Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Session 3486

Improving Student Learning and Retention in Technology Programs Using Industry-Based Case Studies

Saleh M. Sbenaty Middle Tennessee State University

Abstract

The main objectives of the three-year NSF-funded grant entitled “The South East Advanced Technological Education Consortium, SEATEC,” are to train faculty to identify and address the technical needs of area industry, upgrade curriculum to meet these needs, produce industry-based case study models that apply active collaborative learning, improve student oral and written communication skills, and ultimately produce better prepared graduates that will meet challenges in today’s global economy. This paper describes some of the activities of the SEATEC grant and provides a summary of its very promising outcomes that may revolutionize engineering and technology education at 2- and 4-year institutions and increase student interests in pursuing these programs. The SEATEC consortium is a collaborative effort of five different teams across Tennessee. Each team is based at a two-year technical college and includes multi-disciplinary college faculties, industry partners, university partners, and high school tech-prep teachers. The unique partnership with the industry along with the rigorous training of the participating faculty have produced industry-based case-study models that are interdisciplinary, multi-media enhanced, open-ended, and use active collaborative learning. The current paper provides a brief account of the various curriculum development activities throughout the SEATEC project.

I. Introduction

The SEATEC grant is a continuation of an earlier two-year NSF-funded grant entitled “Tennessee Exemplary Faculty for Advanced Technology Education, TEFATE.” The purpose of the coalition was to develop a group of faculty who would provide leadership in curriculum development and delivery in emerging technologies. Several major outcomes of the TEFATE grant will positively impact engineering technology education in general and will significantly improve technology programs at the participating institutions in particular. These outcomes are now being tested for dissemination nationally and worldwide and are available at the SEATEC website http://www.nsti.tec.tn.us/SEATEC. These include:

1. The development of twenty-five work-based case studies in the areas of telecommunication, computer networking, and network administration. 2. A comprehensive Internship Guide that helps faculty in other institutions in planning, applying, and using industrial internship experiences effectively in the classroom. 3. A comprehensive Faculty Development Guide that provides a model and the steps necessary for the personal development of any technology or engineering faculty.

The current SEATEC grant builds on the success of the TEFATE approach to curriculum development, which involved direct industrial cooperation and partnership, by expanding the

Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2001, American Society for Engineering Education

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Sbenaty, S. (2001, June), Improving Student Learning And Retention In Technology Programs Using Industry Based Case Studies Paper presented at 2001 Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 10.18260/1-2--9364