To develop a profile of a "good" teacher, two questionnaires were used over a three-year period: one for teachers (n=640) to determine their relationships with students, and another for students (n=573) to determine what they thought were essential characteristics of good teachers. Concludes that students want teachers who are expert, experienced,…

Following a survey of employers and recent graduates that rated communication the most important personal skill, two pilot surveys were conducted to learn the efficacy of interactive video on the development of interpersonal skills. The first showed no significant effect. The second showed that student learning through interactive video was higher…

To meet the individual needs of Japanese students in an electrical engineering course, a computer based system was adopted that graded student quizzes using an added weight method, evaluated student performance on each quiz, charted student progress, monitored student attitudes, analyzed the relationship between student attitude and performance,…

Reviews trends in language instruction and the use of language laboratories in South African higher education from 1962 to 1990, paying particular attention to racial differences and the movement from an audio-lingual method to a communicative language technique. Questions the wisdom of equipping institutions with sophisticated hardware without…

Reviews changing high school science curricula in South Africa, outlining two recent movements: aiming syllabi at the 85% of students who do not graduate in the sciences, and teaching basic knowledge and skills rather than specific and narrow job skills that easily become obsolete. Suggests that closer cooperation between curriculum planners,…

Current interest in teacher competence often neglects theory about how teaching knowledge is acquired. Describes an approach to learning to teach, identifying nine dimensions of teaching and their hierarchically organized criterial statements, and a method of assessing teaching competence using performance indicators contained in the first two…

Japan's Teacher Certification Law and subsequent Ministry of Education regulations required more specific content for teacher training courses. Outlines three goals for an educational methodology and technology course and proposes its curricular framework: practical instructional competences, characteristics of instructional media, management and…

To aid teacher training, the Record of Student Learning Experience (ROSE) gives formal recognition to experiences students bring to courses, identifies individual learning needs, encourages self-direction, empowers students, identifies development needs for induction to schools, and highlights the complexity of teaching. Describes first and second…

Discusses the International Atomic Energy Agency's definition of competence for nuclear power plant operations personnel, how competence can be identified with intellectual, physical, and psychological attributes, how levels of competence are determined, how education, training, and experience establish competence, objectives and costs of training…

Describes the development of a staff evaluation method for a West African diesel power plant extension, focusing on project constraints, individual job performance, maintenance staff group performance, unscheduled emergency exercises, unplanned shutdowns and other critical incidents, and observation of staff behavior during shifts. Outlines staff…

To equip electrical engineering students with common and transferable work skills, a program of integrative assignments was created to develop communication and teamwork skills. Discusses assignment components; the log book, a personal account of each assignment; assessment; conversion of "common skills" to competence statements, and performance…

In engineering companies administered by standard procedures, role playing can develop and measure competences in junior managers. Describes a role-playing exercise that develops and assesses competence in communication skills used in problem solving. Outlines the simulation's aims, resources, scenario, exercise inputs and outputs, operation,…

Describes a new competence-based engineering doctorate proposed by the Science and Economics Research Council (United Kingdom). The Parnaby Report mandated expert knowledge; appreciation of industrial engineering and development culture; skills in: project and program management, teamwork and leadership, communication, technical organization,…

At the heart of the Royal Air Force's revised basic engineering training is competency based assessment. Discusses the need for: new technologies, different skills, new competences, appropriate expectations, systems awareness, and skills integration. Examines training requirements; approach used (task analysis, final criterion test, interim tests,…

Syndicate studies simulate industrial situations and have proved to be an effective and adaptable small-group teaching strategy in electrical and electronic engineering classes. Outlines a planning exercise for surface mounted technology: aim, execution, company management, and tasks; provides examples of a meeting agenda; workshop discussion…