Competency-Based Education for Automation Technologies to Improve Student Success

基于能力的自动化技术教育以提高学生的成功

• 批准号: 2300914
• 负责人: Paul Volkl
• 金额: $ 64.95万
• 依托单位: Southeastern Community College Burlington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2300914&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Competency; Based; Education; Automation; Technologies

Manufacturing is the largest in-demand industry sector for skilled workers in southeast Iowa and is also the source of the most high-paying jobs in the region. Skilled technicians are needed who can successfully troubleshoot, repair, and maintain the machinery and equipment that powers the various manufacturing processes in operation at manufacturing facilities. The existing Industrial Controls, Automation, and Robotics Technology technician degree program currently has low retention and graduation rates, some of which is due to the variability of students’ technical skills on entry to the program. Industry stakeholders would like to see students completing the program sooner, with credential-earning opportunities, and in a manner where they can demonstrate their mastery of skill competencies. Competency-Based Education has shown promise in providing a learning environment in which students with different learning abilities can learn and demonstrate competency for a set of specific skills. A competency-based curriculum will allow students to work at their own pace asynchronously through structured competencies allowing them to master each competency prior to moving to the next one. This project will transform courses in the current degree program into a Competency-Based Education model to improve the retention and persistence rates of students. Recruiting activities will focus on increasing the number of students from disadvantaged socio-economic groups in the program.The goals of this project are to: 1) increase the number of graduates for a degree program in automation technologies; 2) create a flexible learning lab to increase student accessibility to hands-on learning experiences; 3) increase the number of high school students in dual enrollment courses; and 4) expand industry involvement to promote career paths for students. To achieve these goals, this project will redesign the courses in the current degree program using a Competency-Based Education modality which will include alignment to industry-recognized credentials and course-level competencies and the development of skills assessments and master course shells. High school students will have the opportunity to take dual enrollment courses that will decrease the time to graduation and increase student awareness of career opportunities. A Teacher Academy and externships in industry will provide high school teachers with the opportunity to learn about careers within the manufacturing sector involving automation technologies. A mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis will be used to assess the impact of the project on student enrollment, retention, and persistence. Project results will be disseminated to the technician education community through a project website, an annual report, conference presentations, and professional publications. This project will build upon the body of knowledge related to: innovative course delivery approaches; K-14 career pathways to increase student enrollment, retention, and completion; flexible learning labs to meet student needs; and expanded industry involvement to promote career paths for students. 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.

制造业是爱荷华州东南部最需要技术工人的行业，也是该地区最高薪工作的来源。需要熟练的技术人员，他们可以成功地排除故障，维修和维护机械和设备，这些机械和设备为制造设施中的各种制造过程提供动力。现有的工业控制，自动化和机器人技术技术学位课程目前的保留率和毕业率较低，其中一些是由于学生进入该课程时的技术技能的可变性。行业利益相关者希望看到学生更快地完成该计划，获得证书的机会，并在那里他们可以证明自己掌握的技能能力的方式。能力本位教育在提供一个学习环境方面显示出了希望，在这个环境中，具有不同学习能力的学生可以学习和展示一系列特定技能的能力。以能力为基础的课程将允许学生通过结构化的能力以自己的节奏异步工作，使他们能够在进入下一个能力之前掌握每一个能力。该项目将把目前学位课程中的课程转变为基于能力的教育模式，以提高学生的保留率和持续率。招聘活动将侧重于增加该计划中来自弱势社会经济群体的学生人数。该项目的目标是：1）增加自动化技术学位课程的毕业生人数; 2）创建一个灵活的学习实验室，以增加学生获得实践学习经验的机会; 3）增加双招生课程的高中生人数; 4）增加自动化技术学位课程的毕业生人数。（4）扩大行业参与，促进学生的职业发展。为了实现这些目标，该项目将使用基于能力的教育模式重新设计当前学位课程中的课程，其中包括与行业认可的证书和课程水平能力以及技能评估和硕士课程外壳的开发保持一致。高中生将有机会参加双招生课程，这将减少毕业时间，提高学生对就业机会的认识。教师学院和工业实习将为高中教师提供机会，了解涉及自动化技术的制造业领域的职业。一个混合的方法来收集和分析数据的方法将被用来评估该项目对学生入学，保留和持久性的影响。项目结果将通过项目网站、年度报告、会议报告和专业出版物向技术人员教育界传播。该项目将建立在与以下方面相关的知识体系之上：创新的课程交付方法; K-14职业途径，以增加学生入学率，保留率和完成率;灵活的学习实验室，以满足学生的需求;以及扩大行业参与，以促进学生的职业道路。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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。