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Evaluation Results of an E and ET Education Forum

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Conference

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Vancouver, BC

Publication Date

June 26, 2011

Start Date

June 26, 2011

End Date

June 29, 2011

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

Issues Affecting Engineering Program Development

Tagged Division

Engineering Technology

Page Count

11

Page Numbers

22.655.1 - 22.655.11

DOI

10.18260/1-2--17936

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/17936

Download Count

317

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Paper Authors

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Miguel Angel Ramos University of Houston

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Miguel Angel Ramos is the Assistant Dean for Assessment and Accreditation for the College of Technology at the University of Houston. His primary focus has been the practical application of assessment and evaluation strategies to enhance educational quality in the college and university. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Dr. Ramos worked as a researcher for the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, and as an Evaluator for Boston Connects. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation from Boston College in 2004.

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Lauren Chapman Boston College

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Lauren Chapman is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation department in the Lynch School at Boston College. Her research interests include the implementation and evaluation of school-wide reforms, with a focus on high needs schools. She can be reached at chapmala@bc.edu.

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Mac Cannady Boston College

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Mac Cannady is a doctoral candidate in Boston College's Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation department. His research interests include teacher education and retention, science education and program evaluation.

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Enrique Barbieri University of Houston

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Enrique Barbieri received the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1988. He was on the faculty of the Electrical Engineering Department (1988 - 1996) and a tenured associate professor and chair of the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department (1996 - 1998) at Tulane University. In 2002, he joined the University of Houston as professor & chair of the Department of Engineering Technology. He served as associate dean for research & graduate studies for the College of Technology (2009 - 2010) and returned to full-time faculty in fall 2010. His teaching and research interests are in Systems Control Technology area. He is a member of ASEE, a senior member of IEEE, and a member of the Executive Council of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center.

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Abstract

Perspectives from a Forum Examining the Feasibility of Integrating E and ET EducationUnder a 2-year Department of Education – FIPSE grant, the College of Technology at the(institution name) hosted a two-day forum in spring 2010 exploring a variety of issues related toengineering (E) and engineering technology (ET) education. A central focus of these discussionsrevolved around whether E and ET exist as separate fields or whether there was value in thinkingabout them as part of a continuum. The CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) model wasused as a framework for thinking about these two knowledge areas as facets of an overarchingengineering profession where the majority of E and ET graduates flow to the middle of CDIOand engage in “design-implement” tasks within 3-5 years after graduation. Several implicationsof a continuum-based framework for engineering education were debated within the context oftwo alternative curricular approaches. The first approach envisions a two-year curriculum inwhich E and ET students enroll in a set of common technical core courses. At the end of thesecond year, students would make a well-educated decision to become either engineering orengineering technology majors, subsequently completing a BS degree. The second approachmimics the educational models in medicine, nursing, or law. A professional engineering degreewould require a pre-requisite 4-year baccalaureate degree after which students would have theoption of applying to and enrolling in a post-graduate professional engineering degree program.This approach renders a BS in an ET area (e.g. mechanical engineering technology) a naturalchoice.This article presents a report on the results of the forum. A total of 47 forum participantsrepresenting E and ET programs from 35 institutions and 23 states expressed a wide range ofviews. Some did not agree with the premise of the continuum model or that any changes toengineering education were needed as such. A significant number viewed one or both alternativecurricular approaches as intriguing possibilities. However, even among those who regarded thealternatives favorably, many acknowledged that while they personally would support attempts toimplement alternatives at their campuses, contextual and institutional factors posed significantobstacles to change. Participants were also given an opportunity to interact with local industryrepresentatives for the purpose of gaining insight on what employers think about some of thesetopics. Evaluation results from observations and follow-up surveys suggest that at least in theimmediate future any potential changes are likely to take the form of positive incrementalchanges in general awareness and attitudes regarding (i) the correct placement of engineeringtechnology within the engineering profession; (ii) the correct placement of engineeringtechnology graduates in industry; and (iii) the opportunities for creating collaborative effortsbetween the two disciplines resulting in potential institutional savings and an increase in thepipeline of individuals entering the engineering profession. The project continues in its secondyear to widen the pool of participants by means of surveys to faculty, administrators, andindustry.

Ramos, M. A., & Chapman, L., & Cannady, M., & Barbieri, E. (2011, June), Evaluation Results of an E and ET Education Forum Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--17936

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