Vijay Venu Vadlamudi
About
Profile
I am currently working as Associate Professor in Electric Power System Operation and Reliability Analysis at the Department of Electric Energy (formerly, Department of Electric Power Engineering), NTNU. I am affiliated to the research group Power System Operation and Analysis (PSOA). I served as the Deputy Head of Department (Education) from August 2017 - March 2021.
- Since 2023, I am the Scientific Coordinator of CINELDI (Centre for Intelligent Electricity Distribution), a Norwegian FME (Research Centre for Environment-Friendly Energy/Forskningssenter for miljøvennlig energi).
- Since 2022, I am a part of the management of The Norwegian Smartgrid Centre, in capacity as Specialist on Electric Power Grid ('fagansvarlig - nett').
- In 2022, I was elected to serve as a representative of the Department's permanent scientific staff (Professors / Associate Professors / Lecturers / Researchers) in the Department's Leader Group.
Background: I obtained M. Tech. and Ph. D. degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India, in 2006 and 2011, respectively. I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Electric Power Engineering, NTNU, from 2011-2015. Prior to this, I was a visiting researcher at the Power Systems Research Group, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, in 2010-2011. Over the course of my professional career, I received multiple research and teaching awards, and have been active in learned societies such as IEEE and CIGRE.
- I am on the Editorial Board of the journal IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution since 2016, and am serving as Subject Editor for the field of Power System Reliability since 2018.
- In 2021, I was elevated to the grade of Senior Member - IEEE.
My areas of research interest include:
- Reliability and Risk – based Power System Operation and Planning Practices
- Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power System Analysis
- Reliability – based Appraisal of Smart Grid Challenges and Realisation
- Adequacy assessment of Cyber Physical Power Systems
Leadership Experience at NTNU
- When I began working as Deputy Head of Department (HoD) in August 2017, the responsibilities the role entailed were not yet formalized; throughout the nearly four years that followed, I gave a vision, shape and definition to all the various responsibilities that a Deputy HoD (Education) ought to have, in matters pertaining to the ensuring of quality of education.
- As Deputy HoD, I led discussions with colleagues on policy aspects and support mechanisms for effective educational (learning and teaching) practices at the Department, especially through the conduct of regular Teachers' Meetings. Together with the Head of Department, I was instrumental in the reorganization of the Department, the development of a common vision, strategic staffing, and the creation of transparent resource allocation protocols for fair and equitable distribution of workload among the permanent scientific staff, among other initiatives. Further, I am passionately invested in the overall learning process of the student, exploring innovation and excellence in teaching and supervision.
- From January 2019 – September 2020, I was the project leader, responsible for the planning, design and execution of necessary steps to get a new cross-departmental three-year Bachelors Study Programme titled ‘Electrification and Digitalisation’ established at the Department.
(For detailed information related to my professional experience, please refer to the attached CV).
Research
Areas of research interest:
- Reliability- and Risk-based Power System Operation and Planning Practices
- Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power System Analysis
- Reliability-based Appraisal of Smart Grid Challenges and Realisation
- Adequacy assessment of Cyber Physical Power Systems
Problem domain of my research, and its importance as I view it:
The current research focus across the world in power systems is on the resulting technical and economic challenges brought on by embracing smarter design and operating paradigms of power systems. However, an equally imminent need is being widely and rapidly acknowledged, which explicitly deals with power system reliability as an objective rather than as a constraint. In this regard, probabilistic frameworks are vital to the consequent reliability studies, whose results can in turn lead to the adoption of risk and reliability based power system operation and planning practices.
My main research vision:
I harbor a research vision, which seeks to address the following questions:
“How can security of power systems be realized through the application of probabilistic methods? What can be done to advance the theoretical and practical knowledge frontiers in the field of power system reliability in better handling uncertainties? What research contributions will enable power system planners and operators to embrace a probabilistic reliability management methodology in practice?”
