Expansion of the Woodworking Technicians Distance Education Partnership

作为1998年关键需求分析的结果，马萨诸塞州加德纳的沃切塞特山社区学院的教职员工申请并获得了国家科学基金会的赠款(ATE奖，9850317号)。在这个项目下，教员开发了一个针对木工技术人员的教育计划，采用了教育视频、课堂和工厂内指导的独特组合，利用了“工匠军团”。最新的努力建立在这项工作的基础上，以进一步开发和实施向行业专业人员或现有木工培训计划中的学生提供远程学习课程的国家模式。通过这个项目，学生可以获得木材技术员证书，该证书适用于木制品技术的副学士学位。MWCC正在完成对木工技术员的完整副学士学位课程的开发，并将在阿肯色州以远程学习的方式与正在进行的WinRock国际学徒计划相结合。一旦他们的完整计划在阿肯色州开始，在项目期间将至少扩展到其他一个州。其目的是最终将阿肯色州的项目用作全国模式。课程是通过远程学习和课堂教学的独特组合提供的。“工匠军团”由退休和非退休人员组成，是作为NSF最初项目的一部分而建立的。这些手艺人还协助该项目的一些实践教育指导。为阿肯色州学徒教育开发的课程材料也被用于华盛顿特区目前正在进行的一个项目。MWCC的教职员工正在华盛顿特区工作，在他们之前的NSF拨款的部分支持下，培训不同群体的市中心青年从事木工工作。这些青年不断参与该项目，增加了他们的学习机会。他们计划的另一个独特组成部分是包括一本行业贸易杂志。与《木材文摘》杂志合作，在国家一级管理非学分和学分课程单元(完整课程的一部分)。他们项目的一个主要优势是几个公共和私人组织的参与。

As a result of a 1998 critical needs analysis, the faculty of Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), Gardner, Massachusetts, applied for and received a grant from the National Science Foundation (ATE Award No. 9850317). Under this project faculty developed an educational program for woodworking technicians, employing a unique combination of educational videos, classroom and in-plant instruction utilizing a "Corps of Craftsman." The latest efforts build on this work to further develop and implement a national model offering distance-learning courses to industry professionals or students in existing woodworking training programs. Through this program, students earn a wood technician certificate which is applied towards an associate degree in wood products technology. MWCC is completing the development of and is offering the full associate degree program for woodworking technicians on a distance-learning basis in conjunction with an ongoing Winrock International apprenticeship program in Arkansas. Once their full program is underway in Arkansas, it will be expanded to at least one other state during the project period. The intent is to eventually use the Arkansas program as a national model. Courses are being offered through a unique combination of distance-learning and classroom instruction. The "Corps of Craftsmen," consisting of both retired and non-retired personnel, was established as part of the initial NSF project. These craftpersons also assist in some of the hands-on educational instruction of the program. The course materials developed for the education of apprentices in Arkansas are also being used for a project currently underway in Washington, D.C. MWCC faculty are working in Washington, D.C. to train a diverse group of inner-city youths in woodworking, with partial support from their previous NSF grant. Ongoing participation of these youths in the project enhances their opportunities for learning. Another unique component of their program involves the inclusion of an industry trade magazine. Non-credit and for-credit course modules (portions of full courses) are being administered in cooperation with Wood Digest magazine on a national level. A major strength of their project is the involvement of several public and private organizations.