Technical Education System Research Articles

An Evaluation Quality Framework for Analysing School-Based Learning (SBL) to Work-Based Learning (WBL) Transition Module

The paper presents the results from a quality framework to measure the effectiveness of a new engineering course entitled 'school-based learning (SBL) to work-based learning (WBL) transition module' in the Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) system in Bahrain. The framework is an extended version of existing information quality frameworks with respect to pedagogical and technological contexts. It incorporates specific pedagogical and technological dimensions as per the Bahrain modern industry requirements. Users' views questionnaire on the effectiveness of the new transition module was distributed to various stakeholders including TVE teachers and students. The aim was to receive critical information in diagnosing, monitoring and evaluating different views and perceptions about the effectiveness of the new module. The analysis categorised the quality dimensions by their relative importance. This was carried out using the principal component analysis available in SPSS. The analysis clearly identified the most important quality dimensions integrated in the new module for SBL-to-WBL transition. It was also apparent that the new module contains workplace proficiencies, prepares TVE students for work placement, provides effective teaching and learning methodologies, integrates innovative technology in the process of learning, meets modern industrial needs, and presents a cooperative learning environment for TVE students. From the principal component analysis finding, to calculate the percentage of relative importance of each factor and its quality dimensions, was significant. The percentage comparison would justify the most important factor as well as the most important quality dimensions. Also, the new, re-arranged quality dimensions from the finding with an extended number of factors tended to improve the extended version of the quality information framework to a revised quality framework.

Realising quality assurance in Indian technical education

In the modern dynamic world, we are steadily shifting to a fast track of economic and industrial development. The new global scenario poses unprecedented challenges for the technical education system thereby demanding the whole range of skills for all round development of the nation. In recent years, a need for a renewed focus on higher technical education has been felt. The technical institutes need to seek more effective systems to address increasing dissatisfaction with the performance of higher technical education systems. The technical institutes need to evolve a shift away from traditional models in which most students are viewed as passive recipients of teaching, absorbing information in an uncritical way, to a growing enthusiasm for active, independent learning, which encourages deep, rather than superficial processing of information. Thus there is a great necessity for reforming Indian technical education system in line with the needs and expectations of the community and business sector. Thus, more emphasis has to be laid on quality improvement measures in Indian technical education system through adoption of proactive and innovative strategies for meeting the global challenges posed by ever increasing and rapidly changing technological advances.

Aspects of Teaching Science and Technology in a Romanian Technical University

This paper takes a radiography of the scientific and technical education system in a Romanian technical university. The study was conducted on a sample of 115 subjects, students of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty, from 1st to 4th year of study. Subjects were investigated regarding the mechanical disciplines teaching in their faculty. The results highlight the aspects of teaching in a faculty of a technical university: appropriate teaching methods, forms of assessment and scoring system, temporal distribution of teaching hours, number of teaching hours per week, number of students participating in practical work etc. Knowing that learning is related to exploiting knowledge and that learning does not occur as a result of cognitive system changes under the action of external stimuli, but results from students' interaction with the elements of a particular situation (problems, questions, definitions), the results of this research can provide solutions to facilitate learning technical subjects.

CIES Bibliography 2010

CIES Bibliography 2010

Los desafíos de la industrialización: debates y propuestas parlamentarias en torno a la educación técnica industrial. Chile 1929-1952

This article analyzes some proposals related to the industrial technical education debates held in the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, in the context of economic and social reforms derived primarily from the 1929 crisis. In that sense, we examine ideas and proposals concerning to the formation of skilled labour to meet one of the major challenges to the socioeconomic modernization. The process of transformation of the technical education system reached its greatest expression with the founding of the Universidad Tecnica del Estado (State Technical University) in 1947 conceived as the institution in charge of forming senior technical staff to support the implementation of national industrialization.

