Keynote Speakers

 

Anette Kolmos

 

Professor Anette Kolmos is the Director for the Aalborg Centre for Problem-Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability. Her other portfolios include Guest Professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Guest Professor at UTM University Technology Malaysia, Associate Editor for the European Journal of Engineering Education and was Associated Editor for Journal of Engineering Education (ASEE) and President of the European Society for Engineering Education. She was awarded the IFEES Global Award for Excellence in Engineering Education in 2013. Over the last 20 years, Professor Kolmos has researched on development and evaluation of project based and problem based curriculum, change from traditional to project organized and problem based curriculum, development of transferable skills in PBL and project work, and methods for staff development. She has supervised 13 PhD projects and published over 200 articles.

Topic: Global Sustainability Goals and PBL in Engineering

 

 

  Valquíria Villas-Boas

 

Valquíria Villas-Boas is a full professor at Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Tecnologia of the Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS) in Brazil. She has a B.S., M.S. and PhD in physics from the Universidade de São Paulo. Her M.S. and PhD theses treated magnetic and structural properties of hard magnetic materials. Before working at UCS, she was an assistant professor at Universidade de São Paulo, University of San Diego and Evergreen Valley College. She is also part of the faculty of the Master’s Program in Science and Mathematics Teaching at UCS. She teaches basic physics for the engineering and physics students. She has been teaching engineering students for the last 20 years. She is the coordinator of the Engineer of the Future project at UCS. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the Active Learning in Engineering Education (ALE) of which she was chairperson from January 2011 to January 2014. She is also a member of the Consultative Committee for the Aalborg Centre for PBL in Engineering Science and Sustainability.

Topic: The importance of Team Work in Engineering Education: from High School to University





Donald Carpenter

Donald D. Carpenter, PhD, PE, LEED AP is Professor of Civil Engineering at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield Michigan USA.  He is an accredited green design professional (LEED AP) and practicing professional engineer (PE) whose expertise and research interests include engineering ethics, entrepreneurial engineering, green infrastructure, innovative stormwater best management practices (BMPs), hydraulic and hydrologic modeling.  As a researcher, he has been an author on nearly 100 peer reviewed manuscripts, an investigator on over $5M USD in external funding, and a presented his research and development projects on five continents. His University appointments include serving as University Director of Assessment from 2009 to 2012 after serving as founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning from 2006 to 2009. He has co-developed a series of faculty development workshops to bring innovative team based problem solving into the engineering curriculum to promote the entrepreneurial mindset. Over 800  of faculty from around the world have participated in versions of this workshop and activities were featured in the past two Active Learning in Engineering Conference in Brazil and Spain.  In 2014, the Kern Family Foundation named him their national Most Outstanding Faculty member for these efforts.  Finally, he is a member of the Steering Committee of the Active Learning in Engineering Education network.  

Topic: Engaging and Motivating Students (and Faculty) Through An Active Exercise


Michael Christie		 From 1999 to 2012 Michael Christie worked in Sweden, first at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, where he was in charge of a teaching and learning centre, and then from 2010 at Stockholm University, where he was Sweden's first Professor of Higher Education. During that time he has been an active member of ALE and served on the advisory committee. Michael's research is concerned with fundamental epistemological questions such as how knowledge is built and the best ways of promoting learning in engineering and higher education. He is also interested in the most pedagogical ways of using digital tools in teaching and learning. Having run courses for PhD supervisors as well as supervising and marking PhD theses, he is currently researching the most efficacious way of supporting the PhD process. His own PhD was a contact history between Aborigines and Colonists in early Victoria, 1836-1886, and he has maintained an interest in cross-cultural research. In Sweden he received substantial funding for research and development projects aimed at improving learning and teaching in Higher Education. He took up his current post at the University of the Sunshine Coast in February 2013. He is also interested in the most pedagogical ways of using digital tools in teaching and learning – see Michael's response to the question 'Does ICT affect higher education?' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWDOER_mPXo  

Topic: Using Flanagan’s critical incident technique to improve active teaching and learning in Engineering Education (hands-on session)