As many of the authors and readers of this esteemed journal are from the academic community, many of us face the challenges of distance learning. There are of course excellent examples such as the UK's Open University whose 1970's television lectures contributed to my early interest in science and technology.
Many of us now use distance learning packages that are either commercial or open access platforms to provide services ranging from face-to-face education support to fully implemented distance learning courses. Regardless of the mechanism and whether it is deployed in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) or in traditional education registered courses, the complexity of energy is a challenging area to engage students with beyond the traditional printed format.
Interactivity is the key. In the classroom this can be straightforward with Q&A, exercises, whether individual or in groups and of course assignments and assessments. The growing global availability of the internet of sufficient quality, stability, reliability and bandwidth allows not only lessons to be viewed in real-time or downloaded but importantly allows interaction through hand-raising tools, especially for larger classes. Furthermore, blogs, social media (used appropriately), etc. can simulate interaction between both students and academics and with a little planning differences in time zones can be easily accommodated for live one-to-one or group discussions. Sufficient bandwidth facilitates video interactions and growth of stronger educational relationships as well as facilitating variable teaching methods, laboratory demonstrations, virtual site visits, etc.
But one of our major challenges is that of science and engineering. Equations dominate many aspects of engineering design and their correct choice and use (in for example heat transfer). The downloaded printed text serves well for information transfer but how to tutor these subjects? Text-based equation editors are often cumbersome and hand-written elements require touch screen pens and appropriate computers. Of course the simple (and legible) scan will also suffice but lacks tutorial style interoperability. Online equation ‘builders' are very useful in that students can demonstrate knowledge but once again may be as cumbersome as some of their text-based family.
The use of an equation library where the student selects the appropriate equation for the task is very helpful, if sometimes lacking algebraic rearranging properties. Furthermore, we often use such equations in graphs and select certain points of overlap, and being able to develop accurate graphs with a range of axes properties to extract zones of interest is always useful.
So challenges still exist for the modern educator who wants to instil sound engineering principles and practice in the next generation of engineers and scientists. Energy education is increasingly becoming a discipline in its own right and not just a subset of engineering. The skill sets demanded are as diverse and mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, mathematics, building services, economics, planning, policy and social sciences for the practicing energy engineer to get a project from drawing board to reality. Many of these disciplines have excellent teaching methods in distance learning and the key challenge for energy academics is to amalgamate the best of these skills into successful learning experiences.
The Horizon 2020 project INPATH-TES (http://inpathtes.eu/) looks to generate PhD and MSc learning materials for Thermal Energy Storage. It is led by Professor Luisa F. Cabeza of Universitat de Lledia (Spain) with over 20 partners seeking to address quality distance learning so as to support PhD student development in this emerging field.