CDIO approach in developing effective learning skills of engineering and technology-profile students

Abstract

Introduction. The process of Vietnam’s ever-growing international integration into the modern global economy places increasingly high demands on educational institutions, especially in the digital age. Having effective strategies for teaching engineering and technology-profile students according to the core principle of the innovative educational environment (known as CIOD: Conceive – Design – Implement – Operate) is extremely important and vital for the universities engaged in training a new generation of engineers, particularly, in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, towards meeting the needs of the international labour market. Materials and methods. The research involved the managers, teachers, academic advisors and students of Vinh Long University of Technology Education (Vietnam). The total number of respondents was 191, of them 45 managers, 56 teachers and academic advisors and 90 students. The information collected at the University of Technology Education was split into 2 stages: stage 1 from 1 to 31 March 2022 and stage 2 from 1 to 31 March 2023. Results. The students demonstrated much better skills in planning their learning activities at the 2nd stage of the survey (p < 0.05). The students developed good skills in setting objectives, content and methods of learning, as well as in self-examination and evaluation of success in the realisation of own study plans. Making study plans, organisation of their implementation, checking, evaluating, improving and correcting these plans are also important skills for students. Positive results were also obtained for the use of other efficient strategies for study skills training by the engineering and technology-profile students: strategies for practising effective study skills (p < 0.05) and strategies for practising students’ soft skills (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The acquisition of professional skills for engineering and technology-profile students of Vietnamese universities practicing CDIO is a key to their sustainable development and, in general, to highquality education in Vietnam.