Home Teaching Publications Research Professional Activities Camp STEM Programming Competition Vita Contact Information Department of Computer Science and Information Systems West Virginia University Institute of Technology 405 Fayette Pike Montgomery, WV 25136 Phone: (304) 442-3272 Fax: (304) 442-3201 Email: matthew.williamson@mail.wvu.edu

Teaching Philosophy With each course I teach, I have two fundamental goals. First, the students need to learn the course material rather than memorize it. Although I have witnessed several teachers promote memorization, this only helps the students prepare for the exams and nothing else beyond the course. The second goal is to prepare the students for endeavors beyond the classroom. For most students, if they do not understand the importance of the material, they are not going to be interested in what is discussed. It is my responsibility to show them how the material is used in various applications. To meet these goals, I incorporate the following principles with each course I teach: Using a hands on approach: With each concept, providing examples allows the students to try out the concepts and see for themselves how they work. Engaging students by asking questions: This allows them to develop critical thinking skills and allows me to gauge how well they learned the material discussed. If I can tell the students are struggling with the material, then I know I need to spend more time discussing it. To me, it is more important that the students understand what is currently discussed than getting through the lecture. Providing applications that connect the material: To help engage the students in the course, it is my responsibility to promote an interest in the material. Not only should students understand the material but they should also understand why the material is relevant. I have witnessed several lectures where students lost interest in the class discussion because they did not see how the material relates to them. With each topic I discuss, I make an attempt to show the students why the topic is important. Improving both written and oral communication: Without proper communication, it is difficult to convey one's ideas, even if they are correct. That is why with each course, I provide the students opportunities to practice their communication skills. Such opportunities include essays, presentations, and code documentation. Using assessments to improve learning: Although learning the material is more important than the grade itself, there are students who are more concerned about their grades. It is my responsibility to use assessments as a means for further learning and not simply for evaluating how well the students studied the material.