My teaching experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and personal tutor covers six years of lectures, labs, tutorials and field trips. I have delivered material across the range of basic engineering disciplines from engineering design and graphical methods to fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and solid mechanics. In recognition of my teaching I was awarded the 2008/09 UBC Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Teaching Philosophy
Engineering is a profession based in clarity and logical application of carefully honed hard and soft skills; and in this respect engineering education is no different. My teaching approach reflects this, and engenders what it is to be an engineer: a mindset, a way of thinking, critical application of a thought process built around lateral thought.
I have a rapport with my students; one built around an interactive teaching style and a true understanding of their difficulties- I can remember all too clearly my own fears and difficulties as an Undergraduate (it’s not that long ago that I was there!). I demand my students to think ‘there and then’ about the material being presented, seeking confirmation that it’s correct and encouraging them into discourse amongst themselves and with me. I blend lecture material with lab material, and most importantly with material from the ‘real world’ outside University.
I demand and uphold the highest standards of understanding and reporting; there is no room for mediocre engineering in the professional world, and this mindset must be set form the start. Above all, I try to bring home to my students that no one part of their education can be taken in isolation. Engineering is about integration and applying an entire suite of transferable skills, no matter the problem at hand.
Testimonials
Below are a selection of anonymous student testimonials, which were voluntarily submitted as part of my Graduate Teaching Assistant Award 2008/09.
“Malcolm has demonstrated a strong passion to push the limits of problem solving…”
“[Malcolm] stands apart from most TA’s with his position on comprehension…”
“Malcolm focuses his teaching on problem reduction, clarification, and strategy skills that transcend course goals and are applicable for all engineering problems.”
“…very comfortable with challenging student questions about material…”
“…his knowledge on other subjects that are not part of the tutorial session or lab has also surprised us…”
“We ended up staying after the lab was done and talking about aerodynamics and our conversation was enough to spark the interest of several other students who decided to stay and listen in on Malcolm’s explanations and descriptions.”
“Malcolm has helped push the professionalism by laying out high…content standards”
“[Malcolm] works through problems in a manner which lays out what is important and actively seeks participation…”
“[Malcolm] believes that teaching is a guiding process and not a feeding process…”
“…thorough with his solutions and requests student input during the working out of the solutions…”