Retraining for Electrical Engineering Employees in Industry

The continuing education of engineers throughout General Electric has been studied to determine its effectiveness in combating technical obsolescence. Better guidance of updating programs is needed and is resulting from experience with a six-week refresher course for engineering managers and a new doctoral program. Personalized education programs are recommended which use many varieties of learning and which permit the continuous updating of large numbers of students.     

A listing of continuing education courses in electric powerengineering-1993

This report is based on an updated survey of continuing education courses/seminars in electric power engineering currently offered by universities and industry in the USA. It is meant to provide a convenient database for power engineers and other professionals wishing to enhance their skills through continuing education. For each organization that responded to the survey, the report contains listings of course title, duration, continuing education credit (if awarded) as well as a concise statement of the purpose of each course and for whom the course is intended     

A Proposed Continuing Education Program for the IEEE Nuclear Science Group

The subject of Continuing Professional Education has received much attention recently, largely because of the current crisis in engineering unemployment. IEEE local and national management, in response to IEEE member interest, is searching for methods of implementing meaningful continuing education programs in a variety of practical situations. This paper attempts to identify some of the basic problems of engineering obsolescence, and to visualize the role of continuing engineering education as a countermeasure. It is suggested that IEEE members and local chapters themselves have an important role to fill in continuing education. A particular proposal for a program for Nuclear Science is described.     

Continuing engineering education for employees at Hitachi Instituteof Technology

The concepts underlying education at the Hitachi Institute of Technology (HIT), the course structures, and the methods of curriculum development and evaluation are described. An example of a state-of-the-art Japanese corporation continuing engineering education is provided. HIT dedicates itself to the overall advancement of the company's engineering prowess by using the highest level of engineering education. It offers the integrated engineering development program (IED), and the specialized engineering development program (SED). The software engineering education project of the whole company is also described     

Experience and Knowledge: Let's Get Them Together

In providing continuing education opportunities for its engineering-oriented employees, industry today has five distinct options. These are: (a) Instructional television of campus course offerings into the plant, (b) Contract courses tailored to the company's specific requirements, (c) Engineering short courses of the summer variety, (d) In-plant offerings by company staff augmented by other professionals, (e) Traditional on-campus work through night school or released time. These options can be viewed from the standpoint of the popular value concept, "benefit: cost" ratio. Influencing factors are the role of credit, company expectations, employee expectations, direct and indirect costs to the company and to the individual, quality of course offerings, the atmosphere for continuing engineering education today and the nature of the company's involvement in technologically advanced work. Conclusions are given regarding the "best" solution for a given situation. Recommendations are made for enhancement of the continuing education responsibilities of participants.     

Continuing Education in the R & D Environment

Continuing education in the R & D environment is simply learning that is organized in ways which best support the practicing professional in keeping current. Managers are making available formal, organized education, when and as needed, as a preferred alternative to leaving their employees to fend for themselves. To work, a program of continuing education requires the active, shared commitment of manager and employee alike. Some comments on a large in-house program are included.     

The Role of Communication in Continuing Engineering Education

The application of communication devices based on technology to undergraduate engineering education is accelerating. A question may be raised to what extent such devices are being used and can be used in continuing engineering education. A federal interagency committee is looking at this question. Herein is a synopsis of data developed through the activity of the committee. This paper is a challenge to educators, employers, officials of engineering and scientific societies, and government, in their combined efforts to improve the availability and quality of continuing engineering education.     

Cooperation between Engineering Societies and Engineering Schools in Continuing Education Programs

Engineering societies such as the IEEE have long held a close concern for, and have had a formal impact on engineering education. Only recently, however, have societies taken a programming interest in continuing professional education. The continuing education interests of engineers generally are represented in the Continuing Engineering Studies Division of the American Society for Engineering Education. This organization is continuously seeking ways to offer better programs to more engineers, at locations and times convenient to the working engineer, and at reasonable cost. The inter-relationship of the engineering societies, educational associations and universities and colleges in continuing engineering education is discussed. An example of an integrally cooperative program, the "Professional Certificate Program," now under development at UCLA, is described in detail.     

