Ep. 6 -Lessons from 'A Whole New Engineer' for the Transformation of Higher Education When educators think about transforming higher education they almost immediately start with modifications in content, curriculum, and pedagogy, but a recent book suggests that this approach is fundamentally flawed. Join the writing team of A Whole New Engineer: The Coming Revolution in Engineering Education, Mark Somerville…
Ep. 4 -The Lassonde School and the Education of Renaissance Professionals After years of relative stability in higher education, a small number of engineering schools are emerging around the world to forge a new vision of what it means to be a professional. In this episode host Dave Goldberg interviews Janusz Kozinski, founding dean of one of the newest engineering…
Ep. 3 - John Kotter: Leading Change in Higher Education Organizations are facing unprecedented calls for change, higher education included, yet leading change in established organizations is a daunting task. One of the keenest architects and practitioners of effective change leadership processes and practices is John Kotter, Harvard Business School professor emertitus and Chairman of Kotter International. In this episode,…
School is out for the summer, but student learning doesn’t have to – and shouldn’t – stop. Countless studies show summer learning loss is a real challenge for American students. The average “summer slide” in math and reading amounts to one month per year, with a two-month loss of reading skills occurring among low-income students, according to a 2011 RAND…
Is engineering for everyone? How exclusive is our profession, and what can we do about it? All are welcome to the conversation: engineering students, engineering technology students, educators and professionals, and anyone who is affected by engineering (which is everyone!) the #EngCulture online event will consist of a live chat on twitter starting at 8 pm. On May 13th 2015, at 8 pm, we…
Big Beacon's latest endeavor to spread the word about transforming higher education is Big Beacon Radio, a monthly broadcast on Voice America. Listen here, or subscribe on iTunes. The first episode featuring Olin College's Rick Miller is available here.
If engineering education is going to change, then that change needs to be advocated by the students who will make up the future of engineering. Meet Athena Lin, an undergraduate engineering student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who is doing just that. How did you first get involved with Big Beacon? Last June, I came across Dave’s writings about engineering…
Engineering: It’s not just about skill. It’s about a mindset. Technical understanding is essential to engineering, but in order to truly unleash engineers to fulfill their potential, we must look deeper than just technical aptitude. Engineers find success and personal fulfillment when they couple technical skills with a mindset to create extraordinary value for others. Possessing an entrepreneurial mindset is…
Preparing college graduates for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a national education priority in the United States. According to a report published by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, fewer than 40 percent of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field actually complete a STEM degree. Many organizations have…
Join BB Innovators & Innovations host Dave Goldberg on Tuesday, 14 April 2015 at 9:00 am ET for a live Google On-Air Hangout (link here) with Catelijne Coopmans and Kelvin Pang as they discuss the use of coaching at Tembusu College at the National University of Singapore. The Tembusu website (here) describes the program as follows: Tembusu College is one of four residential colleges at…