Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 46

faculty voice
An Online Education?
One professor explains
what MOOCs cannot offer.
by Dr. Heather M. Whitney
assistant professor of physics

p

eruse publications such as The Chronicle of
Higher Education or the education section
of The New York Times and you will see
the acronym MOOC over and over again.
MOOC stands for massive open online
course, the harbinger of some significant
changes in higher education. These courses
are designed to instruct upwards of 50,000
students via online platforms. Topics are
varied, but some courses, such as Classical
Mechanics offered by EdX, cover the same

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content as courses offered at Wheaton.
new understanding of electricity and
How does a MOOC compare with my
magnetism into mathematical form.
daily experience as a professor at Wheaton? I hope to encourage and inspire students
In my Computer Modeling course, for
to think beyond the equations and to
example, I teach students to analyze
consider the efforts already made by
physical systems using computational tools. scientists to communicate through
Each instructional period, I chat with
carefully crafted equations that represent
my 16 students as I set up my materials.
real physical entities and interactions.
Next we engage in a brief discussion of
Discussions of research efforts in my
a topic related to faith and learning. This
department, even ones that might garner
semester I am introducing my students
external funding, are always within the
to arguments by Joel Adams on why
context of how these efforts will support
Christians should pursue training and work our students.
in technical fields. The students discuss in
News stories too often highlight
pairs their reactions to a certain perspective both entrepreneurial and governmental
on the topic and then present their
efforts to boil education down to a
reactions to the class for group discussion.
series of checkmarks that students
We dedicate our instructional time to the
can accumulate for a certain price.
Lord in prayer and then turn our attention, Unfortunately, this system can turn
on one particular day, to finding the roots
students themselves into a commodity.
of an equation via computational methods. But at Wheaton College, our students
I speak with each student individually
are anything but a commodity. Here
about the big picture of the technique and
faculty, staff, parents of students,
how he or she is applying it to an example
alumni, and friends invest in every
problem. At the end of class, we discuss
individual. Our corporate efforts
the suitability of this problem-solving
come together each May when we
technique, as well as how to ensure that
see our precious students, each one an
results are communicated contextually and individual expression of the body of
accurately.
Christ, walk across the stage in Edman
A group of 16 students chatting and
Chapel and into a life of service to God
interacting with one professor versus
and humanity.
50,000 students tuning in to a team-led
Dr. Heather M. Whitney is assistant
MOOC—what a contrast! Everything
professor of physics and holds a master’s
I do as a professor is focused on how it
degree in medical physics and a Ph.D. in
supports our students, not just as a group
physics from Vanderbilt University. She
but individually. When I instruct students
performs research in nuclear magnetic
in classical mechanics or computational
resonance and quantitative ultrasound
modeling in the classroom, I seek to
imaging, having mentored six students in
connect with each one, gauging their
research activities in her first three years at
understanding and customizing our
Wheaton. Her teaching, both in support
activities to support their learning.
of the physics and liberal arts engineering
Students also motivate my faith and
majors and general education curriculum,
learning project, as I investigate how
references applications to medical physics
nineteenth-century physicists Michael
whenever possible. She and her husband,
Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell
Joshua, also a physicist, have one son.
approached the task of transforming the