Assessments and Surveys Using a Can-Do List for Global Communication in Engineering

Abstract

The authors surveyed 100 personnel managers at Japanese companies with a list of Can-do descriptors and identified the levels of global communication proficiency expected from engineers. We used the list to compare the proficiency levels of Japanese and foreign students in global PBL programs. The levels of the foreign students met levels desired by the managers, but those of the Japanese students were much lower. The list was also used to assess the proficiency of Japanese students before and after they took a graduate course and a global PBL program. The assessment results suggest that Japanese engineering students need educational trainings for their language production skills, and their global communication skills can be enhanced through a properly designed educational program.