Increasing Accessibility to Advanced Manufacturing Programs Using Competency-Based Education

阿肯色州西北部的地区工业对拥有实施和维护先进制造技术所需技术技能的技术人员的需求越来越大。传统的校园技术人员计划可能会为潜在学生制造障碍，这些学生由于通勤在农村环境、工作或家庭义务而受到时间限制。需要新的培训战略，为需要更大灵活性的学生和需要提高技能的现有工人增加技术教育计划的可及性。该项目将对电子和控制方面的一套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速度完成证书课程。教学材料、能力评估和模拟工具将在线提供给学生，以满足对更好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，允许学生练习、改进他们的技术并提高他们的表现，直到他们达到课程中某个模块所需的能力。模拟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。该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，以满足地区制造商的需求。四个目标将指导这一项目的执行。首先是通过实施基于能力的模块化混合课程模块，增加课程的可及性，并改善与雇主需求的一致性。第二是扩大目前基础业务和行业领导团队的作用，以指导模块的开发。第三，为教师提供专业发展，以便在他们的课程中开发和实施模块。第四，也是最后一点，是招收和留住证书项目的学生，重点是扩大参与。该项目将使用反向设计流程，为电子技术计划中的每门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、包括虚拟现实在内的模拟和物理模拟。远程交付和开放式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。将使用机构数据和学生调查来评估基于能力的模块对学生入学、参与度和保留率的影响。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.