SMARTech Community: Distance Learning and Professional Education

Integrating Local Environmental Conditions In An Engineering Program Towards Globalization

Tue, 20 May 2008 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Integrating Local Environmental Conditions In An Engineering Program Towards Globalization

Authors: Ofosu, Willie K.

Abstract: Technological advancements in the present age have assumed such proportions that all activities are being driven by technology in one form or another. Such is the case in this information age where it can be considered that effective dissemination of information can accelerate the learning process and therefore the choice of technology for the dissemination has some importance. On a national scale, the target group may be in urban or rural areas, or in both urban and rural areas. At the present, the choice of technology for this purpose is the Internet. This is because it combines the speed of transmitting information and the multitasking functionality of computers hence different sources of information can be accessed quickly. Computers also provide access to a vast resource of educational materials. The added advantage of having global connectivity will enable the user in a developing nation to access developmental information from other nations. To people in developing countries like Ghana, the process will improve the knowledge base of Ghanaians, and hence the country’s developmental progress. Dissemination of information may be a problem even in urban areas in a third world country such as Ghana. It is therefore needful to find a means of communication that is effective as well as relatively inexpensive that can reach people in both urban and rural areas. The technology of choice for this purpose is Broadband Powerline Communication (BPL). The BPL technology combines transmission of power and data along the power line and that makes the line behave as a traveling wave antenna. The engineers and technicians who will work on the system will need to be updated in topics that relate to the system. These are power transmission, data transmission, antenna theory, and electromagnetic radiation through the radio space. This paper discusses the cooperative effort between Penn State WilkesBarre and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana in incorporating local environmental conditions in a telecommunications program at the baccalaureate level through a student project.

Description: This presentation was part of the session : Technology to Support Instructors, Part Two; IACEE 11th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education; Dr. Willie K. Ofosu is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania State University. He teaches telecommunications, wireless systems, networking, optoelectronics and analog and digital electronics at the WilkesBarre campus. He is a member of ASEE, IEEE, IET (England) and a Chartered Engineer (CEng) of England. He is currently involved in international activities in cooperation with some faculty members at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. He is an advocate of diversity in the education field. Dr. Ofosu received his Ph.D. from the Electronic Systems Engineering Department at Essex University in England.

China’s Continuing Education in the Context of Economic Globalization

Tue, 20 May 2008 22:58:59 GMT

Title: China’s Continuing Education in the Context of Economic Globalization

Authors: Dongcheng, Hu

Abstract: The economic globalization has provided a new drive to the development of the continuing education. With the strong support and promotion from the Chinese government, the continuing education in China has evolved into a new age with new contents, new approaches, new methods, and new achievements with tremendous vigor and vitality. The paper firstly analyzed both the internal and the external environments of Chinese continuing education under the context of economic globalization, and pointed out the opportunities as well as challenges of continuing education in China. Then the paper elaborated on the current status and characters of continuing education in China, and took a detailed discussion on the innovative efforts made in the continuing education by both the Chinese government and a variety of social organizations, enterprises, industries, colleges and universities.

Description: This presentation was part of the session : Expanding Programmatic and Geographic Boundaries in CEE; IACEE 11th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education; Professor Hu Dongcheng graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University in 1970. He joined the faculty of the Department of Automation in THU after graduation. From 1994 to 1996, he was the department dean and the director of the post-doctoral center of the discipline of automatic control in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University. From 1999 to 2004, Prof. Hu was the Vice President of Tsinghua University. From 2004 on, he serves as the Vice Chairman of the University Council and the Vice Chairman of the Academic Committee in Tsinghua University respectively. From 1998 till Now, he also serves as the Dean of the School of Continuing Education, Tsinghua University. Moreover, he is currently the Vice Chairman of the China Association for Continuing Engineering Education; the Vice Director of the Experts Steering Committee of Knowledge-updating Project for Professional and Technical Personnel of Ministry of Personnel; the Vice Director of the Steering Committee of Cultural Essence Education in Colleges and Universities of Ministry of Education, etc.

Roll With the Changes: The Continuous Improvement of the Off-Campus Engineering Technology Curriculum at Western Carolina University

Tue, 20 May 2008 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Roll With the Changes: The Continuous Improvement of the Off-Campus Engineering Technology Curriculum at Western Carolina University

Authors: Anderson, Robert

Abstract: In response to a rapidly changing economic landscape in Western North Carolina, Western Carolina University has taken steps to insure the delivery of a quality baccalaureate engineering technology program at locations other than the home campus. This paper will provide a brief overview of the evolution and delivery of the current off-campus Engineering Technology curriculum at Western Carolina University. Program curricula will be presented along with a description of successes and opportunities for the future.

Description: IACEE 11th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education

Continuing Education From High School to Postgraduate Studies: A Need of Telecommunication Industry in Colombia

Thu, 22 May 2008 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Continuing Education From High School to Postgraduate Studies: A Need of Telecommunication Industry in Colombia

Authors: Reina, Jackson

Abstract: In the project "Curricular, Pedagogical and Didactic Proposal for the Formation of Technicians, Technologists and Engineers in Telecommunications" (shortly called Forteti) several proposals of professional instruction in Latin-America have been reviewed, as well of conceptual documents published by governmental and non governmental agencies in Colombia, and prospective visions of the country and the region. In addition, experts from technical, administrative and academic sectors have been consulted. As a result, several tendencies have been found, which can be order as follows: first, revalue of the engineer formation regarding from ethical, social and humanistic issues; second, development of student skills for working within groups with multiple disciplines and levels; third, postgraduate studies regarding of the professional upgrade and actualization by means of official courses and self-learning skills development which also leads to the concept of the never-ending in learning and the requirement of establish multistage between the different educative levels; fourth, the need of adequate proposal, management and development of technical and social transformation projects. Forteti research project proposes a profile for the engineer's education which takes account of, at first, the multistage process between engineering and its precedent levels: technical and technological education, because only this multistage process enables the professional and educational articulation that responds to the requirement for holistic projects in the telecommunications sector. As a result we propose three educational undergraduate cycles associated with well defined profiles for each educational level and related with different titles accepted and required for the telecommunications sector. This approach allows us to have a clear Faculty development that fully reflects the needs of our students and the organizations related with the telecommunications sector. Associate with this multistage, the social and humanistic issues have been taken into account as an important factor not for complement courses but as a transversal axe of a curriculum structured by projects or problems nuclei.

Description: This presentation was part of the session : Partnerships to Enhance Continuing Engineering Education Curriculum and Quality; IACEE 11th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education