Flexible Delivery of Mechatronics Programmes

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Flexible Delivery of Mechatronics Programmes A
Review of Concepts for Learner-Centred Approach
Presented at the Final Conference of MoFIT2
Project European Conference Centre, The European
Foundation, IRELAND January 17, 2007
Philip Owende PhD CEng Eur Ing MIEI Senior
Lecturer in Mechatronics, Institute of Technology
Blanchardstown
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Draft MoFIT2 Review Document
This Review is extracted from a MoFIT2 Draft
Publication that covers

• Implementation of FD in Mechatronics
• Assessment of effectiveness of flexible training
  programmes
• Relevance of MoFIT2 Model
• Recognition of prior learning
• Communication skills
• Role of PBL
• Role of Training providers
• Institutional Strategies collaborative
  partnerships, and
• Challenges to VET Sector

• Source MoFIT2. 2007. Flexible Delivery of
  Mechatronics Programmes A review of concepts for
  learner-centred approach, Draft Final Report, 60
  pp.

This draft is available for review, and critiques
external to MoFIT2 partnership are most welcome
to receive the draft.
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Introduction

• Changing workplace demands, and the need for
  rapid response to new business conditions and
  opportunities, also mean that training for new
  skills has to be responsive, and be able to be
  implemented in a dynamic environment.
• At individual-worker level, continued
  employability is dependent on the Exchange Value
  of their knowledge, skills and competencies, and
  is founded on the ability to gain appropriate
  formal and informal learning, experience, and
  accreditation/certification.
• The main challenge facing engineering industry
  and training providers is the need to provide
  effective and flexible training programmes to
  cope.

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Definition of Flexible Training
Blend of the traditional face-to-face methods of
learner instruction with distance/open learning
delivery methods, that

• Adopts optimal delivery and learning practices,
  that are less time and place dependent, and in
  which there is increased learners responsibility
  for their learning.
•  
• Encapsulates a vision of the learner-centred
  model of pedagogy and support, that are
  appropriate to the needs of individual learners,
  located within a high quality learning
  environment, and supported by efficient and
  effective business and administration process.

• Adapted from Quality Assurance Agency. 2006.
  Enhancing Practice flexible delivery. The
  Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
  Education-Scotland, 15pp. ISBN 1 84482 592 2.

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Key Drivers
Drivers for flexible training include

• Needs for broader access to training, and further
  and higher education
• Retention and progression issues
• New training demands and industry benchmarks,
  CPD
• Evolving learner expectation and QA issues
• Efficient Resource Utilisation and Management
• Development of independent and self-directed
  learning approaches
• Inter-institutional competitions for enrolment.

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Components of Mechatronic Education Training

• Mechatronics ? synergistic combination of
  precision mechanical engineering, control theory,
  computer science and electronic engineering in
  the design process for creation of more
  functional and adaptable products and systems.
• Arguments for the identity and legitimacy of
  Mechatronics as an engineering discipline have
  been corroborated
• Mechatronics is now a significant trend, that has
  marked influence on product-development process
  and competitive advantage in manufactured goods,
  and the nature of engineering education and
  training, with a shift from an interdisciplinary
  subject to thematic

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• Source Grimheden M and M Hanson. 2005.
  Mechatronics? the evolution of an academic
  discipline in engineering education.
  Mechatronics 15(2) 179-192.

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Skills Approach

• Currently, concept of deeper learning, i.e.,
  learning with understanding, is popular in
  engineering education.
• Deeper learning by doing (Skills Approach)
  results in student long-term retention of
  understanding, and the ability to apply knowledge
  to non-standard situations.
• Therefore, engineering instructors must connect
  abstract perspective of course contents to
  practical exercises in order to foster the
  referred deep approach to learning.

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Mechatronics Competency Space

• Mechatronics competency attribute is not based on
  technical knowledge alone, but is a confluence of
  multi cross-disciplinary considerations.
• Knowledge selectivity communication/delivery is
  possible via a flexible course structure.