PhD supervision:
Presently, I am supervising the following PhD candidates:
- Jordon Ashley Grant ("Risk and Vulnerability Prognosis for Power System Development and Asset Management")
- Matias Vistnes ("Resilient and Probabilistic Reliability Management of the Transmission Grid")
The following PhD candidate, under my main supervision, graduated in 2023:
- Mostafa Barani ("Reliability Studies in ICT-dominated Power Systems")
The following PhD candidates, under my co-supervision, graduated in 2024:
- Marthe Fogstad Dynge ("Local Electricity Markets: Evaluating Pricing Mechanisms, Fairness and Privacy")
- Ugur Halden ("Advancing Power Systems: Harnessing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Ledger Technology")
I am currently the designated co-supervisor for
- Øystein Rognes Solheim ("Using Reinforcement Learning in Handling Failures in Power Systems").
I am the main advisor for a Postdoctoral candidate, since 2023:
- Shipra Singh ("Grid Expansion Optimization")
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Centre for Intelligent Electricity Distribution (CINELDI)
Resilient and Probabilistic Reliability Management of the Transmission Grid (RAPID)
Risk and Vulnerability Prognosis for Power System Development and Asset Management (VulPro)
Oceangrid - Grid Expansion Optimisation
Development of Coupled Offshore and Onshore Power Grids
Resilient Digital Sustainable Energy Transition (REDISET)
Publications
Some stats: After obtaining PhD degree in 2011, I published a total of 33 international peer-reviewed scientific articles in conferences, journals, and books, with 29 different co-authors (not counting the co-authorship of publications by the IEEE Working Group on Probability Applications for Common Mode Events (PACME) in Electric Power Systems). In all, I have contributed to 42 peer-reviewed publications (published/accepted for publication), as of November 2024.
At NTNU: From 2015-2024, I was the main supervisor for 24 Masters theses, and a co-supervisor for 1 Bachelors thesis. Since 2018, I have been supervising PhD candidates. 1 PhD candidate for whom I was the main supervisor, graduated in 2023. Currently, I am supervising 3 PhD candidates, 2 of whom are nearing completion. 2 of the PhD candidates I co-supervised graduated in 2024. Presently, I am the designated co-supervisor for 1 Phd candidate. I am also the main advisor of a Postdoctoral candidate since 2023.
List of all publications with formatted links (Chronological Order)
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Jordon Grant, Iver Bakken Sperstad, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Samuel Perkin, and Erlend Sandø Kiel, “The Impact of High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Condition on Power System Reliability Indices,” Accepted for publication in IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Nov. 2024. http://doi.org/10.1049/gtd2.13333
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Jordon Grant, Samuel Perkin, Håkon Toftaker, Iver Bakken Sperstad, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “High Voltage Circuit Breaker Condition-dependent Failure Rate with Covariates,” Proc. 70th Annual Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Symposium, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jan. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1109/rams51492.2024.10457806
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Mostafa Barani, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Hossein Farzin, “Impact of Cyber Failures on Operation and Adequacy of Multi-Microgrid Distribution Systems,” Applied Energy, Vol. 348, pp. 1-16, Oct. 2023. (Article#121437) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.121437
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Matias Vistnes, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Sigurd Hofsmo Jakobsen, and Oddbjørn Gjerde, “Solving Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow Using Analytical Benders' Cuts,” Proc. 6th International Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies (SEST), Mugla, Turkey, Sep. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/SEST57387.2023.10257488
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Jordon Grant, Iver Bakken Sperstad, Jørn Foros, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Health Index Calculation Using Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis for High Voltage Circuit Breakers,” Proc. 33rd European Safety and Reliability Conference, Southampton, United Kingdom, Sep. 2023. https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-18-8071-1_P128-cd
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Matias Vistnes, Jordon Grant, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Understanding Interdependencies in Cyber-Physical Power Systems – A Review,” Proc. 14th Annual IEEE Power and Energy Conference, Illinois, Chicago, Mar. 2023, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1109/PECI57361.2023.10197827
- Mostafa Barani and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Analytical Approach for Adequacy Assessment of Cyber-Physical Multi-Microgrid Distribution Systems with Distributed Generation,” Electric Power Systems Research (Special Issue – 22nd Power Systems Computation Conference, 2022), Vol. 212, pp. 1-11, Nov. 2022. (Article#108293)
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsr.2022.108293
- Kari Walstad and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Electric Utility Customer Segmentation from Advanced Metering System Data Using K-Shape Clustering – A Norwegian Case Study,” Proc. IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) Conference, Novi Sad, Serbia, Oct. 2022, pp. 1-6.
