The social construction of a Teacher Support Team: an experience of university lecturers’ professional development in STEM

Abstract

This paper focuses on understanding and exploring how a group of university engineering and science tutor educators learn and assimilate new conceptions about their role in the face of the forces of globalisation that are transforming the system of higher education. This research paper adopts the notion of the Teacher Support Team (TST) as developed by Daniels and grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural account of the social formation of mind. These structures of meaning provide insight into the role played by the context, the interactions, the needs and the demands of actual activities, agreements and learning processes that this group of STEM lecturers undertook as they sought to transform their usual teaching methods that were focused on individual and isolated work in order to create more innovative practices and impact on their students’ performance. The analysis of this experience, which was based on the epistemological principles of the sociocultural approach, focused on the educational model that emerges from needs that are perceived and shared through the group’s interactions, as well as the transitions that such a team undergoes in its actions and decisions.     

“新工科”背景下省属高校高分子材料与工程专业人才培养的改革与实践

武汉纺织大学高分子材料与工程专业在"新工科"理念及工程教育专业认证标准的指导下,对专业的培养方案、人才培养模式、课程体系、多元化学业考核评价体系、持续改进体系、师资建设等方面进行改革与实践。通过这些改革举措,学生的专业基础知识越来越扎实,解决复杂工程问题和创新创业能力得到提高,就业情况明显好转,人才培养质量越来越好,满足了服务区域经济发展和纺织行业转型升级的需求。     

建筑工程技术人才培养模式探讨

建筑工程技术作为一门专业性较强的学科,为满足社会需求,提高学生职业素质,应积极开展教学改革工作,提高教师教学水平,加大实践教学以及校企合作力度,为我国建筑行业输送更多的人才。     

面向新工科的光电技术人才培养探索与研究

文章在国家发展新工科背景下,指出广东高校在光电人才培养中存在的主要问题,并分析其原因,提出了构建“平台+模块”式课程体系的人才培养方案、打造“创意创新创业”实践教学体系、建设“双师双能型”教师人才队伍等光电人才培养新举措,以激发光电专业学生的专业学习兴趣,提高其创新意识,提升其创业实践能力和综合素质。     

新工科背景下机械工程专业教学体系改革的思考

文章以我校机械工程专业为例,为培养具有创新创业能力、动态适应能力的交叉复合型工程人才,我们从新结构、新方法、新内容、新评价等方面对专业教学、实验、实践等体系进行了探索与建设。     

Erasmus Thematic Networks and the European dimension of Engineering Education

Some of the most important challenges for engineering schools at the beginning of the 21st century are summarised as well as the role of ERASMUS Thematic Networks (TN) in this scenario.

Though focus is mainly given to the European environment, the changes which are interesting Engineering Education appear to involve also the non-European sphere and therefore, this set of papers on the main outcomes of E4 Thematic Network (2000–2004) has been conceived, not only as an useful instrument of dissemination, but also an open window on Europe.

In this introductory paper key characteristics of successful TNs are outlined, as resulting from the experience of TN E4, Enhancing Engineering Education in Europe, which has terminated its life end of September 2004. The new TN project, denominated TREE, for Teaching and Research in Engineering in Europe, is briefly presented.

On the other hand, in the following 5 sections some of the main activities developed within E4 are presented touching topics related to accreditation, quality assurance, students involvement in Engineering Education, ICT and new learning methods and curriculum development.     

浅析新工科理念下的3D打印实践教学形式改革探讨与实践

新工科理念下,按照“与当前工业主流技术相衔接”的原则,结合3D打印技术的原理及特点和工程训练实践教学的宗旨,提出将3D打印实践教学与企业产品研发流程相结合的教学组织模式。首先,以培养学生的基本建模和设备操作能力为目的。其次,根据工程训练实践教学的宗旨,结合实际在教学过程中对学生提出具体产品设计要求,让学生有目的地进行设计创新。最后,打印出符合设计要求的实体模型。让学生体会从设计理念到设计过程,从概念设计到成品加工的过程,达到增强学生工程意识和工程实践创新能力的目的。     

论文质量是体现工程硕士培养质量的关键

工程硕士学位论文工作是工程硕士培养的重要环节,论文的质量最能反映工程硕士的培养质量。针对工程硕士的培养特点和培养目标,结合我校多年工程硕士的培养经验,本文提出要从学生选导师开始,直到学位答辩,设置几个质量监控环节,而且必须严格执行,才能保证工程硕士学位的论文质量;同时对目前工程硕士论文方面存在的一些问题,提出了切实可行的具体措施,来保证工程硕士论文工作的顺利开展。     

高分子材料与工程专业《工程伦理》课程教学内容与教学方法探讨

高等院校高分子材料与工程专业开展《工程伦理》课程教学是新工科背景下高等教育改革的必然趋势,有助于工程背景专业学生树立高素质工程伦理观。工程伦理课程教师除了精通本学科专业知识外,还需具备丰富的工程实践经验及相关案例的积累。根据常州大学高分子材料与工程专业的特点,应筛选合适的教材,并针对本专业《工程伦理》课程教学内容与教学方法进行了初步探讨。