Instructional Media for Continuing Education

The problem is to identify the existing and prospective components and systems of instructional media in order to match the needs of continuing education. A general statement of need relative to continuing studies in engineering education was expressed four years ago in the Journal of Engineering Education (58: 367-446, 1968). It was recommended that increased attention be paid to strengthening functional relationships between continuing education and the programs of engineering schools, industry, government and the engineering societies. The present paper attempts to describe in general terms the appropriateness of specific kinds of instructional media to the particular needs of engineering education, whether primary or continuing. For purposes of discussion "instructional media" is defined to mean all equipment and materials traditionally called "audiovisual materials" and all of the newer media such as television, overhead projectuals, programmed materials and any form of computer-assisted or computer-mediated instruction. Efficient and effective communication requires an appropriate match between medium and message. This necessarily means a sophisticated understanding of the educational needs, the nature of the information to be communicated and the functional capability of the various educational media.     

A Video Tape Graduate Power Engineering Program

This paper describes and evaluates an unusual continuing education program which is offered to practicing power engineers from the Engineering College at Iowa State University. This program provides credit courses from the central campus via video tape to seven different power utility companies as well as a consulting engineering firm in the state. The program permits the power engineer to take graduate courses and if interested to complete a graduate degree without returning to campus to satisfy residency requirements. This is made possible by a system of video taping of courses taught to on-campus students. The faculty is encouraged to teach via video tape with the full knowledge that providing this educational service remote from the central campus is of considerable importance to the Engineering College. This relatively new continuing education concept has grown significantly and has enjoyed considerable success. Over a six year period 38 different courses have been offered. Nine different college departments have been involved in this off-campus effort, although the largest interest of the power engineer has been in the areas of Electrical Engineering and Industrial Engineering course offerings. Historically the power industry has had little interest in university offered continuing education programming for their practicing engineers. Through this program, however, a dramatic change has taken place with regard to continuing education and the power industry in the last few years. This may be attributed to a number of factors.     

Free- and Open-Source Software for a Course on Network Management: Authoring and Enactment of Scripts Based on Collaborative Learning Strategies

This paper describes a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) case study in engineering education carried out within the context of a network management course. The case study shows that the use of two computing tools developed by the authors and based on free-and open-source software (FOSS) provide significant educational benefits over traditional engineering pedagogical approaches in terms of both concepts and engineering competencies acquisition. The Collage authoring tool guides and supports the course teacher in the process of authoring computer-interpretable representations (using the IMS learning design standard notation) of effective collaborative pedagogical designs. Besides, the Gridcole system supports the enactment of that design by guiding the students throughout the prescribed sequence of learning activities. The paper introduces the goals and context of the case study, elaborates on how Collage and Gridcole were employed, describes the applied evaluation methodology, and discusses the most significant findings derived from the case study.     

Effectiveness of computer-aided learning as a direct replacementfor lecturing in degree-level electronics

The application of computer-aided learning as a direct replacement for, as opposed to an adjunct to, lecturing is still in its infancy in higher education. This paper examines some of the reasons for its slow uptake and then describes a project to develop courseware for a large proportion of the electronic engineering syllabus within several UK higher education institutions. The first modules to be completed cover the area of computer engineering. The authors describe the philosophy and design of this courseware, and then report a series of tests in which the examination performance of students using it was compared with that of control groups taught in traditional lectures. The results clearly suggest that carefully designed courseware can lead to a large reduction in teaching time, with no significant difference in learning. They then describe the development of this courseware into what is believed to be the first degree-level electrical engineering course module to be replaced in its entirety by computer-based self-teaching. They discuss the impact of this development on the course structure, and show how the time gained has been used for additional practical work and tutorial support. Animated excerpts from this material are available by anonymous FTP     

A Special In-House Continuing Engineering Studies Program

Sandia Laboratories has always provided continuing education opportunities for its engineering and scientific staff. In the early 1970's a special in-hours program was initiated which differs markedly from most academically oriented courses. These differences are reflected in what is taught, how it is taught (use of innovations in instructional design), instructor responsibilities, and how course effectiveness is evaluated. The emphasis is on immediate job-applicability of the courses, and the evaluation process has verified on-the-job uses of the new technologies and concepts presented.     

