Transcript Current Trends in International Engineering Education in Finland The Case of Degree Programme in IT at Rovaniemi Polytechnic Authors: Piotr Krawczyk, Markku Taipale,

Current Trends in International Engineering Education in Finland
The Case of Degree Programme in IT at Rovaniemi Polytechnic
Authors:
Piotr Krawczyk, Markku Taipale, Taisto Arkko,
Rovaniemi Polytechnic, Rovaniemi, Finland
Background

Rovaniemi Polytechnic started its engineering degree programme in IT
(DPIT) with English as a language of instruction 18 months ago

at the same time the polytechnic underwent major curricula redesign
process across all the existing programmes

over the last 12 months, major shift towards well defined and aligned
R&D efforts has been annaunced and developed in form of a
comprehensive strategy across all the campuses

the faculty members are non-native speakers of English
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Internationalization/Globalization

students adapt to the quickly evolving new global order by actually
experiencing it through living, studying, and perhaps working, in a foreign
country as part of their polytechnic education at the undergraduate level

flexibility is the key word and should be placed in the context of serving
community, serving the nation, and serving human diversity

DPIT has benefited from years of experience of Finnish IT programmes at
Rovaniemi Polytechnic

we seek to offer well balanced curriculum with hard-core engineering
modules complemented by many courses focused on universal soft skills
advocated by the ICT industry
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Convergence e.g. Bologna Declaration Impact

DPIT programme has been transferred to ECTS in early 2005

effort has been made to make it easily readable and comparable across
Finnish system and abroad

DPIT programme promotes internationalisation as well as increased
mobility for its Finnish and foreign students

course is offered for the engineering students to learn about the regional
and European dimension of our education

quality asurrance is emerging as vital issue across all the processes
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Integration with the existing Finnish Programmes e.g. Staff Recruitment

the curriculum was built based on the core competencies of the existing
staff in Finnish programmes

this significantly reduces the amount of the additional resources required

new staff is recruited to fit the curricular and language requirements of both
DPIT and Finnish IT programmes
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Student Recruitment

there is a legal requirement for the admission process to be transparent,
predictable, clear and objective

admission criteria and exam evaluation process are defined and approved
by the Rector


programme has certain autonomy to calibrate the criteria on a yearly basis
once approved by the Rector, they are frozen well in advance before the
overall admission process starts

yearly quota of 25 students has been established for DPIT
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Student Recruitment
TABLE 1 PROCESS DYNAMICS IN FIGURES
DPIT Recruitment
No of applicants
No of apps. at the entry exam
No of accepted
No of students
Dropout rate
List of Countries
2004/2005
86
20
14
11
18%
China, Vietnam,
Russia, Holland,
Finland and USA
2005/2006
107
33
25
~20-25
N/A
China, Vietnam, Russia, Finland,
Tanzania, Kenya, Afghanistan, (Cameroon
and Greece).
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Curricula Development

recently updated curricula content

special English language courses for students and lecturers

heterogeneity among the applicants
• candidates are coming from different cultures and educational
backgrounds
• “math problem”
• entry exams in math and English are designed to assure the minimum
level of skills to benefit from the engineering education

entrepreneurial skills for the engineering graduates entering the global
labour market