Does technical education in India contribute to its Core-HRST? A case study of IIT Madras

India is working towards becoming a ‘knowledge superpower’, expanding its technical education system. But despite a rapidly growing annual turnout of S&T graduates, there is still a disparagingly low ratio of R&D personnel in India's workforce, worrisome for its future S&T capabilities. A disquieting trend has been that graduates from even the best S&T institutions have increasingly chosen future professional or academic avenues that have little to do with their training, due to which, over time, India has lost its best science manpower. On examining a distinguished institution — IIT Madras — the paper unfolds the variety of interconnected incentives and disincentives at ground level that contribute to this situation. This paper is but a step towards indicating the vast amount of further investigation required in assessing whether India's technical education system has sufficiently delivered in its role as the actor primarily in charge of competence building in India's innovation system. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Quality assurance in technical education system through TQM paradigm

The impact of changes in global and national economic scenario is emergence of an era of global technological competitiveness. Ever increasing competition and rapidly changing customer demands warrant technologists and engineers to be continuously trained to meet challenges of knowledge-intensive new technologies. For technical education to be useful for 21st century requirements, technical institutions should set an example in propagating quality consciousness to manage the competitive environment. At a time when industrial concerns are vying with each other in procuring ISO certification, total quality management has become the need of the hour. Technical institutions have to make conscious effort to plan for world class technocrats to be sent out of their portals. This is where TQM has become highly relevant as a management philosophy for technical education. The present study emphasises at adoption of concurrent quality drives for technical education system for helping nations to produce technologically competitive human resource.

Strategic Management Practices in Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) in India

Purpose: Earlier the technical education system was not directly linked to the economic and social developments in the country. It was kept in the periphery, unconcerned with the changes in the economy and the society. Recently there is considerable attention to reform the system in a manner where it can play a pivotal role in the development of the Nation. Globalized economy has created a high demand of educated persons at all levels with appropriate knowledge, skill and experience. With 62% of India’s population in the working age group, the need for the adequate educational avenues will increase in the coming decades. This feature combined with the growing services sector within the country would require highly qualified human resources. Accordingly the country has to organize education not only in terms of increased enrollment but also with high quality. This paper aims at making a close evaluation on the Strategic Management Practices in Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). Design/methodology/approach: Considering the need to analyze the research problem, Mixed Method Research approach combining qualitative and quantitative was resorted for this research work. The whole research was made on multi-stage design. The initial study has begun with Exploratory Research which has provided insights into and comprehension of the issue under study. This Exploratory Research has relied on secondary research such as reviewing available literature and data, informal discussions with the administrators, students, stakeholders and more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies. Thereafter based on the results obtained in the pilot study a Descriptive study were undertaken in order to have the accurate evaluation of the current scenario. Findings: The administration and management of CFTIs are still in the conventional stage and no efforts were taken to redefine the management system. While discussing on the autonomy it is found that the autonomy exercised by these institutions are only academic autonomy that too with limitations as there are controls from governmental agencies.Considering the other technical institutions CFTIs still occupy a prominent position in terms of placing their students as well as proceeding for research studies abroad. Being the non-profit organizations the controls exercised by the institutions in administration and expenditure are meager. Long term and short term planning process is hardily evident and there is no monitoring and evaluation system. The system is running through the practice of adhoc planning. The physical facilities of the institutes need immediate renovation. Internal resource generation through consultancy or applied research is evident only in top level institutions. As we can observe the innovative and stimulating environment have a great influence on the student learning process. This is visible in most of the IITs. The study on the management process and sub process of the CFTIs reveals that a full-fledged Strategic Management model is not prevalent in any of the Institutions. There are some institutions where some processes are being adopted. Such institutions are able to reap the results in terms of performance and accountability. Research limitations/implications: The subject is now under the rigorous review through empirical research programme to explore the subject in greater detail with wider spectrum primary data on various Institutions within the country and compare themselves with their counterparts abroad.Practical implications: The findings to support the hypothesis to the extent that there is a need for effective scientific management in the Centrally Funded Technical Institutions, so that the quality, efficiency and accountability of these institutions can be drastically elevated. It will also enable these Institutions to outlive the threats of Corporate Universities and global challenges.Originality/Value: While the institutions working towards their goal, each one of them should understand that they have different strategies to expand and diversify, and the controlling authorities must refrain frequent interventions. Accordingly each Institute has its own opportunity in the “level playing field” and can establish their own brand name and quality standards as that of any World Class Universities.