- https://doi.org/10.1109/ISGT-Europe54678.2022.9960585
- Sondre Johan Kjellin Berg, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Dimosthenis Peftitsis, “Improving distribution transformer reliability in micro grids with distributed generation,” Proc. 26th International Symposium on Power Electronics, Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion (SPEEDAM), Sorrento, Italy, Jun. 2022, pp. 118-123.
- https://doi.org/10.1109/SPEEDAM53979.2022.9842053
- Matias Vistnes, Stine Fleischer Myhre, Olav Bjarte Fosso, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “A Monte Carlo Method for Adequacy Assessment of Cyber-Physical Distribution Systems,” Proc. 17th International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems (PMAPS), Jun. 2022, pp. 1-6.
- https://doi.org/10.1109/PMAPS53380.2022.9810570
- Salman Zaferanlouei, Hossein Farahmand, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Magnus Korpås, “BATTPOWER Toolbox: Memory-Efficient and High-Performance Multi-Period AC Optimal Power Flow Solver,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 3921-3937, Sep. 2021.
- https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2021.3055429
- Mostafa Barani, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Poul E. Heegaard, “Reliability Analysis of Cyber-Physical Microgrids: Study of Grid-Connected Microgrids with Communication-Based Control Systems,” IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 645-663, Feb. 2021.
- http://doi.org/10.1049/gtd2.12049
- Sondre Johan Kjellin Berg, Fredrik T. B. W. Göthner, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Dimosthenis Peftitsis, “Investigation of the Effect of Operating Conditions on Reliability of DC-link Capacitors in Microgrids”, Proc. IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands, Oct. 2020, pp. 1-5.
- http://doi.org/10.1109/ISGT-Europe47291.2020.9248937
- Sondre Johan Kjellin Berg, Fredrik T. B. W. Göthner, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Dimosthenis Peftitsis, “The Effect of Non-optimal Operating Conditions on Reliability of Inverters in Microgrids”, Proc. IEEE 11th International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems (PEDG), Dubrovnik, Croatia, Sep./Oct. 2020, pp. 1-5.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PEDG48541.2020.9244343
- Book Chapter: “DC and AC Contingency Solvers in Composite Power System Adequacy Assessment” published in the book titled “Advances in RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety) Engineering,” 2020, Springer, ISBN 978-3-030-36517-2. (Chapter authors: Øystein Stake Laengen and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi)
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36518-9_1
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi and Gerard Doorman, “Interconnector Participation in Capacity Mechanisms: A New De-rating Approach,” Proc. 14th Intl. Conference on the European Energy Market (EEM), Dresden, Germany, Jun. 2017, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/EEM.2017.7981872
- Salman Zaferanlouei, Magnus Korpås, Hossein Farahmand, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Integration of PEV and PV in Norway Using Multi-Period ACOPF – Case Study,” Proc. 12th IEEE PowerTech Conference, Manchester, UK, Jun. 2017, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PTC.2017.7981042
- PACME Working Group of the IEEE PES RRPA Subcommittee (Milorad Papic, Sudhir Agarwal, Ron N. Allan, Roy Billinton, Chris J. Dent, Svetlana Ekisheva, Daniel Gent, Kai Jiang, Wenyuan Li, Joydeep Mitra, Andrea Pitto, Alexander Schneider, Chanan Singh, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, and Matthew Varghese), “Research on Common-Mode and Dependent (CMD) Outage Events in Power Systems– A Review,” IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 1528-1536, Mar. 2017.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2016.2588881
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Camille Hamon, Oddbjørn Gjerde, Gerd Kjølle, and Samuel Perkin, “On Improving Data and Models on Corrective Control Failures for Use in Probabilistic Reliability Management,” Proc. 14th Intl. Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems, Beijing, China, Oct. 2016, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PMAPS.2016.7764089