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Main challenges to flexible delivery learning
include

• Development of learning programmes in a way that
  will be engaging to learners
• Nurturing of learning processes to progressively
  become self-directing and to be able to
  effectively use wide range of learning media,
  and
• Need to support self-directed learning with
  effective Community of Practice (CoP), including
  developing of supportive soft skills that will
  develop the confidence to recognise CoP as a
  legitimate learning resource.

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Communication skills

• Employers insistently criticise the weak verbal
  and written communication capacity of engineers.
• Given its central role in the workplace (viz.,
  explanation of technical concepts, persuasion and
  negotiation, and identification and explanation
  of ethical conflicts etc.), communication is
  recognised as a fundamental competency to be
  developed.

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Communication skillscontinued

• Evidence suggest that communication and technical
  competencies are fairly dependent, therefore,
  training in the use of scientific knowledge and
  concepts in such a way as to nurture effective
  communication has been suggested.

Problem-based learning and assessment
incorporating enhancement of communication
skills Best Practice in Mechatronics Design
Projects.
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Communication skillscontinued

• Aims of the Design Problems/Projects is to
  provide learners with substantive
  individual/teamwork based design projects that
  are intended to develop and nurture their
  capability to research, analyse and implement
  design solutions to specific engineering projects
  with potential Mechatronic solutions.
• Implementation and Assessment include formative
  progress reporting in oral and written formats
  which nurture and enhance the students
  organisational and presentation skills, and the
  general communication skills required of graduate
  engineers.

• Source Institute of Technology Blanchardstown.
  2006. Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in
  Mechatronics, Indicative Design Projects
  Handbook. 17 pp.

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Challenges to VET

• Evidence to suggest that vocational learners show
  preference for hands-on experience, through
  observation, from mentors in workplace, and from
  practice.
• Vocational learners are neither typically
  self-directed, nor attracted to flexible training
  regimes that require independent learning.
• Learning from textually presented packages of
  learning material, presented either in print form
  or online present considerable challenge.

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Self-directed Learning Model

• However, development of self-directed in any most
  contexts can be encouraged through staged process

• Source Grows G. 1991. Teaching learners to be
  self directed. Adult Education Quarterly 42(3)
  125-149.

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Institutional Strategies Collaborative
Partnerships
From a training providers perspective, the
following strategies are useful in the progress
towards assisting learners adapt to flexible
delivery to ensure effective learning

• Implementation of procedures for development of
  self directed learning skills and ability to
  structure own learning within a community
  practice
• Development and enhancement of trainer skills to
  support flexible learning and training, and
• Development of supportive policies for innovative
  teaching, with congruent quality assurance
  mechanisms that will ensure progression to higher
  qualifications and mobility learners and the
  workforce.

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Conclusions

• No single model of excellence in flexible
  training exists, but there are a number of
  different approaches.

• Need to enhance of the Exchange Value of
  individual workers, i.e. their knowledge, skills
  and competencies, which determine Employability.
  
• Exchange value is founded on a lifelong ability
  to gain appropriate formal and informal learning,
  experience, and accreditation/certification.

• Collaboration among educational/training
  providers can facilitate flexibility of
  recognition, accreditation, and delivery of
  Mechatronics programmes including Linked
  Progression
• Need for best practice models for delivering
  blended learning in the context of supporting
  lifelong learning

• Reference
• Programme for University Industry Interface.
  2005. The Productive Citizenship Model a model
  for development of graduates in the workplace.
  PUII Interim Report, October 2005 University of
  Limerick. 42 pp.

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Acknowledgment
The MoFIT2 Project was funded under Leonardo da
Vinci Pilot Project IRL/04/B/F/PP-153207. The
authors are thankful to Dr James Duffy and Mr
Fergus Maughan, who generously contributed their
time to provide the exemplars of current and best
practice in aspects of blended learning/flexible
training outlined. Our gratitude is also due
to Mr Larry McNutt (Head of School of Informatics
and Engineering, ITB), Mr Liam Quirke (Head of
Apprentice Programme, ITB), Mr Tom Doyle (Head of
Development, ITB), Mr Michael Mooney (FÁS), Mr
Paddy Morgan (FÁS) and Ms Noreen Curley (FÁS) who
facilitated the participation in MoFIT2 project,
in different ways.