Instruction ePortfolio

Below is my Instructional Portfolio. If you are looking for my Teaching/Educational Philosophy please go here: Educational Philosophy 

Teaching and Other Responsibilities

• Course Creation/Revision/Leadership

  • Created a new version of the Gen Ed ECE0832: Digital World and Everyday Life. Subsequently converted the class to an asynchronous and flipped class format. The goal of the class is teach all majors how computation and AI work at a fundamental level and the students apply it to their discipline (i.e. business, art, music, etc.). Course revision led to more than a doubling of course enrollment in less than 2 years.

  • Redeveloped ECE3822 Engineering Computation II to focus more on problem solving with data structures and algorithms

  • Redeveloped ENGR1101 to focus more on Design Thinking and incorporated the Engineering for People Design Challenge sponsored by Engineers Without Borders. Developed a design project where students build and program an incubator system using a micro:bit.

  • Developed and taught the course ECE4110 Solving the Climate Crisis which takes an interdisciplinary approach to the climate crisis and culminates with students producing a policy analysis with computational tools to inform decision making on how to get to a 100% carbon neutral energy system.

  • Lead writer for five syllabi (NRG101, NRG124, NRG142, NRG241, NRG212); Also lead designer of these new courses

  • Collaborated on twenty-two other syllabi

• Instruction

  • ECE4110 Solving the Climate Crisis which takes an interdisciplinary approach to the climate crisis and culminates with students producing a policy analysis with computational tools to inform decision making on how to get to a 100% carbon neutral energy system.

  • ELEG484/684 Electric Vehicles and the Grid at the University of Delaware ( undergraduate/graduate cross listed course )

  • Taught a Gen Ed course ECE0832 Digital World and Everday Life

  • Taught two electrical engineering Junior level courses

    • ECE3822: Engineering Computation II

    • ECE3512: Signals and Systems

  • Taught ENGR1101 Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Technology

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  • Taught eleven different Energy Management Courses

    • All were the first time they were offered on campus

    • The courses were:

      • NRG101: Introduction to Energy Management

      • NRG103: Sustainability

      • NRG124: Energy Efficient Methods

      • NRG154: Alternative Energy Technologies

        • Taught face-to-face and developed and delivered online

      • NRG142: Energy Accounting

        • Taught face-to-face and developed and delivered online

      • NRG200: Solar Energy Systems

      • NRG201: Photovoltaic Energy Systems I

      • NRG241: Energy Investment Analysis

      • NRG213: Building Simulations

      • NRG223: Energy Control Strategies

      • NRG206: Cooperative Education: Energy Management

  • Taught three different Electrical Engineering Technology Courses

    • • CEN100: Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology 

        • Performed a complete course redesign which included a programming unit with sumo robots

      • ELC130: Digital Electronics

      • CIS150: C/C++ Programming Language

  • Taught courses in two learning communities:

    • • Excel Powers Up!

        • Combined OAT152: Excel Level I and NRG101

        • I taught the Excel portion. Students in the class worked on many energy and sustainability related spreadsheets. 

• Advisement

  • Called students not enrolled in courses for the upcoming semester

  • Talked to students in class about the importance of advisement

  • In early classes, it was a requirement to plan which courses you would take next semester

• Led Renewable Energy Camp for two years

  • Developed curriculum used across three college campuses

• Professional Development

  • Selected for the Provost's Teaching Academy during the summer of 2021 which is a selective faculty development program

  • Attended the Peer Collaboration workshop series

  • Attended the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Annual Faculty Conference on Teaching Excellence

  • Took three courses in instructional design and technology

    • Teaching with Technology

    • Foundational Technologies

    • Instructional Design

  • Attended and presented at the Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference

Strategies for Effective Instruction

Throughout my career as an instructor, I have learned many instructional strategies and have employed many of them in the classroom.  What follows are examples of some of these strategies.

Instructional Videos

In every class there are concepts that students need to hear over and over again in order for them to sink in.  There are also computer skills that are important for students to have that involve many intricate clicks. These are hard to get across with one demo in class.  Also, for hybrid or online classes, full lectures may need to be recorded. One of my favorite instructional strategies is flipping the classroom, which means that students watch lectures on their own time. This frees up class time for more critical thinking and interaction with peers and me. For these reasons, I often record instructional videos that the students can view as many times as they want.  To date, I have more than >300 videos recorded with >500,000 views and ~25,000 hours watched. 