many courses enabling our graduates to initiate and engage in effective
interdisciplinary dialogue
STUDY MODULES/COURSES
ECTS
Year
BASIC STUDIES
75
Common basic studies
15
Communication
3
1
New Learning Environments
Lapland as Part of EU
3
3
1
3
Entrepreneur, Enterprise and Society
3
1
Basics of Research and Development Process
3
2
PROGRAM- SPECIFIC BASIC STUDIES
60
Languages
18
Orientation Course
3
1
Finnish for Foreigners 1/Finnish
3
1
Finnish for Foreigners 2/Swedish
3
1
Communication Skills for IT Engineers
3
1
English for Industry and Business
3
2
Advanced English for Information Technology
3
3
STUDY MODULES/COURSES
ECTS
Year
Mathematics
26
Algebra and Geometry
3
1
Linear Algebra
5
1
Differential Calculus
3
2
3
2
4
3
4
4
Statistics and Probability
4
2
Physics
16
Mechanics
4
1
Electricity and Magnetism
5
2
Physics Laboratory
3
2
Waves and Particles
4
3
Technical Computing and Programming
Integral Calculus and Applications
Discrete Mathematics
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
105
ECTS
YEAR
COMPULSORY PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
84
Basics of Information Technology
8
Introduction to Information Technology
3
1
Networking Basics (CCNA1)
5
1
Entrepreneur Studies
12
Introduction to Business Planning
3
1
Management Accounting
3
2
Introduction to Marketing
3
3
Business Cases in IT
3
4
Project Studies
9
Project Work
5
4
Managing Software Project
4
4
Electronics
12
DC Circuits
3
1
AC Circuits
3
2
Electronics 1
3
2
Electronics Laboratory
3
2
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
105 ECTS
YEAR
6
Programming
Introduction to Programming
3
1
Object Oriented Programming
3
2
Databases and Information
Management
6
Relational Databases and SQL
3
2
3
3
Database Applications
Cisco Networking Academy
11
3
2
Switching Basics and Intermediate Routing
(CCNA3)
5
3
WAN Technologies /CCNA4)
3
3
Advanced Electrical Engineering
12
Digital Circuits 1
3
3
Digital Circuits Laboratory
3
3
Digital Circuits 2
3
3
Electronics 2
3
3
Advanced Software Engineering
8
Software Engineering
3
3
Design Methods
5
3
Routers and Routing Basics (CCNA2)
ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL
STUDIES (Module 1 or Module 2)
21
ECTS
YEAR
Module 1: IT/ System Security
21
Security Management, Standards and
Evaluation
3
4
Network Security
6
4
Introduction to Cryptography
3
4
Advanced Cryptography
3
4
Computer Security
3
4
Database Security
3
4
Module 2: Systems Engineering
21
Embedded Systems
5
4
System Engineering
3
4
VHDL Design
3
4
VHDL Implementations
4
4
Digital Signal Processing
3
4
Coding Theory
3
4
FREE-CHOICE ELECTIVES
15
PRACTICAL TRAINING
30
Training Period 1
9
1
Training Period 2
9
2
Training Period 3
12
3
BACHELOR'S THESIS
15
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Teaching and Learning
• lecturers are encouraged both financially, and in terms of further career
prospect, to complete 3 year teacher’s education
• similar incentives are used to promote academic progress including PhD studies
• for both activities time is budgeted in lecturers yearly work plan
• appraisal meetings of the faculty members are arranged annually
• pilot initiative launched with regard to course content and lecture evaluation
questionnaire was developed to facilitate feedback from students on lecturer’s performance and course content
evaluation is voluntary and, as of yet, not included to lecturer appraisal process
learning to learn course is offered to students at the early stage of their education at Rovaniemi Polytechnic
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Research and Development
• Rovaniemi Polytechnic offers to its students and faculty members integrated
teaching and learning environment
• research experience is of great importance not only to lecturers but it also
serves as vehicle to enhance education of DPIT undergraduates
• research experiences allow engineering technology students to carry out
in-depth study of engineering concepts, while emphasizing hands-on approach
i.e.
• in the field of algorithmic mathematics, DPIT students participate actively in the International
Mathematica Symposium, an interdisciplinary conference on applications of Mathematica in research,
education, industry and commerce
• at the end of the first year of their studies, some students have been granted access and offered guidance
in our 3D/VR research and development facility called pLAB
• similar scheme was applied towards the DPIT freshmen at our Cisco lab in the area of network security
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Training/Industry Placement
30 ECTS credit units are allocated for industry placement
on average - one month of full time work during each academic year
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Two Specialisations
IT/System Security
System Engineering/Embedded Systems
