When Professor Kendall Farnham accepted the role of teaching in the online Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering at Dartmouth, she was aware it wouldn’t be straightforward.
“How can we promote learning with desktop hardware when I can’t oversee your work to tell you that you connected something incorrectly, which is why it’s overheating?” she chuckles.
Nonetheless, for Farnham, the challenge was not a setback but a chance. Her objective: Create an online hardware learning experience that is as engaging and interactive as its in-person counterpart. This is the type of innovative, resolute spirit that characterizes both the program and her educational philosophy.
From Software to Hardware, and Back Again
Farnham’s journey back to Dartmouth (where she obtained her undergraduate engineering degree) was far from traditional. She began her career in software sales at SAP but soon discovered she was on an unsuitable path. “Sales wasn’t for me,” she admits. Consequently, she transitioned to software engineering without a formal software background. “I have a mindset similar to a computer,” she states plainly.
After spending three and a half years in software engineering, a pivotal recruitment visit to Dartmouth changed her trajectory entirely. A discussion with engineering professor Petra Bonfert-Taylor ignited the thought of graduate studies. “She remarked, ‘You’re getting somewhat old,’” Farnham quips. “I didn’t realize I was an ancient relic at 26, but that conversation truly transformed my life.”
She returned for a PhD, secured a NASA fellowship, and developed a medical system on an FPGA (field-programmable gate array). And when she learned that Dartmouth didn’t provide graduate-level FPGA courses? She initiated one. “I informed my advisor that this type of course was absent, and they replied, ‘Fantastic, go teach it.’”
This mindset and personal maxim, “Learn it, teach it, break it, fix it,” has come to embody her instructional approach.
Teaching Hardware Online: Breaking and Building, Together
Having just defended her PhD in February 2024, Farnham was keen to dive into the new realm of academia, a journey she never envisioned taking. However, upon learning that the course would be delivered online, she initially panicked. She thought: “This is unfeasible. Hardware is incredibly challenging! How will we manage this online?”
Determined to impart the hands-on elements of in-person learning in a virtual context, her online teaching strategy became founded on experimentation, mistakes, and teamwork. “My teaching method involves: teaching for 20 to 30 minutes, then doing it. And if you attempt it and fail, you’ll learn.” Thus, executing that in an online environment became her mission.
Farnham recognizes that not everyone absorbs information similarly and is dedicated to ensuring her teaching techniques are engaging and transparent. She produces videos that convey not only the what, but also the why and how:
“I tell myself, this is how I analyze the problem, this is the logical sequence. Your sequence may differ, but here’s my approach.”
Collaboration in an Online Environment
So, how do you inject that iterative, hands-on vigor into an online arena?
“I utilized Slack to simulate a computer lab,” she explains. “Screenshots, threads, and inquiries worked quite effectively. No question is too trivial, and the students support one another extensively.”
Even though these online Dartmouth classes are officially asynchronous, each course also incorporates two optional synchronous sessions weekly. Farnham’s FPGA course, in particular, saw great enthusiasm for these sessions.
For the hardware classes in the curriculum, Dartmouth also dispatches physical kits to every student’s residence, allowing for a truly interactive learning experience.
In her teaching, Farnham integrates documentation, hardware-camera demonstrations, whiteboard explanations, and even attempts to gamify some of the lessons. “Essentially, I contemplate how I can present this information in every conceivable way. Whatever resonates with you, resonates.”
Having been a student herself not long ago, she is incredibly attentive to the type of resources she offers her students.
“I’ll record an instructional video and invariably review it afterward. If I find it dull to watch, I’ll re-record it and seek out ways to enhance its engagement. If I don’t want to view it, why would you?”
The Dartmouth Difference: Learning to Learn
According to Farnham, the strength of Dartmouth’s online MEng in Computer Engineering lies not solely in the content but also in the mindset.
“The reality is that technology is evolving rapidly. What you learn today as the benchmark might not be the standard in a year. We teach you how to learn, and how to maintain that learning.”
From hands-on FPGAs to machine vision concepts, the program’s projects are directly linked to genuine industry challenges. “In the FPGA course, we’ve witnessed students apply their projects directly to their roles. That’s the objective: make it relatable.” The coursework aims to have applications across a wide range of industries.
Now launching her new machine vision course, she guides students through weekly case studies in fields like underwater robotics, agriculture, and aerospace. “The Mars Rover was developed using an FPGA. You start with a camera and consider: How do you relay the data? What mechanical obstacles arise? You can apply this to any sector.”
Her aim is for each student to become an effective learner and communicator. “You may be an exceptionally intelligent engineer, but if you cannot convey your design, you might as well not be an engineer. Engineering impacts everything; you cannot operate in isolation.”
Advice for Future Engineers: Be Inquisitive. Embrace Challenges.
Farnham never anticipated becoming a professor. “I sought change at my job and aimed to explore hardware. I know numerous individuals who have completely transformed their careers after learning something new, and that’s precisely what I did,” she reflects. Now a “lifer” at Dartmouth, she is fervent about broadening access to engineering education.
“If you’re curious about what lies beyond your immediate surroundings, go discover,” she encourages. “If you’re contemplating grad school but are uncertain why, yet feel a pull, give it a go. What do you have to lose?”
Her counsel? Remain receptive. Stay flexible. “Planning is beneficial, but avoid anchoring yourself to the plan. You might uncover something new and adjust directions. That embodies engineering. It’s problem-solving, rethinking, and iteration. Much like life.”
Ready to embark on the next phase?
If you’re inquisitive, ambitious, and driven to comprehend how things function and how to enhance them via intelligent systems, Dartmouth’s online Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering could be the next step for you. With professors like Kendall Farnham steering the way, you won’t simply learn about hardware. You’ll discover how to learn, think, and communicate, entirely online, hands-on, and plunging headfirst into the future.
The post How Professor Kendall Farnham Brings Hardware to Life in Dartmouth’s Online MEng in Computer Engineering appeared first on Coursera Blog.