Here are a few examples of my instructional videos:

Mastery Learning

Using an LMS, I am able to create homework assignments that incorporate mastery learning.  I accomplish by allowing students unlimited attempts on their homework.  Every attempt has different questions that assess the same concept. This can be done with random blocks of questions that pull from a pool.  It can also be done with calculated formulas in an LMS like the following example:

Q: How many inches are in [x] feet?

A: x*12

For this question, the LMS generates a random number in a certain range for x and replaces it in the question.  It also calculates the correct answer in order to grade the student.  This provides limitless possibilities for questions and facilitates mastery learning.  For example, one student was able to score a 90% after attempting the homework six times.  He was able to obtain help from both me and his classmates.

Problem Based Learning

In many of my courses, I use a flipped classroom learning model to allow more time for critical thinking and problem based learning in the classroom. Below, you can see an example of PBL in a community college setting. The next example is from my ENGR1101 Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Technology class.

Problem Based Learning by Flipping the Classroom

One of the most desired skills that an employer looks for is staff that can tackle problems in a group.  Many times in the classroom we lecture in class and expect this collaboration to happen outside of class.  I employ this strategy in many of my classes including my CEN100 class. I deliver the lectures online and in class we have collaborative group work time.  The following video shows the results of the group work time.  The students built and programmed robots to face off in a sumo ring.  In this class, the students also built and programmed solar trackers and designed a complete solar photovoltaic system.

Active Learning through Simulation/Games/Demos/Interactive Problems

Whenever possible, I try to provide students with the opportunity to digital manipulatives.  Here are a few examples of how I bring content to life in the classroom:

#1 Simulations via Phet

#2: Computational Documents (created via MATLAB of Wolfram Mathematica)

To view these documents, you will need to install the free CDF player from here or MATLAB.

Net Present Value of Energy Efficiency Measures.cdf

Suns Position.cdf

Fourier Transform Small Group Demonstration/Discussion MATLAB interactive live script with screenshots below. When you change the values of a and tau on the right they would automatically change the graphs on the right.

#3: Other Tools:

I use the website wolframalpha.com for many activities in my class.  Some cool search terms "Convert 10 miles per hour to meters per second", "Plot the world's energy use from 2000 to 2010", "Net present value"

HackerRank and MATLAB Grader - I used many HackerRank and MATLAB grader problems for portions of my classes where coding is required as they provided ways to incorporate real time feedback and formative assessment into the complex task of coding. Students got real time feedback on code so they could fix mistakes in real time instead of waiting for feedback from me or the TAs. 

Interactive polling such as Kahoot! (click here for example) and PollEverywhere. 

Feedback from Students

"it's been my favorite class this semester ! Professor Budischak has been very kind and helpful, and exams were never as difficult as some other EE classes. His focus was helping us understand the concepts, so he would continue to go over information until everyone was on the same page! 10/10 I'd recommend this class even to those not in EE who are just interested in signals!"  -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"This course is the best designed and taught class that I have taken at Temple so far. There's a lot of work to be done, but none of it feels like busy work and it all helps with the overall understanding of the material. I really like the approach of watching videos explaining the concepts before class then implementing this knowledge in lecture. The computer assignments also are challenging, but the professor and undergraduate TA are always very helpful. Providing past exams as study materials and having a discussion board to post questions about them that are covered in the in-class review session also is something that every class should do." -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"I think the easy-to-learn system in place where we watch videos outside of class then discuss in class makes a course so much easier. It's ridiculous how much of a difference it makes. Also, this professor clearly cares for his student's well-being by doing things that most professors would not; this would include making sample codes or a Kahoot! to make sure students understand a concept. Also, this professor does grading and posting assignments well and on time." -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"The format of the Exams in this course was extremely refreshing. Dr. Budischak did an excellent job of writing exams that made sure that we were evaluated on our understanding of concepts, well being very reasonable and fair. If you didn't understand the material then it would be hard to do well, but if you do there was nothing "tricky" that causes you to lose unnecessary points" -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"Incredibly inclusive. Every person who engaged in the class had a great time. Professor Budischak is awesome. We had Isaiah, a student who had some trouble speaking in the class, and he was no different than any one of us in the class environment. Hats off. Not to mention, he knows his research and course content on AI, Data, Computing, Coding, Renewable Energy resources, etc. Temple don't lose this guy." -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"I have to say this class is one of the few where I really walked out with really getting a good hand on the material. Props to Dr. Cory for making this engaging on zoom because I haven't had the same experience with my other classes." -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"This class felt like a safespace. You could call out an answer and he would listen to you. Some question were very un-educated and while some would know the answer, Cory would take his time to make the student who asked the question feel confident with the subject matter then continued on with the subject of the day."  -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"The material was well structured and I felt like this is one of the first coding classes where I have actually learned solid computer science concepts rather than just churning though some kind of text book. Over all this is easily one of the top 3 classes I have taken at Temple in regards to learning, course structure, and the Professors approach to teaching."  -Anonymous quote from a student feedback form

