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- IPS’ Technology and Industrial Management graduate course: an improvement processPublication . Ferreira, Elsa; Lourenço, Rodrigo Teixeira; Duarte, Rogério; Duarte, Joana; Gonçalves, HelenaThe key activities to achieve quality (satisfaction of needs and expectations of customers) move increasingly to the previous phases to service delivery and particularly to the organization's interface with the market, where the most appropriate techniques and methodologies will have to identify what customers want, and perceive the quality and what features the services must have, as well as the price they are willing to pay. The Technology and Industrial Management (TIG) course of Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal, Portugal (IPS), is a four year graduate course organized by quarters with three courses per quarter. In the last two quarters internships or real context projects prepare students for a smoother integration in the professional activity. From its beginning, in 2007, TIG was designed for active adults who develop their professional activity in industrial entities, and need to supplement their skills with those of managers and engineers. The B-learning methodology was adopted since it enabled the targeted students to better reconcile their academic, professional and family responsibilities. In 2010-2011 the first TIG students concluded their graduate studies and, within IPS’ Integrated Management System, it was decided to monitor the suitability of the TIG course curriculum. There is, then, the question of what is and what is intended for an technology course, to an active adults in a region like Setúbal and in a polytechnic . This question corresponds to the first phase of QFD, where is therefore necessary to define the characteristic parameters of each profile that meet the expectations and needs of students and other stakeholders. If the question of the requirements of the course interacts with the objectives of the students, those requirements interact with the curricular content of their curricula. We are, therefore, in the second phase of QFD. The way the course is implemented will influence the means to administer the various components of the curricula, also determining the significant upfront investments in infrastructure and equipment facilities (laboratories, workshops, equipment, consumables), and will also influence the teaching-learning methods. The measurement conditions for the provision of the service, including monitoring of students, the way it measures the satisfaction of stakeholders and the availability of the facilities already include the third and fourth phases of QFD. With this methodology we expect to have the guidelines to improve the curriculum, teaching-learning methods and operating conditions of TIG course towards meeting the needs of stakeholders.
- The implementation of a student-centered pedagogical approach based in information and communication technologyPublication . Lourenço, Rodrigo Teixeira; Ferreira, Elsa; Fernandes, ConceiçãoThe process of teaching/learning is an ever changing reality, requiring a permanent adaptation of teaching methods with a view to continuous improvement and increased levels of student motivation. Moreover, the use of information technologies and communication in this same process is now an essential factor, not only as a mechanism for accessing content, but also as a tool for planning, learning, collaboration, assessment, among other variables. The combination of these two realities has forced teachers to a new approach to the pedagogical issues in higher education, with a greater concern with methodology and mechanisms to enable a constant improvement. The article demonstrates the importance that information technologies have in the definition and implementation of a pedagogical approach really focused on students, with their involvement in active teaching and learning. The pedagogical approach that is presented is based on three fundamental principles: (1) the student is the central element of teaching/learning process; (2) active learning should be permanent; and (3) self-study as a key mechanism of preparedness. This approach is divided into six components: (1) Planning, (2) Information, (3) Teaching, (4) Assessment, (5) Feedback and (6) Monitoring. The advance planning of activities is assumed as a key component, because students can plan their efforts throughout the academic year if, from the beginning and in an easier way, they have access to all information for the operation of Curriculum Units. The assessment has to be distributed continuous assessment, which includes different instruments at different times, to allow the assessment tool to adapt to the type of skill to be acquired, and to minimize dependence on the success of students from only one assessment instrument. The gap between the time of conducting the assessment and dissemination of results, which should be minimal, is seen as a major critical factor, not only by the student perception that the proposed approach works, but primarily as a mechanism of motivating students themselves. Finally, monitoring the whole process is an indispensable component, as it seeks to not only meet the expectations of students at first, but also their levels of satisfaction with the functioning of a unit at the end of the Curriculum in order to understand the differential satisfaction that the methodological approach can bring. This pedagogical approach is linked by Information Technology and Communication, without which it would be impossible to implement, given (1) the constant need of sharing information between teachers and students; (2) the problems of the failure and dropout rates particularly in the Engineering area, where it has been applied, and (3) the new profile of students with an increased appetite and dependence of information technologies and communication. The Moodle platform has been a privileged tool to support the activities of all teaching and learning. The results obtained have been very positive, not only as regards the success achieved by students, but also by the results of student satisfaction, giving good indications of the advantages that this approach, particularly in the motivation of students.
- A inovação pedagógica como fator de sucesso nas formações de Ensino Superior: o caso da Licenciatura em Tecnologia e Gestão IndustrialPublication . Lourenço, Rodrigo Teixeira; Ferreira, Elsa; Palma, José; Duarte, Rogério
- IPS’ Technology and Industrial Management graduate course: a curriculum followup analysisPublication . Lourenço, Rodrigo Teixeira; Ferreira, Elsa; Duarte, Rogério; Gonçalves, Helena; Duarte, JoanaThe Technology and Industrial Management (T&IM) course of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal (IPS), Portugal, is a four year graduate course organized in trimesters with three course units per trimester [quarter]. In the last two trimesters [quarters] internships or real context projects prepare students for a smoother integration in the professional activity. From its beginning, in 2007, T&IM was designed for adults who develop a full-time professional activity in industrial companies, and needed to supplement their skills with those typical of managers and engineers. The b-learning methodology was adopted since it enabled the targeted students to better reconcile their academic, professional and family responsibilities. In 2010-2011 the first T&IM students concluded their graduate studies and, within IPS’ Integrated Management System, it was decided to monitor the suitability of the T&IM course curriculum. The following activities were undertaken: (a) data analysis, (b) satisfaction survey to current and graduate students, and (c ) focus groups with graduate students that had finished the course in 2010-2011. The data showed lower dropout numbers than those of IPS’ engineering courses. The survey showed good levels of satisfaction. Student satisfaction is high for curriculum related topics such as: (1) the course’s ability to develop transversal skills and (2) the course teaching methodology. Comparing graduate and current students survey results, the former group declares a higher overall satisfaction with the course. These results are consistent with those gathered from the focus group. During the focus group graduate students added that the skills acquired were comprehensive and appropriate to their understanding of how organizations actually operate. From the gathered results it is concluded that there is a good level of curriculum adequacy and student satisfaction, although there are “problem areas” and topics requiring further research.