Exploring the Future of Engineering Education: A Dive into Dartmouth’s Online Master of Engineering Program
In recent times, the landscape of education has undergone significant transformation, with online learning taking center stage. Dartmouth College’s Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering is a shining example of how innovative approaches can redefine educational experiences, particularly in fields that are traditionally hands-on. When Professor Kendall Farnham decided to contribute her expertise to this online program, she was well aware of the challenges that lay ahead. Her mission was clear: to make the virtual learning environment as engaging and practical as its in-person counterpart.
The Journey from Software Sales to Engineering Education
Professor Farnham’s journey back to Dartmouth, where she had previously earned her undergraduate engineering degree, was far from typical. Her career began in software sales at SAP, but she soon realized it wasn’t the right fit for her. "Sales was not for me," she reflects. This realization prompted a career pivot to software engineering, despite lacking a formal background in the field. "I think like a computer," she explains, attributing her success to her inherent understanding of computing concepts.
Her career trajectory took another turn during a recruitment trip to Dartmouth, where a conversation with engineering professor Petra Bonfert-Taylor inspired her to consider graduate studies. "She told me, ‘You’re getting kind of old,’" Farnham jokes. "I didn’t realize I was an ancient fossil at 26, but it was honestly life-changing." This encounter led her to pursue a PhD, during which she secured a NASA fellowship and developed a medical system using FPGA (field-programmable gate array) technology. Finding that Dartmouth lacked graduate-level courses on FPGAs, she took the initiative to create one herself, embodying her personal motto: "Learn it, teach it, break it, fix it."
The Challenge of Teaching Hardware Online
Having recently defended her PhD in February 2024, Farnham was eager to embrace the challenges of academia—a career path she had never envisioned for herself. However, the prospect of teaching hardware courses online initially seemed daunting. "That’s impossible. Hardware is so hard! How are we going to do this online?" she recalls thinking. Yet, her determination to bridge the gap between hands-on learning and virtual education set her on a path of exploration.
Farnham’s teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in trial, error, and collaboration. She believes in a dynamic approach where students learn by doing. "My teaching style is: teach for 20 to 30 minutes, then do it. And if you do it and fail, you’ll learn." Her goal was to translate this method into an online format, ensuring that students could actively engage with the material.
Understanding that students have diverse learning styles, Farnham strives to make her teaching engaging and accessible. She creates videos that not only demonstrate the "what," but also delve into the "why" and "how." "I say to myself, this is how I think about the problem, this is the logical flow. Your flow might look different, but here’s my methodology," she explains.
Fostering Collaboration in an Online Environment
Creating an interactive and collaborative online learning environment was a priority for Farnham. She utilized tools like Slack to simulate the experience of being in a computer lab, fostering communication through screenshots, threads, and questions. "Screenshots, threads, and questions all worked really well. Nothing is a stupid question, and the students help each other out a lot," she shares.
Dartmouth’s online courses, though primarily asynchronous, also offer two optional synchronous sessions each week. These sessions, especially popular in Farnham’s FPGA course, provide students with the opportunity to engage in real-time discussions and interactions.
To ensure practical, hands-on learning, Dartmouth sends physical kits to students, allowing them to experiment with hardware components from the comfort of their homes. In her instruction, Farnham combines detailed documentation, hardware-cam demonstrations, whiteboard explanations, and even gamification elements to cater to different learning preferences. "Basically, I think about how I can give you this information in every possible way. Whatever clicks for you, clicks," she emphasizes.
Having been a recent student herself, Farnham is meticulous about the quality of materials she provides. She reviews her instructional videos critically, ensuring they remain engaging and informative. "I’ll record an instructional video and always watch it back. If I’m bored watching it, I’ll re-record it and try to find ways to make it more interesting," she says.
The Dartmouth Approach: A Focus on Lifelong Learning
What sets Dartmouth’s online MEng in Computer Engineering apart, according to Farnham, is not just the curriculum but the mindset it fosters. "The truth is, tech is changing so quickly. What you learn today as the gold standard might not be the standard in 12 months. We teach you how to learn, and how to keep learning," she explains.
The program’s projects are designed to address real-world industry challenges, ensuring that what students learn is directly applicable to professional settings. From FPGAs to machine vision concepts, the coursework spans various industries, allowing students to tailor their learning to their career goals. "In the FPGA course, we’ve had learners apply their project directly to their job. That’s the goal: make it tangible," she notes.
As Farnham embarks on her new machine vision course, she introduces students to case studies across diverse fields such as underwater robotics, agriculture, and aerospace. "The Mars Rover was built on an FPGA. You start with a camera and ask: How do you communicate the data? What are the mechanical challenges? You can plug this into any industry," she explains.
Farnham’s ultimate goal is to equip students with the skills to be effective learners and communicators. "You can be a really smart engineer, but if you can’t communicate your design, you might as well not be an engineer. Engineering affects everything; you cannot work in a silo," she emphasizes.
Advice for Aspiring Engineers: Embrace Curiosity and Risk
Reflecting on her journey, Farnham acknowledges that she never anticipated becoming a professor. "I needed a change at work and wanted to expand into hardware. I know tons of people who have totally pivoted their careers because they learned something new, and that’s what I did," she shares. Today, she is deeply committed to broadening access to engineering education.
Her advice to aspiring engineers? Be open-minded and adaptable. "If you’re curious about what else is out there beyond your immediate bubble, go explore," she encourages. "If you’re thinking about grad school and not sure why, but something’s pulling you, try it. What do you have to lose?"
Farnham believes that while planning is essential, it’s important not to be too rigid. "Planning is good, but don’t tie yourself to the plan. You might learn something new and pivot. That’s what engineering is. It’s problem-solving, rethinking, and iterating. Just like life," she reflects.
Taking the Next Step in Your Engineering Journey
For those who are curious, ambitious, and eager to understand how intelligent systems work and can be improved, Dartmouth’s online Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering offers an exciting opportunity. With dedicated professors like Kendall Farnham leading the way, students gain more than just technical knowledge—they learn how to learn, think critically, and communicate effectively. The program is designed to be 100% online, providing a hands-on, immersive experience that prepares students for the future of engineering.
For more information, you can visit Dartmouth’s online Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering program page here.
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