Speed School of Engineering Archives

Online Educator Honored Among UofL Top Faculty Favorites

By admin | October 20, 2015

There is no denying that the professional rapport formed between college educators and their students is of paramount importance both to learning and to the attainment of educational goals. The acclaimed and diverse online degree programs at the University of Louisville allow students to both learn and interact with their professors and classmates, regardless of geographic location. These online classrooms utilize cutting-edge software, allowing maximum levels of interaction and a strong sense of campus community to be built amongst online students. With current technology, online educators at UofL are able to inspire their students in much the same way as their traditional counterparts, leading to students nominating their online educators for the annual campus “Faculty Favorites” list.

Assistant professor Dr. Roman Yampolskiy, who teaches computer science courses at the Speed School of Engineering, and has had his research widely published, has now been recognized by his online students as both a Professor of the Year as well as a Faculty Favorite for several years running. Yampolskiy himself strives to bring the very best in tools and educational experiences to his online students. He recognizes the value in his online classroom and makes sure to treat his students as human beings, not just as names on a screen.

According to one of the students who nominated Yampolskiy for his Top Four placement among the Faulty Favorites, Yampolskiy was “very available to students with questions.” Other students commended his approachability, intelligence, passion for education, open-mindedness and his ability to inject humor into some of the more ‘dry’ subject matters. One thing is abundantly clear from all of the student nominations – Dr. Yampolskiy knows his students, and his students know and respect him, regardless of the fact that many have never met him face to face.

The quality of online instruction from the award-winning faculty at the University of Louisville truly speaks to the level of education being offered. When online students are able to feel as passionately about their professors as traditional students do, the online campus community is clearly not just existing, but thriving. With the diverse and nationally ranked online programs available to choose from, prospective students can rest easy in their decision to pursue degrees online. The quality of an online education from UofL shines through the dedicated faculty and staff, like Dr. Yampolskiy, who tirelessly work to build and solidify a sense of true community via the virtual classroom.

To read more on the talented Dr. Roman Yampolskiy, please click the following link – http://uoflonline.com/2014/09/roman-yampolskiy/. For further information on exploring the many benefits and flexibilities of an online education at the University of Louisville, please visit us online.

Computer Science Professor spotlight: Roman Yampolskiy

By Laura Dorman | September 29, 2014

2013 Online College “Professor of the Year” Nominee

Assistant professor Roman Yampolskiy has been teaching computer science courses at the Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville since 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science combined degree in computer science from Rochester Institute of Technology and earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo.

An active computer scientist, he has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and had his research featured by the BBC, MSNBC, ACM, Yahoo, New Scientist, and LiveScience.com. In his online courses Yampolskiy’s policy is to “use, but not overuse” online tools so to not overwhelm students responsible for learning advanced engineering concepts with having to learn complicated tools just to participate in the course.

Maybe this is why he was chosen by students in the Master of Science in Computer Science and the Computer Engineering and Computer Science department as “Professor of the Year” in 2012 and students university wide as a “top 11 in 2011 and “Faculty Favorite” in 2010. In the last year alone, Yampolskiy has been recognized for several accomplishments, including EEWeb Featured Engineer, and 3rd place in app development competition at SU-NASA Ames.

Obviously a class favorite, he is described by his students as an exemplary teacher who is a driving and inspiring force, always willing to go the extra mile, and sticks to strong academic expectations and standards.

But perhaps Yampolskiy says it best himself:

“I am a dedicated educator and I believe that online students are not just ID codes on Blackboard, but human beings who are looking for knowledge, camaraderie, excitement and challenge. They are already doing something extraordinary – trying to get their education in a previously non-existent virtual world and they deserve to have the best digital pedagogy practices and tools available to them.”

We wish professor Yampolskiy good luck and continuous success in his teaching endeavor at UofL Online.

University of Louisville Masters in Engineering Management: Interview with Tim Hardin

By admin | September 24, 2014

: Dr. Tim Hardin, MEEM Program Director

If you like to focus on something over a small period of time, get it done, and then move on, the new Masters of Engineering in Engineering Management (MEEM) program at the University of Louisville (UofL) is designed for you.

In the online MEEM program, you can power through a different course every 6 weeks! Dr. Tim Hardin, Program Director, said that “the students see the 6 weeks turnaround as a flexibility rather than a limitation. You can complete two courses in a term, or if your next few weeks will be busy, you can take the next rotation off. You can always enter back into your next course at one of our 5 entry points.”

If you think that the 6 week time frame is a little restrictive then perhaps this program isn’t for you. But that’s not what the school is finding.

“We have had feedback saying that with non-structured courses like say some MOOC, students fall behind. They have no skin in the game. But in our MEEM program, it’s hard to get more than a week behind without repercussions. I’ve had many students asking for next week’s material so they can work ahead. It’s a refreshing change. The quick pace collects a different crowd,” explained Hardin.

“However, we have also had students realize that they are unable to meet the required time frame. It is good for a student to come to that decision early on. The accelerated online learning is not for everyone,” cautioned Hardin.

Though the MEEM program existed on-campus since 1972, it has recently transitioned the offering online in August, 2013. “The program curriculum covers the same material; we still use the same textbooks. However, the assessment quizzes and exams are different. Those have been replaced with project papers and reports. This strategy helps alleviate some of the possible issues with identity authentication and cheating,” said Hardin.

“The move to online delivery was a little accidental and a little bit planned. I was interested in online learning and the school started to support the medium more and more. We asked our industrial advisory board about switching over and it was a unanimous ‘yes’ from the board and our students,” Hardin clarified.

You can still work on your own schedule as the courses are asynchronous. This is vital as the student body crosses about 14 time zones. The student base even has a few members of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed in the Middle East and Asia. “I think the Blackboard interface we use as a learning platform makes it easier on our students serving abroad.”

Blackboard, the popular online course platform service, allows for PowerPoint voice over videos or webcam videos, assignments, grades, and student-student/student-instructor communications. However, one-on-one phone calls can be scheduled if needed.

As for online teaching pedagogy, the University of Louisville has the full support of the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning. Delphi staff provide instructional design and quality assurance support for online learning programs at UofL. Professors can take training courses from Delphi which includes best practices. They also offer a voluntary review process to assess compliance to teaching and learning best practices. However, the MEEM instructors will be given a few more semesters under their belt before the reviews will be requested.

Naturally, new course platforms can be associated with a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Though no issues have been noticed as of yet, best practices and technology, such as those that exist to curb cheating and assist students with disabilities have yet to be perfected. This is however, top priority for the online program team. As the MEEM online program gains momentum, more such best practices will be implemented and tested in the current format of the program.

To learn more about enrollment and graduation requirements for the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management Online at University of Louisville, visit our program page.

Written by Shawn Wasserman of Engineering.com.

Tag: Speed School of Engineering