Uzaktan eğitim ile bilgi ihtiyacının karşılanması: Bir üniversite programı önerisi

The ongoing social transformation process and the developments in science and technology concurrently raised the importance of knowledge at any range. Technical educators happen to lose knowledge because of forgetting after their graduation, their knowledge grows obsolete and they need to learn the new acquirements which turn out at the same time. In this research, the effect of a distance education based program which is lead by universities in corresponding to the requirements of knowledge is examined. First of all, in this study, in order to confirm the subject, an employee oriented pre-research is done. After that, a technical educators based questionnaire is surveyed which is concerning the distance education to the technical educators and their need of knowledge. In this research, it is observed that in this period of time, the employees need to gain knowledge continuously and this requirment can be covered by such distance education lead by universities. According to the results of the survey, technical teachers need to be informed and reminded of their earlier knowledge which they received through different educational programmes but forgot in the course of time. The information need of technical teachers must be provided via internet education supported with face to face trainings. Universities must meet the technical teachers’ need of information by organizing educational programmes. A program prepared for this reason, will fulfill the emptiness in our system of technical education, thus presenting important contribution to social development and bringing up qualified staff which the industry is in need. This sort of program must be put in process without delay with the association of all official and private institutions. Ozet: Bu arastirmada universitelerce yurutulecek uzaktan egitime dayali bir programin, teknik ogretmenlerin bilgi ihtiyaclarinin karsilanmasina etkisinin ne duzeyde olacagi incelenmektedir. Calismada teknik ogretmenlerin uzaktan egitim ile teknik ogretmenlerin bilgi ihtiyacinin karsilanmasina iliskin goruslerini alabilmek icin bir anket gelistirilmistir. Ankete katilan 221 teknik ogretmenden olusan orneklemi betimleyen veriler analiz edilerek degerlendirilmistir. Arastirmanin sonuclarina gore teknik ogretmenler, zamanla unuttuklari bilgileri hatirlamaya ve yeni bilgileri edinmeye ihtiyac duymaktadirlar. Teknik ogretmenlerin bilgi ihtiyacinin karsilanmasi, yuz yuze egitimlerle desteklenmis internet uzerinden gerceklestirilecek egitimler araciligiyla saglanmalidir. Universiteler, olusturacaklari egitim programlari ile teknik ogretmenlerin bilgi ihtiyacini karsilamalidirlar. Bu amacla hazirlanacak bir program teknik egitim sistemimizdeki bir boslugu doldurarak toplumun gelismesine ve sanayinin ihtiyac duydugu donanimli ara elemanlarin yetistirilmesine onemli katkilar sunacaktir.

Higher Technical Education:Some Considerations for Technical Universities

Since independence in 1947, technical education system in India has grown into a fairly large sized system, offering opportunities for education and training in a wide variety of trades and disciplines at certificate, diploma, degree, post graduate degree and doctoral levels in institute all over the country. In 1947, country had 38 degree level institutes with an intake capacity of 2500. Today we are having more than 1800 engineering institutes (not including IITS/NITs/) with an intake capacity of more than 600,000 students.

Role of Technical University in Nurturing Academic Excellence: Opportunities and Challenges

This paper identifies the need for and role of a technical university in a state to nurture quality and academic excellence in technical education as a result of privatization of technical education system and resultant proliferation of It identifies the advantages of having a technical university in a state and briefly traces the history of technical university system in India. To ensure success of this system, it outlines a strategic roadmap with TQM based approaches with focus on employability enhancement, student orientation, faculty - driven and enlightened visionary led institutions. It advocates strong focus on 'quality' and 'academic' excellence, transparency in functioning; agility to quickly respond to requirements in industry and balance teaching, applied research and consulting or outreach activities. It pleads for a case for greater financial, administrative autonomy, commensurate with accountability for performance on well defined parameters and metrics perceived by stake - holders: the university members, institutions affiliated, students, employers, state govt. and the academic regulators at the national level. It addresses on the issue of recent trends in bifurcating/trifurcating technical universities in the states and cautions about the dysfunctional aspects of such a strategy and proposes all alternative to take care of efficient handling of increased numbers.