- Oddbjørn Gjerde, Gerd Kjølle, Sigurd Jakobsen, and Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, “Enhanced Method for Reliability of Supply Assessment – An Integrated Approach,” Proc. 19th Power Systems Computation Conference, Genoa, Italy, Jun. 2016, pp. 1-7.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PSCC.2016.7540989
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “Impact of Protection System Reliability on Power System Reliability: A New Minimal Cutset Approach,” Proc. 13th Intl. Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems, Durham, United Kingdom, Jul. 2014, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PMAPS.2014.6960645
- PACME Working Group of the IEEE PES RRPA Subcommittee, “Effects of Dependent and Common Mode Outages on the Reliability of Bulk Electric System – Part I: Basic Concepts,” Proc. IEEE PES General Meeting, Washington DC Metro Area, USA, Jul. 2014, pp. 1-5.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PESGM.2014.6938967
- PACME Working Group of the IEEE PES RRPA Subcommittee, “Effects of Dependent and Common Mode Outages on the Reliability of Bulk Electric System – Part II: Outage Data Analysis,” Proc. IEEE PES General Meeting, Washington DC Metro Area, USA, Jul. 2014, pp. 1-5.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PESGM.2014.6938968
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “Impact of Substation Configuration on Protection System Failure Propagation and its Effect on Reliability of Supply,” Proc. 18th Power Systems Computation Conference, Wroclaw, Poland, Aug. 2014, pp. 1-8.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PSCC.2014.7038454
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “Consideration of Transmission Protection System Response in Reliability of Electricity Supply Analysis – Case Study,” Proc. CIGRE Session, Paris, France, Aug. 2014, pp. 1-12.
- https://e-cigre.org/publication/C1-107_2014-consideration-of-transmission-protection-system-response-in-reliability-of-electricity-supply-analysis--case-study
- Book Chapter: “Reliability-Centric Studies in Smart Grids: Adequacy and Vulnerability Considerations” published in the book titled “Reliability Modeling and Analysis of Smart Power Systems,” 2014, Springer, ISBN 978-81-322-1797-8. (Chapter authors: Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Rajesh Karki, Gerd Kjølle, and Kjell Sand)
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1798-5_1
- Technical Report: Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “The Impact of Protection Systems on Power System Reliability,” SINTEF Energy Research Technical Report TR A7439, Norway, Nov. 2014.
- http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2465346
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “Dependability and Security-based Failure Considerations in Protection System Reliability Studies,” Proc. IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, Oct. 2013, pp. 1-5.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ISGTEurope.2013.6695264
- Gerd Kjølle, Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Sigurd Kvistad, and Kjell Anders Tutvedt, “Potential for Improved Reliability and Reduced Interruption Costs Using Smart Grid Technologies,” Proc. 23rd Intl. Conference on Electricity Distribution (CIRED), Stockholm, Sweden, Jun. 2013, pp. 1-5.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1049/cp.2013.0870
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Oddbjørn Gjerde, and Gerd Kjølle, “Incorporation of Protection System Failure Modes in Composite Power System Reliability Studies,” Proc. 7th Annual CIGRÉ Canada Conference on Power Systems, Montreal, Canada, Sep. 2012, pp. 1-12.
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi and Rajesh Karki, “Reliability-based Appraisal of Smart Grid Challenges and Realization,” Proc. IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting, San Diego, USA, Jul. 2012, pp. 1-7.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PESGM.2012.6345744
- Vijay Venu Vadlamudi, Rajesh Karki, Gerd Kjølle, and Kjell Sand, “Challenges in Smart Grid Reliability Studies,” Proc. 12th Intl. Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems, Istanbul, Turkey, Jun. 2012, pp. 1035-1040.
