If you would like to maximize your students’ learning in a field of study that emphasizes critical thinking as much as Instrumentation, I have one simple piece of advice: engage your students, don’t just present information to them. Do not make the mistake so many teachers do, of thinking it is their role in the classroom to provide information in pre-digested form to their students, and that it is each student’s responsibility to passively absorb this information.
High achievement happens only in an atmosphere of high expectations. If you design coursework allowing students to expend minimal effort, your students will achieve minimal learning. Alternatively, if you require students to think deeply about their subject of study, challenge them with interesting and relevant assignments, and hold them accountable to rigorous standards of demonstrated competence, your students can and will move mountains.
In this appendix I present to you some concepts and models for achieving high standards of learning in the field of Instrumentation. The ideas documented here have all been proven to work in my own instruction, and I continue to use them on a daily basis. However, this is not a rigid blueprint for success – I invite and encourage others to experiment with variations on the same themes. More than anything else, I hope to encourage educators with examples of unconventional thinking and unconventional curricula, to show what may be accomplished if you allow yourself to be creative and results-driven in your instructional design.