Accreditation system for technical education programmes in India: A critical review

This paper gives an overview of the Indian technical education system with regard to both its quantitative and qualitative scenario and upholds the value of accreditation in quality improvement and quality assurance of educational programmes. The paper presents a comparison of accreditation systems being followed in some important countries, including India, that are signatories or provisional members of Washington Accord. It also looks into the reasons of the sparse level of accreditation work completed by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) since its inception. While mentioning strengths of the NBA accreditation system, the paper points out some shortcomings in the policy, self-assessment questionnaire, criteria, weightage assigned to criteria and rating scheme followed by NBA. Some important recommendations have also been made to render the accreditation system more effective and acceptable to various stakeholders of the technical education sector in India.

Bringing Cinderella to the ball: constructing a federal system of technical and further education in Australia, 1971–1975

Australian vocational education has a history dating from the late eighteenth century. As Australian colonies and, later, federated states evolved each constructed its own version of vocational education provision. Generally the systems, consisting of community‐based or state‐controlled colleges for the training of operatives, apprenticeships and professional support personnel, were poorly resourced and lacked powerful sponsors to support and promote the education and training of their mostly working‐class students. By the early 1970s Australian governments had developed commissions to supplement the funding of state‐based elementary, secondary and university education systems, even though under the Australian Constitution education remained state‐controlled matter. A reformist federal Labor government at the time consolidated elementary, secondary and university funding but neglected to consider, or even acknowledge, the 400,000 vocational education students not covered by these commissions. Following pressure from vocational education teacher unions, among others, the Labor government established the Australian Committee for Technical and Further Education (ACOTAFE) to address the needs of these students. At ACOTAFE’s first meeting on 25 March 1973, the Minister for Education Kim E. Beazley said, ‘It will be a renaissance in education when technical and further education cease to be Cinderellas in education. It is the role of your committee to bring Cinderella to her rightful role as princess’. ACOTAFE was to be chaired by Myer Kangan from the Department of Labour and National Service. The committee’s published outcomes were referred to evermore as the iconic ‘Kangan Report’ rather than TAFE in Australia: Report on Needs in Technical and Further Education, its formal title. The report gave Australian vocational education a name (TAFE), a philosophy (access to all through lifelong learning) and much needed capital works and infrastructure funding. The paper will outline the circumstances leading to the formation of the committee, its work and its outcomes. Focus will be placed on the influential role of Chairman Kangan in shaping ACOTAFE’s conclusions. A key theme within the paper is the intersection of biography, politics and the economy in shaping policy construction.

An Assessment of the "Diploma in Computer Engineering" Course in the Technical Education System in Nepal

The purpose of this study was to asses the Diploma in Computer Engineering (DCE) courses offered at affiliated schools of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) with a focus on the goals of the curriculum and employment opportunities. Document analysis, questionnaires, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the data. This study analyzed and described current issues and future policy strategies associated with employment opportunities of graduates. The study indicates that there is potentiality for job opportunities in foreign and domestic markets, especially for DCE graduates. The study also reveals that a remarkable number of graduates are self employed. Based on the findings of the study, the government of Nepal can play a vital role through the CTEVT to improve the employability of DCE graduates by the monitoring and supervision of institutions, fulfillment of standards requirements of programs, curriculum amendment, and marketing DCE programs. Kul Bahadur Basnet is a Ph. D. student in the Department of Technology Education at Korea National University of Education. He can be reached at kul_bahadur_basnet@hotmail.com. Jinsoo Kim is a Professor in the Department of Technology Education at Korea National University of Education. He can be reached at jskim@knue.ac.kr. 66 JOURNAL OF STEM TEACHER EDUCATION

Improving Teaching and Learning Effectiveness in Engineering Education

This paper presents the results from a study undertaken to improve the teaching and learning effectiveness in engineering education courses, specifically for Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) system in Bahrain. A teaching and learning assessment tool was developed for participants (existing TVE teachers in electrical and electronic engineering and a pilot group of TVE students). The purpose was to examine the existing approaches of teaching and learning practised in TVE educational environment as well as learning styles preferred by TVE students. The results confirmed that TVE teachers applied limited methods of teaching and learning. However, TVE students had widely varying learning preferences, as they are more motivated by using the experiential learning approach. The experiential learning model allowed students to make their own learning choices and relate what they were learning to the real-work applications (using diagrams, hyperlinked text, video, pictures, interactive examples, virtual reality simulations, and animations). Based on the drawn conclusions, a teaching and learning guideline for engineering education was originated specifically for the needs of the TVE system in Bahrain. The guideline is a potential tool for structuring and improving engineering learning courses in TVE. The guideline will also help in meeting modern industrial requirements by equipping students with better skills, abilities and attitude.