- ISBN: (Electronic Proceedings) 978-605-63278-0-3
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “Enhanced Well-Being Analysis and Value-at-Risk (VaR) Dependent Reserve Determination in Deregulated Power Systems,” Intl. Journal of Systems Assurance Engineering and Management, Vol. 3. No. 1, pp. 24-32, Mar. 2012.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13198-011-0062-9
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “A Novel Adequacy Resiliency Paradigm for Power System Reliability Measures,” Proc. IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting, Minneapolis, USA, Jul. 2010, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PES.2010.5589360
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “A Probabilistic Transmission Pricing Methodology Considering Transmission Reliability Margins,” Intl. Journal of Systems Assurance Engineering and Management, Vol. 1. No. 2, pp. 113-119, Jun. 2010.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13198-010-0023-8
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “Reliability Management and Improvement for Planning and Operational Process Enhancement Measures in Deregulated Power Systems Using ATC,” Intl. Journal of Reliability, Quality and Safety Engineering, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 275-289, Jun. 2010.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0218539310003809
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “Reliability of Electric Power Systems: Challenges in the Deregulated Environment – A Research Perspective,” Intl. Journal of Systems Assurance Engineering and Management, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 24-31, Mar. 2010.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13198-010-0013-x
- V. Vijay Venu and A. K. Verma, “Reinforcement of Power System Reliability Measures through Joint Deterministic and Probabilistic Approaches,” Intl. Journal of Reliability, Quality and Safety Engineering, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 551-566, Dec. 2009.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0218539309003575
- A. K. Verma and V. Vijay Venu, “Revised Well-Being Analysis Applied to Reserve Adequacy Studies in Vertically Integrated Power Utilities,” Intl. Journal of Communications in Dependability and Quality Management, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 101-110, Mar. 2009.
- http://www.dqmcenter.com/uploads/images/dokumenta/12%201/13%20Verma,%20Vijay%20Venu.pdf
- A. K. Verma and V. Vijay Venu, “A Modeling Paradigm for Extending Well-Being Analysis to a Composite Bilateral Contracts Market,” Proc. IEEE PES Power Systems Conference and Exposition, Seattle, USA, Mar. 2009, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PSCE.2009.4839959
- A. K. Verma and V. Vijay Venu, “A Tracing-Based Realistic State Space Selection Method for Composite Power System Reliability Assessment in the Restructured Scenario,” Proc. IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting, Pittsburgh, USA, Jul. 2008, pp. 1-6.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/PES.2008.4596380
- A. K. Verma and V. Vijay Venu, “Adequacy-Based Power System Reliability Studies in the Deregulated Environment,” Intl. Journal of Reliability, Quality and Safety Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 129-141, Apr. 2008.
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/S0218539308002988
Teaching
First and foremost, I believe that the most fundamental to the pursuit of scholarship of teaching and learning is a passionate commitment to excellence in the student, which I wholeheartedly embrace. My enquiry-based approach to teaching is a result of years of observations and reflections from my own teaching practices, comprehensive student feedback and my continued reflections of it, self-criticism, pedagogical training, perusal of literature in pedagogy, and discussions with colleagues. I revisit feedback from even several years ago periodically, to check if there is a new perspective that would emerge for me. Using Constructive Alignment as a systematic starting point, I have gradually evolved from a teacher-centric focus to a student-centric learning focus. A continuous process of improvement for me includes figuring out the optimal ways of putting the principles of constructive alignment into practice; again, literature, colleagues, and self-reflection are the tools I have at my disposal to carry on with the pursuit of excellence in this regard.
o I foresee the next part of my evolution as a teacher dealing with the challenges of designing timely and innovative means of formative and summative assessment, in addition to continuing the efforts to create relevant activity-based instructional mechanisms; I will continue the perusal of literature in pedagogy, and continue to engage in discussions with colleagues, in this regard.
Background:
I was born and brought up in India, with all my educational qualifications (Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees) obtained in India, in the field of Electric Power Engineering. Indian cultural tradition equates the teacher to a god spiritually, as evidenced from the Sanskrit hymn ‘Acharya Devo Bhava’ [1]; teaching is deemed a noble profession. During my education, encountering the few teachers who were inspiring in their practice left an indelible mark on me, and has been central to the strong desire I have always had in becoming a teacher myself. My personality as a teacher is also shaped by my intrinsic beliefs and value system in striving for the cause of educational excellence in others with passion and compassion.
