with academia in a highly synergistic relationship."
 Key ingredients: high quality research, relevance to industry
 Basis: Ten years experience in the University of Wisconsin-
Madison graduate research industrial consortium, WEMPEC.
 Strategic element in WEMPEC
 WEMPEC now celebrating 20 years
 Now evolving in CPES (in 3rd year)
R.D. Lorenz
2
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Basic need for distance learning
 Half-life of engineers
 Career-long needs
 Graduate level degrees
 Advanced, state-of-the-art knowledge
 Connecting creation of knowledge with potential users
 “Ticklers”
 In-depth exposure needs
 Partnership program design
R.D. Lorenz
3
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Partnership - University needs
 “Market research for research” relevant to industry
 Funding for basic and fundamental engineering research
 Funding for new engineering pedagogy
 Partnership - Industry needs
 New research results relevant to industry
 In-depth training in rapidly advancing new technologies
 Not generally well developed
 Key technology leaders
R.D. Lorenz
4
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 University/Industry partnerships
 Research consortium (WEMPEC)
 Collective funding of research program with multiple faculty team
 Liaison: Engineers in industry directly with the faculty members
 Engineers in industry are champions
 A bi-directional visionary and feedback role
 University/Government/Industry partnerships
 Engineering research centers (CPES)
 Government leverages industrial funding of research program with multiple faculty
 Liaison: Engineers in industry with faculty members and with government
 A multi-directional visionary and feedback role
R.D. Lorenz
5
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 A synergistic evolution - WEMPEC as an example
 WEMPEC founded 1980
 Collective industrial funding of basic, pre-competitive research
 Annual WEMPEC faculty visits to sponsors
 Seminars and “market research for research”
 Market exits for teaching research material
 WEMPEC courses on advancing technology
 Short courses alone are not adequate support for technology transfer
 Advanced continuing education needed
 Late 80’s, distance learning graduate courses took off
 Telecommunications and media opportunities
R.D. Lorenz
6
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Distance learning graduate education: Market segments
 Degree seeking
 Young engineers still refining their specialty
 Mature engineers changing career paths
 Non-Degree seeking
 Mature engineers adapting to continuous change
 Distance learning graduate education: Expectations
 Degree seeking
 Institution and instructor reputation
 Non-Degree seeking
 Technical content and efficient pedagogy
R.D. Lorenz
7
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Identifying potential distance learning products
 Consistent with “new” knowledge need as identified
 Dynamically changing content
 Research connection
 Degree level courses (USA -based, EE examples)
 B.S., the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
 Standardized B.S., with slow but uniform changes in course programs
 M.S., the Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering
 Research and non-research (project) M.S. with specialized course programs
 Ph.D., the Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering
 Research Ph.D. with state-of-the-art, required Ph.D. formal course programs
R.D. Lorenz
8
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Identifying potential distance learning products
 Ph.D. level, formal, state-of-the-art courses (full 15 week)
 Efficient mechanism for uniformly preparing a “team” for research
 Uniform basis for communication
 Uniform vision of approaches and challenges
 State-of-the-art focus and depth is faculty skill level dependent
 Research must be translated into good teaching
 Dynamic content is based on research directions
 Course work is used to develop in-depth knowledge
 M.S. level specialization courses
 Prerequisite knowledge preparation for Ph.D. level courses
R.D. Lorenz
9
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Constraints for Engineers in Industry
 Timing of access
 Flexible, “small bites”, asynchronous
 Asynchronous is key element
 Feedback communication
 Response time expectations
 Strategic role of instant replay
 Portability
 Access/use anywhere
 Cost of access & usage
 No expensive access charges
 Portable media is better than the internet
R.D. Lorenz
10
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC
Experience:
 Course
offerings
R.D. Lorenz
Course No.
B.S. Le ve l
ECE 355
ECE 377
Title
Credits
Seme ster
Electromecha nica l Energy Conversion
Modern Ele ct. & Electro- Mech Power Conversion
3 cr.
3 cr.
eac h
eac h
M.S. Le ve l
ECE 411
ECE 412
ECE 427
ECE 504
ECE 511
ECE 602
ME 439
ME 446
ME 447
ME/ECE 577
Introduc tion to Electric Drive Systems
Power Elec tronic Circuits
Electric Power Systems
Electric Ma chine & Drive Syste m Laboratory
Theory a nd Control of Synchronous Ma chines
Spec ial Topics Power Electronic Systems
Introduc tion to Robotics
Automatic Controls
Compute r Control of Ma chines a nd Processe s
Advance d Automatic Controls Laboratory
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
2-3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
4 cr.