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Thesis
following documents assure uniform approach to the process across the entire organisation:
short guide, thesis agreement, project plan, thesis plan specifics,
bibliography model, review memo, opponent guide, evaluation form
option of combining training and diploma work already in the first year of the programme
in the absence of an industry placement this provides opportunity for students to earn the credit units allocated to
training by working with a faculty on a research topic of mutual interest with possible contribution to eventual diploma
work
Programme Development, Environment, and Constrains
Quality Assurance
• DPIT is a subject to local regulations and procedures aiming
at the polytechnic-wide quality assurance
• at the programme level we would like to work out
equivalent TQM – total quality management approach
• ABET criteria are among many good examples to follow
• we are working on custom made version of
Taxonomy-Based Questionnaire to identify and evaluate
major threats and success factors in our programme
development efforts.
SWOT analysis -
Strengths
1. Faculty
a. Stable and reasonably adequate number
b. Fair academic and industrial backgrounds
2. A curriculum designed to meet local needs and comply with international
standards (i.e., Bologna)
a. A clear focus on IT Security and Embedded Systems
b. Strong engineering science component
c. Availability of a good variety of general education courses
d. A well structured laboratory experience
e. A strong professional component
3. Well equipped laboratory, library and IT Facilities
4. Adequate funding support (publicly funded)
a. Research
b. Available faculty development opportunities (sabbaticals, teachers education,
personal academic progress)
c. Hiring adequate human resources
d. Maintaining and upgrading facilities, new campus projects
e. Stable environment with medium and long term planning capabilities
f. Tuition free education
SWOT analysis
Weaknesses
1. Concerns in certain outcomes in graduating students
a. Need for improvement in English oral and written communication skills
b. Need for more integrated learning experience and real world applications
c. Need for more creative and independent laboratory experience
2. Quality and quantity of current students
a. The lack of motivation to excel among local students
b. Insufficient language preparation
c. Inadequate training in critical or analytical thinking
d. Insufficient number of high quality applicants
3. Large proportion of faculty with limited research experience
4. DPIT cooperation with industry at the planning stage
5. Low commercial awareness (publicly funded), promotion not aggressive
enough to effectively compete nation-wide and globally
SWOT analysis
Opportunities
1. Assessment and accreditation (internationally recognized accreditations e.g.
ABET)
2. Security cluster in Rovaniemi
3. New trends in multi-disciplinary professional education and new teaching
methods
a. Possibility of re-designing curriculum and by-laws to allow multidisciplinary teaching and learning
b. Possibility of utilizing e-learning and distance education
4. Dynamic society and culture
a. Readiness to accept changes
5. Location
a. Next to Oulu, second largest ICT cluster in Finland
6.Up-to-date Polytechnic wide R&D strategy
7. External funding by EU, TEKES, etc.
8. Possible commercialization through introduction of tuition fees
SWOT analysis
Threats
1. Quality of incoming students (language, analytical thinking, motivation)
2. Due to public funding, low commercial awareness,
3. Declining enrollment (interest) in engineering among local students
a. Lack of sufficient number of quality students with strong interest in engineering
b. Limited public awareness
4. Competition (local, regional and global)
a. Emerging English degree programmes in other Finnish polytechnics and abroad
b. Accessibility of international schools via distance education
c. Fast pace of developments in technology (e.g. IT, emerging new fields)
d. Programmes in IT both at Polytechnics and Universities in Oulu and other parts of the region.
5. Lack of globally recognized accreditation (i.e. ABET)
6. IT/IS security in-house competence not fully established, local security
cluster in a planning stage
Conclusions
a structured and repeatable approach to programme development is
necessary for consistent management
effective programme management must cover all key development and
support areas
the programme development process must create and sustain a nonjudgmental and non-attributive problem elicitation environment so that
tentative or controversial views are heard
no overall judgment can be made about the success or failure of a
programme based solely on the number or nature of the problems
uncovered