A "Case-Study" Approach to Electrical Energy Engineering

A powerful method for learning basic engineering principles involves the study of a set of specially defined "cases." The method has attractive motivational aspects since it immediately involves the student in applications. This technique is well suited for energy ("power") engineering education; a list of suitable subjects is presented, and four of these are expanded as an example of a set of projects for a semester course.     

Developing Advanced Courses for Undergraduates: A Case Study in Databases

Computer science and engineering education is faced with the need to respond to rapid changes in a global economy while still fulfilling the role of teaching the fundamentals. This paper presents techniques for assessing the development of an advanced database concepts course for undergraduates that responds to an industry perspective of the technological advances in the field. Cooperative learning and hands-on assignments relating theory to practice are the pedagogical foundation for an advanced undergraduate course. An alumni survey illustrates that students perceived that the course activities and strategies enabled them to attain the course objectives.     

In search of a perfect power engineering program

Following a prolonged decline in enrollment and interest in power engineering, educators have formulated a variety of responses they believe will stem the tide of woes that seem to have besieged the profession. The range of creative solutions proposed in many programs are centered around what a power engineering curriculum should contain, how course materials should be delivered, and how to market (or promote) the program. This paper takes a critical look at a number of studies on curriculum development and learning in higher education. It examines the role that should be given to students' conception about learning, instructors' experience and teaching philosophies, and the impact of curriculum organization on students' performance in the design and implementation of educational innovations. The best aspects of the new innovations in a power engineering curriculum are then combined with other components that are deemed necessary to come up with what a model power engineering program should look like.     

Engineering Education at Hitachi

Hitachi, Ltd., a diversified electric company of Japan, has been enthusiastic in educating its employees since its foundation in 1910. It has given great support to the value of academic learning. This philosophy has promoted its engineering education, and counteracted a deficiency in the traditional lifelong employment system, effectively. The importance of On-the-Job Training (OJT) should be emphasized. However, engineering education at the corporate level is still needed. Hitachi has developed six programs to cover various academic and specialized areas. Methods for evaluation are discussed. Inquiries made at one to three years after the end of a course seem to be useful to confirm actual effects.     

Effective Teaching: Institutes for Engineering Teachers

Concern for effective teaching in engineering appeared almost simultaneously with the inception of engineering education in this country, some 135 years ago, as seen in statements made by the first head of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. To place in perspective current efforts toward the teaching and training of engineers and to stress the significance of such endeavors, aspects of the evolution of efforts to foster and enhance engineering teaching are described. Pedagogical training for engineering teachers was proposed by persons such as early presidents of the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education; but it was strong recommendations from that Society's four self-studies that appeared responsible for gradual development of formal programs. Under sponsorship of the American Society for Engineering Education (successor to the SPEE), the current "institutes on effective teaching" activities began with a series of two-week summer institutes, at Pennsylvania State University, during the summers of 1960-63. At the tennination of this series it was concluded that many more engineering teachers could participate through a number of regional institutes. Hence the ASEE promoted and developed a number of short-term institutes at various institutions throughout the country and, in 1967-68, inaugurated a system of Regional Institutes on Effective Teaching which are expected to become a regular and continuing part of engineering education and which should constitute evidence of the profession's historical concern for teachers "qualified for giving instruction...."     

The Teaching of High Voltage and High Current Engineering in Relation to Practical Engineering and Research

Technological developments in electrical engineering in recent years include substantial progress in the power fields of transmission, distribution, and utilization. Consequently, in common with other disciplines of electrical engineering, these advances make necessary some changes in existing tertiary courses if they are to keep abreast of developing technology. This is the case both in the undergraduate and graduate programs and is generating an increasing need for continuing education courses. This paper describes changes made in the power courses, at all levels, at the University of New South Wales in response to these pressures. Particular emphasis is given to laboratory developments in the high voltage and high current field, as this is seen as one area in particular need of development.