fall
spring
fall
spring & odd yea r inte rsession
spring
spring
spring
fall
spring
spring & even ye ar inte rsession
Ph.D. Le ve l
ECE 711
ECE 712
ECE 713
ME/ECE 739
ME 746
ME 747
Dynamic s and Control of AC Drive s
Solid State Power Conversion
Electromagne tic De sign of AC Ma chines
Advance d Automation and Robotics
Dynamic s of Controlled Systems
Adv Computer Control of Mac hine s and Processes
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
3 cr.
spring
fall
eve ry other even ye ar
spring
fall
spring
11
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Course offerings
 Lecture courses




Full 15 week long, 3 lecture hr/week Ph.D. (M.S.) courses
Projects: extensive design projects
Final exam: usually a comprehensive final project
Grading by normal A B C scales
 Lab courses (2)
 Intensive 3 week (15 days) on-campus covering normal 15 weeks
 Prelab lectures for preparatory material
 Based on practical use of lecture course material
R.D. Lorenz
12
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Course setting
 Video studio live classroom
 2 or 3 cameras, overhead camera, computer screen
 active mixing by director
 Excellent focus on key points with zoomed images
 Live class of graduate students
 5/95 rule applies
 full student/faculty interaction is captured
 Active recognition of questions and participants
 Lively presentations
 Limited class size (20 max) and intimate theatre promote communication
R.D. Lorenz
13
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Course Delivery
 Video tape currently
 DVD next generation (problems supporting 3 current formats)
 Properties
 Fully asynchronous - no “scheduled” class hours
 Full access anywhere at zero operating cost
 Pedagogical benefits:
 On campus - library checkout for video carols or for class room use
 Instant replay - individual control
 All content can be absorbed at user-determined rate
 More content is included - everything is accessible!
R.D. Lorenz
14
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Course interaction
 Captured lecture interaction is nearly real (good virtual attendance)
 Email and Websites
 Distribution of projects and handouts
 Email circles (chat rooms) amongst distance learning students
 Virtual student community “bonding”
 Submission of project reports
 Standards for reports, (i.e. paper guidelines)
 Electronic grading
fully readable comments, graphics, equations, etc.
 Telephone
 some one-on-one is still necessary and very helpful for feedback
R.D. Lorenz
15
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Course Updates
 Continuous content changes
 Key value to be maintained
 Filtered and structured view of state-of-the-art
 Faster than reviewing and dissecting research papers
 Re-recording frequently (every other time taught)
 Update options
 Purchase update plans
 Value in re-taking the same class
R.D. Lorenz
16
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Strategic relationship building
 Newly acquired material is applied in solving current problems
 Novel ideas integrated quickly
 Ideas owned by the firms supporting their engineers in classes
 Patents resulting from distance learning
 Common base for understanding and effective cooperation
 Common jargon, common methods, common notation
 Common background for hiring
 Becoming a benchmark for hiring
R.D. Lorenz
17
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 WEMPEC Experience: Strategic relationship building
 Technology transfer
 Project work provides substantial experience and thorough understanding
 Direct transfer
 Greater bread and depth, full understanding
 Harnessing energy of the distance learners
 Distance learners are self-motivated, and have high energy levels
 Highly effective students for challenging research
 Quality feedback on the course material
 Maintaining and building teams
 Distance learners stay on-site, maintain connections
 Able to contribute advances to teams
R.D. Lorenz
18
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
 Center for Power Electronic Systems (CPES)





University of Wisconsin-Madison
Virginia Tech
Rennselaer Polytechnic
Univ. of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
North Carolina A & T
 Integrated Power Electronic Packaging - 10 Year program
 Thermal-Mechatronic, 3-D, Physical Design of Integrated Converters
 Simultaneous electrical, electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical design
models
 Design for reliability
 Control for reliability
R.D. Lorenz
19
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
Conclusions
 Distance Teaching/Learning
 Strategic for University/Industry research
 Strategic for technology transfer
 World-wide expansion structure
 Distance teaching
 Distance learning
 Distance research
 WEMPEC already and increasingly CPES
R.D. Lorenz
20
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
Conclusions
 Key elements for success
 Industry relevant research commitment
 Advanced knowledge the “market” needs and wants
 University technology leadership
 Faculty teaching commitment
 Sound pedagogy
 Productive pedagogy
R.D. Lorenz
21
U N I V ER S I TY OF
WISCONSIN
WEMPEC
M A D I S O N
Distance Learning: World-wide Graduate Engineering
Education Compatible with Dynamic Change
Conclusions
 Distance teaching/learning products
 Ph.D. level courses
 with in-depth project focus
- not just a “tickler”
 State-of-the-art focus
- visionary research
- comprehensive breadth of the team
 Dynamic change
- staying on the “leading edge”
R.D. Lorenz
22