Ac 2007-2912: Going Global: Implementation of a College-Wide Initiative to Prepare Engineering and Technology Students for the 21ST Century (original) (raw)
Related papers
Global Competencies for Engineering Program Graduates from an Industry Perspective
The international journal of learning, 2021
Twenty-first century education in engineering has expanded from a local to a global level. Nowadays, it plays a significant role in connecting students with the global community and raising awareness of global issues. In particular, global collaborative environments in the corporate world require engineers with global professional competencies and skills. The need to identify and assess these competencies and skills has been the focus of industry leaders in recent years. It is crucial that engineering graduates’ competencies and skills match the features and qualities required by the industry. The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of global competencies and skills required from engineering graduates wishing to work globally from the perspective of well-known Thai and multinational companies based in Thailand. It is anticipated that the findings of this research work will be useful to engineering students, faculties, and management teams of institutes in developing a ...
2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings, 2015
Efforts to scale curricular and co-curricular experiences designed to foster globally competent engineers sit at an important crossroads. Education for global competency, along with the development of other "professional" or "soft" skills, is an important part of the formation of 21 st century engineers. There is broad agreement that, "US engineers [of 2020] will face totally different problems from the ones we face today" and "will have to be open to different religions, different ways of thinking, and different social values." 1 However, consensus does not exist regarding how to cultivate globally competent engineers in a cost-and time-effective manner, nor the minimum level of global competence necessary prior to graduation. Universities have the opportunity to make curricular and co-curricular decisions guided by the knowledge and experiences of current global professionals. This paper identifies lessons learned from 16 hour-long interviews of senior-level engineering and business development professionals at a large, Multinational Defense Company (MDC) who were currently working in or had previously completed assignments that included extensive international components. Interview transcripts were analyzed via a modified grounded theory approach. 2, 3 Interviewees were asked (1) to describe their experiences, including how they prepared, their motivations for participating, and what challenges they faced before, during, and afterward; (2) to identify any cultural differences they observed or experienced, including those related to communication, decision-making, project management, problem solving, and style of engineering; and (3) to make recommendations for individuals beginning international assignments and for educational and corporate institutions. Lessons identified include: 1. Try Not to Behave like an 'Ugly American' 2. Understand the Differences Between the US and the Other Country 3. Focus on Communication 4. Build Relationships, Build Trust 5. Implement A Learn-By-Doing Model of Education for International Work 6. Commit to Ongoing Cycles of Continuing Education and Reflection The paper concludes with identification of curricular and co-curricular pathways for responding to these lessons at individual and institutional levels via on-and off-campus activities, as well as exploration of how challenges to implementation may be overcome. developing the "professional" or "soft" or "essential" skills of students, including what the ABET EC-2000 criteria describe as "the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context." 9 As Linda Katehi suggested in her written remarks to the Engineer of 2020 Summit on Engineering Education in 2004, there is broad agreement that, "US engineers will face totally different problems from the ones we face today" (p. 152). 10 As Katehi continues, it should now be expected that, "US engineers will be based abroad, will have to travel (physically or virtually) around the world to meet customers, and will have to converse proficiently in more than one language. US engineers will represent a minority culture and, thus, will have to be open to different religions, different ways of thinking, and different social values" (p. 152). Multiple models exist for developing what Downey, et al (2006) describe as "global competency'" for engineers: the "knowledge, ability, and predisposition to work effectively with people who define problems differently than they do" (p. 4). 11 At US universities, mechanisms for producing global competency range from single in-class experiences at home universities to full-immersion work or educational experiences in countries outside the United States. Curricular interventions/supplements include minors such as the
Global Engineering Attributes and Attainment Pathways: A Study of Student Perceptions
American Society for …, 2010
Many engineering schools are proactively responding to the challenges of globalization, including by enhancing their international profiles and developing global educational programs and initiatives. Some schools are placing particular emphasis on preparing engineers for practice in dynamic, global workplaces. Yet what abilities and qualities define the globally competent engineer, and to what types of experiences help support attainment of such attributes? This paper reports on the results of a mixed-methods survey of undergraduate and graduate students at Purdue University (n=231) that was designed to elicit: a) perceptions of desirable qualities and abilities for global engineers, b) self-evaluation of abilities in each of the identified areas, and c) awareness of possible pathways for enhancing one’s own competence in each of the identified areas. The survey instrument is unique in that it presents students with a realistic global engineering scenario, and then prompts them to identify some of the specific abilities and qualities they think would be most essential for completing the described assignment. The list of 15 attributes presented to respondents is specifically focused on the professional and global dimensions of engineering practice, and is based on relevant attributes from Purdue University’s Engineer of 2020 initiative. In addition to presenting aggregate results from the survey, we use demographic data to discuss some similarities and differences across different sub-populations. We conclude with a discussion of ongoing and future work, including similar surveys planned for faculty and industry populations.
