CPET Seminar - Prof. Dennis Kochmann - Teaching a Quantitative Course

Dennis Kochmann, Assistant Professor of Aerospace, Caltech

4:30 PM Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014 

Beckman Institute Auditorium

How do you design a class such that your students haven't forgotten everything you taught them right after finals week? Effective teaching requires a lot more than always showing up for class well prepared to carry out some intricate derivations on the board. It begins with the development of the class syllabus, includes the preparation of lecture notes and problem sets, and ultimately requires creating a unique microcosm in which students feel safe and comfortable and (hopefully) enjoy learning two or three times a week. Quantitative courses, such as many of our science and engineering core classes, can be particularly demanding due to the large amounts of abstract mathematical concepts that can be prone to get everybody lost and confused (students and teachers alike). Through a number of examples, I will share some of what I have learned while teaching various theoretical and applied mechanics classes over the past few years.

Professor Kochmann has been widely recognized for his ability to effectively guide students through complex material. His courses at Caltech include Mechanics of Solids and Structures (Ae102), Computational Mechanics (Ae108), and Continuum Mechanics of Fluids and Solids (Ae160). He has received the graduate student council teaching award multiple times for his outstanding instruction. 

Learn more about CPET and the seminar series: http://teachlearn.caltech.edu/cpet

For more information, please email cpet@caltech.edu