Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2018 – Farmingdale: Jeff Hung

Jeff Hung obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stony Brook University and B.S. degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from Farmingdale State College. Currently, he is a Co-Chair and an associate professor of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department at Farmingdale State College. Dr. Hung’s areas of expertise include Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer Number Control (CNC) machining, new product development, and fuel cell technology. He has been teaching CAD, CAM, and CNC machining courses for more than 15 years. In an effort to improve student learning, Dr. Hung has authored two textbooks in Computer-Aided Design to streamline the course materials for his students. He updates the textbooks regularly to reflect the latest technology in CAD.

Dr. Hung is also heavily involved in distance learning. He is currently a member of the distance learning advisory board at Farmingdale State College. He has published papers that discuss design, development, and assessment of online courses. His contribution in student learning also includes the SUNY Conversations in the Disciplines (CID) grant award he received in 2014. The award provided students with various education options in the energy fields in different SUNY and non-SUNY campuses. It also broadened their choice of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

As an instructor, I am always exploring new teaching methods to improve student learning. From my classroom teaching experience, I found that the challenge with in-class teaching is to deliver course materials to students within a limited time frame. Students with different academic backgrounds are forced to learn the course materials within the class hours. Students who require longer time to understand the topics will have difficulty following the pace of the class. For this reason, I like online teaching because students can learn the course materials at their own pace and they always have access to the materials.

Online teaching is more than just uploading lecture notes on a server and requiring students to read the notes on their own time. It is a virtual classroom in which the interaction with students is the key to success. When I design an online course, I like to create short but detailed instruction videos, short quizzes, and class discussions to encourage student participation. I also like to structure the course in a way that the students will be guided to learn the materials step-by-step to ensure their success. Another advantage of online teaching is the course management tool, Blackboard. It is user-friendly and extremely convenient for students and instructors. I am able to share large files with the class and I can organize my course materials to meet my teaching needs. For the above reasons, I believe online teaching can be as effective and in some cases more effective than in-class teaching.