Development Of A Competency Based Introductory Course In Fluid Power

A project to develop a novel curriculum for the associate degree in manufacturing engineering technology has been funded by the National Science Foundation. The Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH, coordinates the development work of the course. The focus of the curriculum development process is to create an industry-driven, competency-based, modularly structured, and integrated curriculum. One of the last modules to be developed is the fluid power module, which is scheduled for six weeks in the fourth quarter (out of six). It allocates 20 contact hours for this introductory program in industrial fluid power. As in all other modules, the competencies developed by participants (students) meet the needs of manufacturing industries for manufacturing technicians with appropriate skills and knowledge. A team from industry and academia has developed a set of competencies in fluid power. The competencies guide the participant to develop necessary skills and knowledge. They also imply that a person can demonstrate competency in ways going beyond the traditional curricula. Emphasis is on what the course participant can do. The tasks to be completed by participants are focused on enhancing the problem solving skills. The curriculum is modularly structured, which means that the program is delivered in a very flexible manner. The flexibility is enhanced by the fact that the modules are smaller than three semester-hour credit courses. As part of the integrated curriculum, the fluid power module is interconnected with other modules. The relevance of the competencies developed in various modules is thus reinforced throughout the curriculum. As a result, the participant of the program (traditionally known as student) is expected to be able to relate each of the competencies to the manufacturing engineering.