Competency-Based Education for Automation Technologies to Improve Student Success

制造业是爱荷华州东南部最大的技术工人需求行业，也是该地区最高收入工作的来源。需要熟练的技术人员，他们能够成功地对机械和设备进行故障排除、维修和维护，这些机械和设备为制造设施中运行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师学位课程目前保留率和毕业率较低，部分原因是学生在进入该课程时技术技能参差不齐。行业利益相关者希望看到学生更早完成该计划，获得证书的机会，并以一种他们可以展示其掌握技能能力的方式。基于能力的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并展示一套特定技能的能力。基于能力的课程将允许学生通过结构化的能力以自己的速度异步工作，使他们在进入下一项能力之前掌握每一项能力。该项目将把目前学位课程中的课程转变为以能力为基础的教育模式，以提高学生的保留率和持续率。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)创建灵活的学习实验室，以增加学生获得实践学习体验的机会；3)增加双重招生课程的高中生人数；4)扩大行业参与，以促进学生的职业道路。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，其中将包括与行业公认的证书和课程水平的能力保持一致，以及开发技能评估和硕士课程外壳。高中生将有机会参加双重招生课程，这将减少毕业时间，并提高学生对就业机会的认识。教师学院和工业外部实习将为高中教师提供机会，让他们了解制造业内涉及自动化技术的职业。将使用混合方法收集和分析数据，以评估该项目对学生入学、留住和持久性的影响。项目成果将通过项目网站、年度报告、会议报告和专业出版物向技术员教育界传播。该项目将建立在以下相关知识的基础上：创新的课程交付方法；K-14职业道路，以增加学生的入学率、保留率和毕业率；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。

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.