The recognition bestowed on me through the awards of Teacher of Excellence (2004) and Best Teaching Assistant (2009) in India, was the much-needed proof that I had the potential for a life-long commitment to teaching.
After relocating to Norway in search of a professional career in teaching and research, the ‘sage on the stage’ mindset I had was an inherent obstacle for my progress as a teacher; I had no knowledge of the pedagogical practices at the University and of the required cultural adaptations, and as a result I struggled to find a foothold initially. But relying on the good support mechanisms in place at the University [e.g., UNIPED resources and colleagues], over a period of several years I was able to gradually gain knowledge of a variety of pedagogical theories and practices, which have provided me with the foundation for gaining insights into the complexity of student learning.
I have, over a period of several years, learned to ask myself these questions every step of the way as a teacher:
· What can I, as a teacher in the STEM field, do to let students unlock their potential for learning, and realise their potential to be enablers and creators for ‘knowledge for a better world’?
· How can I facilitate and help students navigate the struggles and the rewarding challenges of the learning process?
Professor James McCalley (Fellow, IEEE) from the Iowa State University [2] has been a guiding beacon in my work as a teacher. The following is a contract he enters with his students at the beginning of a semester, labelled as ‘Your and My Goals’:
· “Your goal is to obtain a clear understanding of the physical aspects of each phenomena, be able to use the appropriate representation of the power system to analyze the phenomena, and apply new or existing tools in an original and creative manner to provide needed answers.
· My goal in this course is to motivate and channel your thought process towards your goal and provide the various building blocks, tools, and relevant reference material you will need.”
I typically start my courses (which are mostly power system-related) with a suitable variant of the above worded contract; this is a vital first step in communicating my expectations to the students. Further, I explicitly add the following:
· I will ensure that there is a constructive and coherent alignment of learning outcomes, learning activities and learning assessment. Through the lectures, I will provide a relatable narrative of threshold concepts and the potential for their application.
· You will endeavour to participate in the learning activities with an inquiry-based mindset, and choose the method that best suits your learning style to make the most of what I have to offer.
Further, I have the following quotation [3] by Prof. James S. Lang, serving me as a perennial inspiration about how students can be better learners:
“Our classrooms should be a space where students have the opportunity to engage in multiple forms of learning. Sometimes they are receiving first exposure to new information and ideas (through lectures); sometimes they are generating examples of how those ideas connect to the world beyond the classroom (through discussions or group work); sometimes they are practicing the skills we want them to demonstrate on their papers, projects, or exams (such as writing, presenting to their peers, or solving problems). The classroom should serve as an active laboratory of learning, a place where students engage with the course material through multiple cognitive streams.”
Food for Thought:“As you enter a classroom ask yourself this question: If there were no students in the room, could I do what I am planning to do? If your answer is yes, don’t do it.” ---Ruben A.Cubero
References:
- [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taittiriya_Upanishad
- [Online]. Available: https://www.engineering.iastate.edu/people/profile/jdm/
- J. M. Lang, “Small Teaching: Everyday Lessons from the Science of Learning,” Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2016. ISBN: 978-1118944493.
Below is a list of some of the courses I teach/taught in:
- Infrastructure for Energy Transmission and Distribution (Infrastruktur for energitransport) TET4155 (Course Instructor - earlier editions)
- Power System Analysis TET4115 (Course Coordinator & Instructor - earlier editions)
- Power System Analysis 1 TET4105 (Instructor - first edition)
- Power System Analysis 2 TET4205 (Course Coordinator & Instructor)
- Advanced Power System Analysis ELK16 (Course Coordinator & Instructor - earlier editions)
- Experts in Teamwork TET4853 (2017) (Leader, Theme: Sustainable Energy and Society)
- Quality of Supply in Electrical Power Systems ELK10 (Guest lectures, earlier editions)
- Power System Reliability ET8207 (Course Coordinator & Instructor)
- Specialization Projects at the Dept. of Electric Power Engineering TET4510 (Course Coordinator)
- Master's Projects at the Dept. of Electric Power Engineering TET4900 (Course Coordinator)