"Very informative class. Very hard class. Pay attention and do the work. Any issues that come up Dr. B is always understanding and will work with that individual. He is always there for you. It is a pleasure learning from a master at his craft."  -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Cory is the best instructor I have ever had. He is dedicated to making sure that I am on my way to success. He is kind and helpful, but not a push over. I feel like I can learn anything from him, even things that are totally foreign to me. I get excited when I see the gleam he gets in his eyes when he sees us learning and understanding a new concept. I know I am on the right path when he starts smiling and nodding vigorously, but he still manages not to give away answers. I would say that Cory is the most genuine instructor I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. The only downside to his instruction is that it sets the bar so high for any other instructor I encounter and so far, none have surpassed him." -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Dr. Cory Budischak is the best Professor I have had classes with at DelTech. I have completed my curriculum and all I can say is that nobody compares to him. He has excelled in all areas and represents the ultimate teacher.He has all the requirements a teacher should have: pedagogy, knowledge of the subject, gifted, fun, committed and talented.I hope DelTech can postulate him to a National Award since he deserves it!" -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Cory Budischak is a phenomenal instructor.  This class outlined many objectives that I had absolutely no previous knowledge about, but Cory was always patient and willing to give as much one-on-one help as I needed.  He also made videos that saved my life on many assignments that had previously stumped me.  His integration of technology to teach the subject matter was seamless and dramatically heightened my ability to succeed." -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Cory is the best teacher I have ever had the privilege of learning from. He can talk me through any issues I 

encounter and I feel like he has the ability to explain any subject matter to any student. No matter how difficult and unfamiliar the content may have been, Cory was always able to show me the path to the correct answer without just giving it to me. I feel like my future success will be shaped by what I have learned from him." -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"My instructor Cory Budischak was informative and had a very strong knowledge of the course and it's principles. He was able to convey information to the class in a captivating manner. Throughout the semester there were many real world applications of the material. All of what I previously stated and his dedication to his work would make me recommend him to any student." -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Cory did an excellent job with designing this course to mimic a real life job environment. I have had a very difficult time with this course and it has made me take a different approach than I normally would. I've had to ask for help a lot and Cory was always willing to explain things slowly and clearly so that I could understand them. My only complaint about this course, which is that the tools or skills needed to complete the assignments weren't always clearly described, has actually turned out to be the best part about the course, in my opinion. Cory created a real-life environment that pushed us to learn but when we couldn't do it on our own he was more than happy to help us. It's clear that he gets a lot of enjoyment out of doing his job and teaching the students". -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"Dr. Budischak is amazing at taking complicated concepts and putting them into a form that anyone can understand."  -Anonymous quote from a course evaluation

"You have no idea how happy I am.  Thanks for the support!  I seriously would not have been able to get this far in energy management without you.  You have easily been one of the best school teacher[s] I have ever had.  Thanks man!" -Ben B., Energy Management Student

"I think you are one hell of an instructor, having the ability to adjust your level of instruction to any audience.  I will surely be able to enlighten my students on the real details of renewable energy, unlike the general overview method I used in the past...I truly have a higher regard for students pursuing this Energy Management degree at Del Tech and they, along with you, have sincerely earned my respect."  -Victor L., High School Teacher

"The learning community was interesting because we ran weather simulations on our computer model to determine ways the school could save on energy costs.  The work we did is identical to what we could be doing in the real world as a career."  -Jake B., Energy Management Student

"Hi! I wanted to thank you, thank you, thank you, for choosing my son to attend this year's Renewable Energy Camp. He comes home everyday so excited about what he has learned that day. He is telling everyone he talks to that this is the best camp he has ever been to. I have one extremely happy child this week that wishes this camp would not end. He is really upset that today is the last day :) A million thanks to everyone who put this camp together and made it available to families who may not be able to afford it otherwise. It's so wonderful as a parent to see your child so happy and so interested in something that he's telling all of his friends and family about it. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!" -Parent of a camper in the Renewable Energy Camp