Work-Ready Electronics: An Industry-Supported System for Synchronizing Curriculum to the Rapidly Changing Workplace

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Work-Ready Electronics addresses the challenge of keeping the curriculum used in two-year electronics programs current with the rapidly changing nature of the industry. The project established a permanent industry and education working group the Emerging Electronics Curriculum Task Force (EECTF) to monitor and advise the project on industry advances in electronics. Under the guidance of that task force, the project is develops, pilot testing, and disseminating the first 25 modules in a new electronic library of classroom-ready materials for teaching updated electronics technology. The modules take a hybrid Web-and CD-ROM-delivered format developed by MATEC under a previous NSF grant. The intended users of the modules are ultimately faculty who teach in approximately 1,000 two-year degree programs. During the 36 months of the project, MATEC is establishing the EECTF, developing 25 modules, field testing the modules with at least 100 students in three locations, and achieving adoption of the modules by faculty in 30% of targeted programs. Beyond the grant period the EECTF will continue to assist MATEC in a continuous updating of the modules. The modules are an instructional resource that faculty can integrate with any commercially available textbook. The principal intellectual merit of Work-Ready Electronics is that the project addresses a fundamental challenge facing technician education. That is it attempts to close gaps that exist between electronics teaching materials and workplace requirements. MATEC made a preliminary identification of those gaps by 1) conducting a literature review of the textbooks assigned in 90% of two-year electronics programs and 2) surveying 10 major electronics companies and manufacturers. Project leaders have relevant experience in both the electronics industry and education. MATEC is the NSF's National Center of Excellence for Education in Semiconductor Manufacturing. Industry partners are the American Electronics Association, the Technician Performance Improvement Council of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), and 10 companies. The project attains a number of broader impacts through the following: 1) Industry's willingness to partner in the project, which suggests that Work-Ready Electronics addresses industry's need for technicians whose preparation is better targeted to the workplace; 2) The modernizing of electronics curriculum at any 2-year college by continuously providing modules of industry electronic updates; and 3) The pedagogical preparation of STEM faculty and high school teachers through regional workshops. The project results will be widely disseminated through the academic and industry networks of the partners.