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Session 1649

Maximizing Student Learning Through Hands-on Activities in Engineering Technology. Molu O. Olumolade Industrial & Engineering Technology Department Central Michigan University Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48859

Abstract: Program outcomes typically describe what the program’s graduates will know and be able to demonstrate upon completion of their degree program. To a large extent, hands-on skills are what separate engineering from engineering technology. What the graduates can do defines the quality of the program and hence the quality of the college

In the wake of the recent economic crunch, a new challenge is evolving for engineering technology programs in some areas of the nation. It is becoming harder to obtain industrial internships for students in order to maintain engineering technology’s reputation and philosophy as a profession where knowledge of mathematics, physical and social sciences, and engineering is applied to planning, design and implementation of products and processes. It is very apparent that measures have to be taken to ensure that student learning is active and embeds hands on applications. The ripple effect of this challenge is less quality education that may lead to graduate unemployability, low enrollment, and hence program deletion

This paper discusses how the implementation of industrial exercises as a component of a regular class laboratory experiments has benefited the industries involved as well as maximized students learning even in the absence of industrial internship. It also shows how industries can be encouraged or motivated to participate in academic endeavors in a non-financial way.

Introduction: College students everywhere experience various forms of problems. These problems have been expressed in such areas as course work, teaching methodology, interaction patterns in the classrooms, and inadequacy of facilities and equipment. In addition to these problems are the most recent observed problems in the areas of communication skills, comprehension abilities and interpersonal relations. These problems combined, cause stress and subsequently poor scholastic achievement in most students who find it difficult to cope with such stress

According to Gunstone and White4, studies in higher education have shown that students’ difficulties in learning are illustrated by their inability to apply rules or concepts to novel problems. Students need to be able to develop the ability to discern problems before finding ways to solve them. This is a training that is highly invaluable in the working world where problems are not always readily defined and presented to people for solution. It is clear that a

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. Copyright © 2004 American Society for Engineering Education

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Olumolade, M. (2004, June), Maximizing Student Learning Through Hands On Activities Experiments In An Engineering Technology Program Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13730