ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

Electronic Engineering

Electronic Engineering

Question (8-A) As a student of Engineeging, identify major issues in this directive for academic and research institution. Give at least any TWO suitable examples with their possible solutions.

While the uncertain job market for some engineers may have an effect on the enrollments in engineering, the U.K. system of higher education is called upon to continue to produce the qualified scientific and technical personnel necessary to maintain an intellectual and economic leadership Colleges and universities are facing the mounting task of better educating their undergraduate and graduate students by restructuring their curricula to increase the versatility and employability of the graduates. All disciplines have been targets, however, considerable importance is placed on graduates in the electronic engineering field. (Croft, 2001)

One challenge facing the engineering institutions is that of finding a balance between the basic academic activities of teaching and research. Within the engineering disciplines, attempting to find the flexibility to blend the priorities of teaching and research has been a perennial problem. The standing of an institution is in direct relationship to the research productivity of its faculty, and the competition for grants and scholars has led many research institutions to place increased emphasis on research at the expense of teaching. In many research institutions, research productivity has been given more weight than teaching effectiveness when deciding tenure or promotion. Efforts are underway at some institutions to change the reward system and evaluation of their faculty members.

An additional challenge for research universities is the need to address the complaints concerning undergraduate teaching. Many of these complaints are focused on the use of graduate students as teaching assistants in the undergraduate programs, especially in the science and engineering disciplines. A considerable number of undergraduate courses in engineering are taught by foreign graduate students who do not have a good command of the English language. The report noted that colleges and universities are being held far more accountable for the education of their students than in the past. Institutions with peer review mechanisms to evaluate faculty research in engineering, should have the same of attention directed at evaluating the faculty teaching in those disciplines. The public and private sectors that make significant investments in university research suggested that faculty members excelling in the classroom should be recognized and rewarded similar to those faculty engaged in research. (Yorke, 2009)

The methods used for evaluation could serve as a basis for the professional advancement of faculty. Faculty are encouraged to set definitive goals for their students and then determine if the goals are being met. In addition to the faculty, recommendations for evaluating teaching and learning were made for presidents, boards, and academic officers; deans, department chairs and peer evaluators; and for research sponsors and granting and accrediting agencies. The recommendations were based on the following tenets:

Effective postsecondary teaching in science, mathematics, and technology should be available to all students, regardless of their major.

The design of curricula and the evaluation of teaching and learning should be collective responsibilities of ...