Renewable Energy Technician Education: The Impact of International Faculty Collaboration
Renewable Energy Technician Education: The Impact of International Faculty Collaboration
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可再生能源技术人员教育：国际教师合作的影响
DOI：
10.18260/p.26073
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发表时间：
2016
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
K. Alfano
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
M. Slowinski;Kenneth A. Walz;K. Alfano
为可再生能源行业培养技术人员对教育工作者来说是一个多方面的挑战，尤其是那些在美国两年制大学负责劳动力准备的教育工作者。快速的技术进步，不断变化的经济政策，环境研究成果，甚至意识形态的争论都积极地塑造和影响着对该部门劳动力的需求和期望，所有这些都影响着技术人员培训计划的发展和实施。对行业参与和基于工作场所的学习的需求也对任何学科的教育工作者提出了挑战。问题不仅在于我们教学生做什么，还在于我们如何有效地做到这一点。此外，提高美国大学毕业生国际竞争力的呼声和可再生能源产业的全球性质要求探索如何将全球视角纳入STEM课程，以及如何最好地培养教师以对现有教学实践进行这些改变。为了了解其他国家如何遇到类似的挑战，并扩大对全球可再生能源部门的认识，来自美国各地的一群有成就的可再生能源教育工作者，代表了不同学科、机构角色和经验水平的组合，在澳大利亚/新西兰（2013年）和德国/丹麦（2014年）进行了两次学习交流。在美国国家科学基金会先进技术教育计划的资助下，学习交流为参与者提供了与技术教育工作者会面，参观教学实验室，回顾行业合作伙伴关系，与政策制定者和政府代表交谈以及分享知识和最佳教学实践的机会。参与者在项目期间完成的形成性评估表明，这些交流扩大了他们对美国和国外可再生能源进展、技术和问题的了解，也影响了他们的教学、课程开发和学术社区参与。本研究、论文和随后的小组讨论的研究目标是总结这些国际经验的持久影响。利用调查方法收集数据，以衡量经验的延伸影响，并描述参与者对各种学习活动的感知价值。对国际经验中最有价值方面的教育家排名，为其他寻求在STEM学科中创建类似国际教师发展项目的人提供了重要的见解。
Preparing technicians for the renewable energy sector is a multifaceted challenge for educators, especially those charged with workforce preparation at the nation’s two-year colleges. Rapid technological advances, shifting economic policies, environmental research results, and even ideological debates actively shape and influence the demands and expectations for this sector’s workforce, all of which impacts the development and implementation of technician training programs. The need for industry involvement and workplace-based learning also presents challenges for educators of any discipline. The question becomes not only what do we teach students to do, but also how do we effectively do so? In addition, calls for increased international competency in U.S. college graduates and the global nature of the renewable energy industry requires an exploration of how to incorporate a global perspective in STEM curricula, and how best to develop faculty to make these changes to existing teaching practices. To understand how other nations have met similar challenges and to expand awareness of the global renewable energy sector, a cohort of accomplished renewable energy educators from across the United States, representing a mix of disciplines, institutional roles and experience levels, undertook two learning exchanges to Australia/New Zealand (2013) and Germany/Denmark (2014). Funded by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program, the learning exchanges provided opportunities for the participants to meet with technical educators, visit teaching labs, review industry partnerships, talk with policy makers and government representatives, and to share knowledge and best teaching practices. Formative assessments completed by the participants during the projects’ duration indicated that these exchanges expanded their knowledge of renewable energy advances, technologies and issues both in the U.S. and abroad, and also influenced their teaching, curriculum development, and academic community engagement. The research objectives for this study, paper, and subsequent panel discussion, are to present a summation of the lasting influence of these international experiences. Data was collected utilizing survey methodology to measure the extended impact of the experience and also to describe participants’ perceived value of various learning activities. Educator rankings of the most valuable aspects of the international experiences provide important insights for others who are seeking to create similar international faculty development programs in the STEM disciplines.