Strengthening human capital for knowledge economy needs: an Indian perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the initiatives being taken in India in recent years to revitalize the national education and skill development systems from the perspectives of a knowledge economy. These initiatives include strengthening of the higher and technical education system of the country and bringing about a paradigm shift in the national skill development system through the plans of action contained in the on‐going Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007‐2012). The new policy frameworks for education and skill development developed by respective Government Ministries are also to be examined from the point of view of their efficacy in moving India up the ladder of knowledge economy.Design/methodology/approachThe critical review is based on an assessment of India's current status on well‐known Knowledge Economy Indices, providing a conceptual understanding of the requirements from the country's education and skill development systems, and the emerging needs for making measurable progress on issues related to education and skill development. The approach is literature‐survey based.FindingsThe paper, while underscoring the emphasis given by the Government in bringing about major changes through mission‐mode activities in both education and skill development systems, highlights possible gaps and mismatches in various initiatives taken up by different agencies, resulting in continuing issues and challenges in India's path towards moving up the ladder of knowledge economy.Originality/valueThe paper gives a fresh look at several initiatives which have been continually taken up by the Government in the past, from the prism of a knowledge economy.

Web Development Techniques and Remote Laboratories

In the actual context of the world economic and financial crisis, any source that causes economy is welcomed. In the technical educational system such a source is represented by the implementation of remote labs. These allow, among other things, the sharing of modern technology between several centers and also the saving of power by using an adequate energetic management. This paper presents a solution for implementing remote labs by using web technologies that are platform independent from the client point of view. Such a lab implementation exemplification is materialized by remote controlling the NI-ELVIS platform.

Vocational and technical education in Eu nations and Turkey

In this study, similarities and differences between European Union members and Turkey in their vocational education systems and structures are identified and within this context, the studies in EU and Turkey are evaluated. Qualitative analysis methodology was used to examine some of the components of education and vocational education systems of Turkey and European Union Nations like Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, France and Spain, and those studies done or being done on vocational education in European Union and Turkey. The data were obtained by qualitative document search. Research data underwent content and descriptive analysis. Study results reveal the necessity to restructure the vocational and technical education system in Turkey with a holistic approach.

A New Paradigm of Value added Approach to Self Financing Engineering Institutions

The central purpose of establishment of educational system. world over, is pursuit of teaching and learning to define and refine the behaviour of human society through students. A high quality of technical education is becoming increasingly important in India and abroad due to globalization and worldwide demand for quality engineers. This calls for revitalizing the existing system of technical education by adoption of method like thinking concept for optimum utilization of existing resources. Lean thinking concept considered a successful business strategy. employs minimization of process variability and non value added activities (waste) using Value Stream Mapping (VSM) as a strong lean tool kit . The objective of this paper is to present a future value stream mapping for achieving quality enhancement in engineering institution by eliminating non value added activities through the adoption of six-sigma strategy. resulting in a progressive quality.

Service quality evaluation of technical institutions using data envelopment analysis

In the present emerging global economy, the focus has been shifted from manufacturing to service sector necessitating the quality assessment in service sector as an important issue. Education sector, especially Technical Education System (TES), is characterised as highly process oriented, intangibility and multistakeholder situations. Therefore, difficulty arises in evaluating quality of education being imparted aggregating the inputs and outputs of the system. This paper proposes an alternative method viz. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) which can aggregate the input and output components in such situations for obtaining an overall performance measure. Selected technical institutions in India are assessed for their service quality using DEA and suggestion is put forward for the non-performing institutions. The result shows significant difference between the conventional system of evaluation and DEA methods.