Increasing Accessibility to Advanced Manufacturing Programs Using Competency-Based Education

阿肯色州西北部的区域工业对技术人员的需求不断增长，这些技术人员必须具备实施和维护先进制造技术的必要技术技能。传统的校园技术人员课程可能会给那些由于农村环境、工作或家庭责任而有时间限制的潜在学生带来障碍。需要制定新的培训战略，为需要在日程安排上有更大灵活性的学生和需要提高技能的在职工人增加接受技术教育项目的机会。该项目将对电子和控制领域的一系列核心课程实施以能力为基础的教育，使学生能够按照自己的进度完成证书课程。教学材料、能力评估和模拟工具将在线提供给学生，以满足更大的可访问性和灵活性的需求。基于能力的评估将提供有意义的反馈，让学生练习，完善他们的技术，提高他们的表现，直到他们达到课程中某个模块的必要能力。仿真工具将帮助学生了解如何在不需要物理实验室空间的情况下使用技术。这个项目的成果将提供给其他社区大学的技术教育项目。该项目的总体目标是增加熟练技术人员的数量，以满足区域制造商的需求。四个目标将指导这个项目的执行。首先，通过实施基于能力的模块化混合课程模块，增加课程的可访问性，并改善与雇主需求的一致性。第二是扩大现有的基础业务和行业领导团队的作用，以指导模块的开发。三是为教师提供专业发展，以开发和实施课程中的模块。第四，也是最后一点，是为证书项目招收和留住学生，重点是扩大参与范围。该项目将使用逆向设计流程为电子技术项目中的每个技术课程开发基于能力的模块化混合内容。混合交付选项包括在线、校内或校外、模拟（包括虚拟现实）和物理模拟。远程交付和开放工业实验室将在方便行业合作伙伴和员工的时间内提供。实践技能评估将在校园或工业现场的开放式工业实验室环境中进行。基于能力的模块对学生入学、参与和保留的影响将通过机构数据和学生调查进行评估。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Regional industry in northwestern Arkansas has a growing demand for technicians who have the necessary technical skills to implement and maintain advanced manufacturing technologies. Traditional on campus technician programs can create barriers for potential students who have time constraints due to commuting in a rural environment, jobs, or family obligations. New training strategies are needed to increase accessibility to technical education programs for students who need greater flexibility in their schedules and current workers who need upskilling. This project will implement competency-based education for a core set of courses in electronics and controls that will allow students to complete a certificate program at their own pace. Instructional materials, competency assessments, and simulation tools will be available for students online to address the need for greater accessibility and flexibility. Competency-based assessments will provide meaningful feedback allowing students to practice, refine their techniques, and improve their performance until they achieve the necessary competency for a module in a course. Simulation tools will help students understand how to work with technologies without requiring a physical lab space. The results of this project will be made available to technical education programs at other community colleges.The overall goal of this project is to increase the number of skilled technicians to address the need of regional manufacturers. Four objectives will guide the execution of this project. First is to increase program accessibility and improve alignment with employer needs by implementing competency-based modularized hybrid course modules. Second is to expand the role of the current foundational Business and Industry Leadership Team to guide the development of the modules. Third is to provide professional development for faculty to develop and implement modules in their courses. Fourth, and finally, is to recruit and retain students for the certificate program with an emphasis on broadening participation. The project will use the Backward Design Process to develop competency-based modularized hybrid content for each technical course in the Electronics Technology program. Hybrid delivery options include online, on or off campus, simulations including virtual reality, and physical simulations. Remote delivery and open industrial labs will be available during times that are convenient for industry partners and employees. Hands-on skills assessment will be conducted in an open industrial lab environment on campus or at industry sites. The impact of the competency-based modules on student enrollment, engagement and retention will be assessed using institutional data and student surveys. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.