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By\u00a0Paul Alongi A mechanical engineering professor gets creative with online instruction during the coronavirus crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> Two mornings a week, Fadi Abdeljawad goes into a nook just off his kitchen, stands in front of his open laptop and teaches a mechanical engineering course to about 30 students who are scattered across the country because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The idea for the wall came from Abdeljawad\u2019s sister, who works in the tech industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> Atul Kelkar, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, says Abdeljawad has wholeheartedly embraced the challenge of online teaching: \u201cDr. Abdeljawad has done an excellent job of making the transition as seamless as possible for his students.\u201d “I have fun [with] everything I do on a daily basis, whether it\u2019s doing research or working closely with students. That was one of the main reasons I moved to academia. I love the interactions with students, both at the research and teaching levels.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> \u201cI had a busy first semester here at Clemson,\u201d Abdeljawad says. \u201cThat seems to have worked nicely in prior classes, and it\u2019s paying dividends now. When I made the transition to online teaching and lecturing, I had everything done electronically.\u201d Learn more about the great work Clemson faculty and alumni are doing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div> CURRENTLY READING \u00a0><\/strong><\/span> READ MORE \u00a0><\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/b>Photography by Josh Wilson<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nOne wall in the nook is covered in dry-erase paint, converting it to a giant whiteboard where Abeljawad writes equations and diagrams, just as he did when his class met in person in Dillard Hall on campus.
\n\u201cI constantly ask students, \u2018Do you see what I\u2019m writing?\u2019\u201d Abdeljawad says. \u201cThey all seem to like it and feel comfortable with it. It mimics classroom teaching.\u201d
\nThe wall-sized whiteboard in Abdeljawad\u2019s home is one of the reasons the assistant professor of mechanical engineering is receiving rave reviews for successfully making the transition to online teaching. Social distancing prevents the class from gathering in person, but Abdeljawad\u2019s creativity, hard work and solid preparation are ensuring the students\u2019 education continues.
\nWith his class, Abdeljawad is joining the ranks of community heroes around the globe who are going above and beyond to do what they can to serve their communities, providing hope in a dark time. His approach has also helped establish a sense of normalcy at a time when the world seems anything but normal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nTrevor Newman, a sophomore, logs in from a picnic table in West Union, South Carolina, where he and his family are staying. He describes Abdeljawad as a teacher who is passionate about mechanical engineering.
\n\u201cHis online class is the closest experience to being physically in the classroom without actually being there,\u201d Newman says. \u201cDr. Fadi has made the transition easier by communicating effectively about what changes were being made and making sure everything was working for his students.\u201d
\nAbdeljawad, or \u201cDr. Fadi\u201d to his students, teaches mechanics of materials (ME 2040), a foundational course for mechanical engineering majors. He decided early on that he was going to continue to hold class live at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the same as before the outbreak.
\n\u201cSelf-control and time management are key to working from home,\u201d Abdeljawad says. \u201cThey are not part of the curriculum for most students. I thought if I were to just record all the lectures and let them watch later, it would be a disadvantage to some students. So I decided to keep it live.\u201d
\nTanner Muennich, a sophomore who logs in to class from his Clemson apartment, says that live classes allow Abdeljawad to maintain participation.
\n\u201cYou can ask questions whenever you need to,\u201d Muennich says. \u201cIt also helps you stay more focused. When you\u2019re in your house or apartment, there are a lot more distractions than in the classroom, and it can be easy to zone out. But knowing that he could call on you makes you pay attention just a little more.\u201d
\nSarah Johnson, a sophomore, logs in to the lectures from Jackson, Mississippi, where she is joining her sister in helping relatives, a nurse and a doctor, take care of their two children, who are 2 years old and 6 months old.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s different because, yes, we\u2019re watching it on a laptop, but he is still as equally as excited,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cOverall, it hasn\u2019t been a complete change because he\u2019s doing it exactly as if we were sitting right in front of him.\u201d
\nAbdeljawad laid the groundwork for the transition long before COVID-19 forced quarantines to prevent its spread. When he first began teaching at Clemson in August 2018, he put his notes into PowerPoint slides to make them easier to share with students. He also typed up the 14 homework assignments that students do each semester, along with the solution keys.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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\nAbdeljawad converted the wall in his nook to a whiteboard about six months ago. When he isn\u2019t using it for class, it\u2019s a free-expression wall for his daughters, Balkees, 6, and Jenan, 3.
\nThe idea for the wall came from Abdeljawad\u2019s sister, who works in the tech industry. \u201cApparently, it\u2019s common at tech startups,\u201d he says.
\nNoor Alnasser, Abdeljawad\u2019s wife, says it\u2019s no problem keeping their daughters occupied while their father is in class. \u201cWe love that we\u2019re able to see him teaching because we don\u2019t get the opportunity when he is on campus,\u201d she says. \u201cAt this age, they learn from anything. I know for sure it\u2019s a good thing for them.\u201d
\nOne of the biggest challenges in moving to online classes, says Abdeljawad, was picking a web conferencing program that worked for him and his students, some who use Macs and some PCs. Students also have differing browser preferences and varying levels of access to internet connectivity.
\nAbdeljawad settled on WebEx but also has Zoom as a backup. He had all his students bring their laptops to class on the Tuesday before spring break, when classes were still meeting in person.
\n\u201cWe did a quick dry run of WebEx to make sure everyone had it and that it worked and that all online meeting appointments had been scheduled,\u201d he says.
\nAbdeljawad also uses WebEx to stay in touch with his research group, which has taken on heightened importance since he received a grant from the Army Research Office Young Investigator Program to study nanocrystalline metallic alloys.
\n\u201cI meet with my [research] students on Thursdays,\u201d Abdeljawad says. \u201cThat\u2019s what I did yesterday \u2014 basically back-to-back-to-back WebEx meetings. These are not just general progress meetings. We go into the nuts and bolts of research.\u201d
\nAbdeljawad attributes his success to an approach he learned in graduate school: \u201cTo me, doing science is a hobby, not a job. I have fun [with] everything I do on a daily basis, whether it\u2019s doing research or working closely with students. That was one of the main reasons I moved to academia. I love the interactions with students, both at the research and teaching levels.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>
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