1998 Annual Conference Proceedings
Engineering curricula in the next millennium will be guided by outcome assessments. ABET Engineering criteria 2000 establishes 11 proficiencies. Which attributes are more important? This study focuses on determining the critical attributes from supervisors of Stevens Institute of Technology engineering graduates in the last 3 years (1994, 1995, and 1996) in order to better determine the industry skill set required of recent alumni. The most important attributes, in order of priority, were problem solving, ability to design and conduct experiments, recognition of the need to engage in lifelong learning, understanding of professional and ethical responsibility and an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams. Of less importance were depth and breath of engineering science indicating that the new curriculums will need to emphasize the "softer skills." Recent graduates attribute prioritization were nearly identical to their supervisors which further reinforces the relative importance of the attributes previously indicated. I. Introduction The new ABET criteria uses outcome assessment and indicates that graduates from engineering programs should demonstrate proficiencies in 11 critical areas 1. While there is general agreement that these are the critical attributes necessary for engineering graduates there is no consensus as to which of the attributes are more important and should be stressed in an undergraduate program. The most important proficiencies need to be prioritized so that human and financial resources, new and revised curriculum may be structured to focus on the most important areas. An assessment done at Arizona State University 2 found that the top five attributes, in terms of relative importance, by 17 industry representatives were problem solving, communication skills, ethics and professionalism, open mindiness and positive attitude, and math and science proficiency. Industry representatives were from companies that employ new engineering graduates. Their function within their company was not discussed. A similar assessment done at Auburn University 3 found that the top five attributes, in terms of relative importance, by 298 industry representatives were the ability to learn on one's own, technical knowledge in a major engineering discipline, written communication skills, oral communication skills and experience with software to solve practical problems. Industry representatives were chosen from companies which place position announcements at Auburn or participate in the engineering cooperative education program. Thirty-six percent of the respondents were from human resource functions.
2005 Annual Conference Proceedings
This is the fourth of four papers prepared for a special panel session of the National Collaborative Task Force on Engineering Graduate Education Reform focusing on new educational approaches and processes that better meet the development needs of the U.S. engineering workforce in industry to enhance global competitiveness. Further graduate development of the U.S. engineering workforce in industry is critical to the continuous improvement, invention, development, and innovation of new technology which is the engine for U.S. economic prosperity and competitiveness. This paper focuses on a unique model for workforce development that represents a significant advancement in professional graduate education extending through the professional masters, professional doctorate and fellow levels of engineering practice. This advancement in professional graduate education forms a new partnership for universityindustry engagement for U.S. engineering workforce development that completes a missing piece of the process to better enable U.S. technological innovation which is long overdue. The impact of project-based learning on industrial innovation is evidenced. This model is designed specifically to support the on-site engineering process for continuous improvement and innovation in industry. It purposefully integrates postgraduate professional education for industry's employed engineers with on-site technology development projects that are chosen to be directly relevant to industry's continuous innovation needs and high-end engineering projects. The returns for enhanced corporate advantage generated through this unique model are measured as a matrix of increasing complexity of economic worth of on-site projects and of increasing human proficiency gained for leadership of technological innovation. The Importance of Developing a World-Class Engineering Workforce: Educating Creative Professionals for Innovation and Leadership in Industry The United States of America must remain preeminent in creating new innovative technologies through engineering to enhance its economic prosperity, quality of life, and national security. Our technical capability is the engine that drives our national economy and provides for our national security. Professional development of the US engineering workforce is the critical to our very way of life. The vast majority of engineering innovations are needs-driven and market-focused (requiring
Future Global Visions of Engineering Education
Procedia Engineering, 2011
This article presents the future global visions of engineering education. Due to the socio-technological challenges, engineering education must anticipate and adapt to dramatic changes in terms of engineering practice and instruction. In the future, the roles of engineers must change along with the following aspects: the globalization of industry and engineering practice, the shift of engineering employment from large companies to small and mediumsized companies, the growing emphasis on entrepreneurialism, the growing share of engineering employment in nontraditional, less-technical engineering work, the shift to a knowledge-based "services" economy, and increasing opportunity for using technology in the education and work of the engineering. This study found that successful attributes for the engineering education graduates in 2020 must be at strong level. They are as follows: lifelong learners, ability to frame problems, putting them in a socio-technical and operational context, dynamic/agile/resilient/flexible, high ethical standards and a strong sense of professionalism, good communication skills with multiple stakeholders, possess strong analytical skills, exhibit practical ingenuity; posses creativity, and business and management skills; leadership abilities. Moreover, the study found that the problems which engineering education graduates in 2020 encounter and have strong ability to solve. They are as follows: maintaining technical currency & life long learning, environmental and energy related problems, managing globalization, problems related to population growth, ultra-nanoscale, miniaturization, and bioengineering and medical problems.
COMPETENCIES FOR INNOVATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
ABSTRACT This is the first paper in a four-part series focused on a competency-based approach for personalized education in a group setting. In this paper, we focus on identifying the competencies and meta-competencies required for the 21st century engineers. These competencies are the ability to be able perform a specific task, action or function successfully.