Tom Cronin is one of the lecturers at the Master of Wind Energy. You can get to know him here.
How long have you been teaching all together and specifically at DTU Wind Energy?
Before I came to DTU, I worked for various consulting engineering companies and there was not so much call for teaching but good communication was, of course, still very important in my job. So, my formal teaching experience has all been at DTU Wind Energy, where I have been an integral part of our educational activities for about 10 years.
Why did you decide to teach on the Master of Wind Energy?
I wanted to create the course “Wind Energy in Society” because it gave me the opportunity to work with some cool people across a range of topics that are frequently taught as if they are unconnected. It’s also great to be able to put over our knowledge to an even wider audience and get feedback from the students all over the world. I never wanted to be a teacher who didn’t learn!
What is special about teaching an online course compared to a physical course?
It really has the challenge for both the teacher and the student that we do not meet up in person, so it can be a bit more difficult to find that mutual space for us both but we try to work on this with our Live Q&A sessions. On the other hand, online learning does give a great deal of flexibility and, as a teacher, preparation is still key and this can also be done in a flexible way.
What does the student, according to you, get out of participating in the course?
Over the thirteen weeks, the student will take part in a variety of modules and will take quizzes and make assignments. Students will cover a broad range of topics and will interact with us teachers through the Live Q&A sessions. What they will get is a great introduction to the situational context within which wind energy is being developed and will raise the student’s awareness of the complexity of wind energy’s relationships in our societies.
What feedback have you gotten from the students so far?
Very good, I am happy to say. It is a course where we do not model or use equations (well…..only a few of them) and the students seem to be glad to be challenged to think in a different way and be exposed to different perspectives.
What three words of wisdom would you give to people who are thinking about participating in the Master of Wind Energy?
- Enrol (on a course that looks good to you)
- Engage (with us teachers and the other students)
- Enjoy (learning)!