Career-Space, PanICT, GENIUS

A. Ward

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Job Profiles

Behavioural Skills Technical Skills

Competencelevel descriptors

Learningoutcomes

Curriculacontent

Assessmentmethods

Assessmentmethods

Assessment

Student personal profile

Validation

Performance of student in workplace

Review of workforceskills requirements

ICT Environment

Company strategic development

Effectiveness ofcurrent workforce

Contentdelivery

Pedagogy

Learning &Teaching

Infrastructure

Curriculum guidelines

CPD &Personal development

SFIA

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Career-Space Industrial Partners

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Career-Space project objectives

“to put in place a clear framework for students, education and training institutions and

Governments, that describes the skills and competencies required by the ICT industry”

Outcomes:

A set of 13 generic job profiles A dedicated web site

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Generic job profiles - 1

Telecommunications Radio frequency engineer Digital design Data Communications

engineering Digital signal processing Applications design Communications network

design

Software and Services Software and application

development Software architecture and

design Multimedia design IT Business consultancy Technical support

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Generic job profiles - 2

Products and Systems Product design Integration and test /

Implementation & Test engineering

Systems specialists

Each profile: Job description Tasks associated with the

job Technology areas

associated with the job Type and level of skills

Technical skills Behavioural skills

Description of career path/future opportunities

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Technical Skills

Analogue / Digital design skills Computer programming Cost modelling Reliability engineering TCP/IP, UNIX, X25, FPGA

Over 50 technical skills defined

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Behavioural skills

Decision making Information handling Initiative Leadership Managing risk Negotiation

Over 20 behavioural skills defined

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The academic survey

Job profile coverage by courses Fully covered Partially covered Not covered

Breakdown of degree programmes by content type Science base (SB) Technology base (TB) Engineering subjects (ES) Non-technical skills (NTS)

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Coverage example

SW arch design F Digital design F Systems specialist F DSP Apps design F Comms network F Multimedia design P SW apps devt F

RF engineering F Data comms eng F IT Bus Consultancy P Technical support F Product design F Test & Integration F

Electronic Engineering, MEng - York

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Survey issues

How deep does any course go? How much training is given / development

achieved? How competent is the output?

The Career-Space definitions are not detailed

However - academia has been supplying students for many years so are we that far adrift?

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Common curriculum

ICT curricula should consist of following core elements: 30% scientific base 30% technology base 25% application base / system thinking 15% personal / business skills Minimum 3 months Industrial experience

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Summary from survey

Excellent starting point

Not specific enough in some areas Lacks level descriptors for the skills Lacks assessment ability in many areas

Excellent starting point

Not specific enough in some areas Lacks level descriptors for the skills Lacks assessment ability in many areas

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PanICT

DTI funded project through eSkills NTO Partners:

York University Southampton University University of Northumbria LinkÖping University, Sweden University of Ulm, Germany University of Porto, Portugal

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RF Engineering Job Profile

Thermal Design Reliability Engineering Technology, Component and

Material Knowledge Radio Frequency Circuit

Design Radio Frequency Design

Methods RF Design Tools Electronics Theory and Know-

How (analogue/digital) Testing

Creative Analytical Teamwork Communication Professional Attitude Problem Solving Initiative Managing Risks Flexibility and Self Learning Commitment to Excellence Customer Orientation

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ICT Industry

Job Profiles

University A

Academicprogrammes

University B

Academicprogrammes

University C

Academicprogrammes

Trainer A Trainer B Trainer C

Continuing Professional Development Providers

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2

1

PersonZ

PersonY

PersonX

Routes to gaining knowledge and skills to meet ICT job profilesRoutes to gaining knowledge and skills to meet ICT job profiles

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RF Circuit Design

Distributed Circuits: The Smith chart and stub matching methods; the use of scattering, and transmission matrices for microwave components; single stage amplifier design; microstripline design; directional couplers:network analysers.

Design of low noise small signal amplifiers; broadband small signal amplifiers incorporating feedback for optimum input and output impedance; the theory and design of low phase noise oscillators; frequency synthesisers; power amplifiers; mixers; filters.

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Behavioural skills - Analytical

“Able to acquire information and identify missing information. Able to look logically at a technical situation to solve problems and create new and innovative solutions. Prepared to use facts, data, measurements and a logical process to carry out a job. Often tools and methodologies will exist to assist with this analytical work and a high degree of proficiency would be expected in the use of these.”

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Decomposition of “Analytical”

Acquire and use information Problem solving Managing risk One-to-one communication Obtain information from others Acquire information and compare with need Creativity

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Problem solving

Level 2: With routine supervision can identify simple problems and solve them by adopting a prescribed problem solving approach.

Level 3: With general supervision can identify problems in own investigations and follow an agreed problem solving approach to resolve them.

Level 4: Can identify and anticipate problems associated with own investigations and can gather relevant information and solve complex problems.

Level 5: Can identify and anticipate problems associated with own and team investigations and can gather relevant information and solve complex problems.

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GENIUS

EU Funded project – eLearning Initiative University of Reading University of Madrid LinkÖping University, Sweden University of Ulm, Germany University of Porto, Portugal University of Dublin University of Thesolonika

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GENIUS – Objectives

Investigate novel pedagogical approaches to e-Learning

Learnlinc (Mentergy) & Lotus Learning Space environments

First Cycle modules for local & international delivery

Second Cycle strand Unconventional learners

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Project Management Module

Course material Technical & Behavioural skills

Video / Audio conferencing with students Control of students PC’s during class Group working facility Pass students the floor Integrated question engine Electronic whiteboard

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Project management content

Module week T & L Topic

Tutor led activity

Self study activities

Learnlinc tests Deliverables

Material format

1 Learning styles inventory, discussion yesIntroduction to Learnlinc yesIntroduction of the project task yesRequirement specification yesTeam formation yesPersonality assessments and team assessment yesQuality strategy yesExpected project returns yesIntroduction to accounting and finance terminology yesProblem solving - problem identification yes

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www.york.ac.uk

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Project management content

Module week T & L TopicTutor led activity

Self study activities

Learnlinc tests Deliverables

Material format

2

Work breakdown structure yesBar charts, Gantt charts and PERT yesCritical path analysis yes

Acc & Fin terminology

Budgeting360 degree feedback material yesTeam 360 degree feedback yes

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PanICT – Specific outcomes

Passport to the Industry Proposal for detailed technical content of

Career-Space job profiles Proposal for detailed decomposition of

behavioural skills Set of Behavioural skills word-picture level

descriptors Set of pilot projects

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Key points

The passport is not a qualification is an authorised record of student achievement

against an agreed set of benchmarks sits alongside the academic qualification and is no

threat to it enables and promotes student mobility within the

National & Institutional rules (+ Bologna agreement) is quick to implement