Improving Student Learning And Retention In Technology Programs Using Industry Based Case Studies

The main objectives of the three-year NSF-funded grant entitled “The South East Advanced Technological Education Consortium, SEATEC,” are to train faculty to identify and address the technical needs of area industry, upgrade curriculum to meet these needs, produce industry-based case study models that apply active collaborative learning, improve student oral and written communication skills, and ultimately produce better prepared graduates that will meet challenges in today’s global economy. This paper describes some of the activities of the SEATEC grant and provides a summary of its very promising outcomes that may revolutionize engineering and technology education at 2and 4-year institutions and increase student interests in pursuing these programs. The SEATEC consortium is a collaborative effort of five different teams across Tennessee. Each team is based at a two-year technical college and includes multi-disciplinary college faculties, industry partners, university partners, and high school tech-prep teachers. The unique partnership with the industry along with the rigorous training of the participating faculty have produced industry-based case-study models that are interdisciplinary, multi-media enhanced, open-ended, and use active collaborative learning. The current paper provides a brief account of the various curriculum development activities throughout the SEATEC project.