Today's hyper-connected students live in a world of instant interpersonal communications and virtually infinite access to information and educational resources. But this networked world, and the powerful learning tools it offers, has yet to penetrate the typical classroom. In many ways educational institutions are spinning their curricular wheels,…

A study was conducted to assist two-year postsecondary educational institutions in providing technical specialty courses for preparing nuclear technicians. As a result of project activities, curricula have been developed for five categories of nuclear technicians and operators: (1) radiation protection technician, (2) nuclear instrumentation and…

Reviews a multimedia curriculum called "What's Up in Technology?" that was developed by the educational television channel Thirteen/WNET to introduce secondary school students to high-technology careers. Describes the curriculum materials, including a video, the teacher's guide, and the Web companion piece. (Author/LRW)

An effort was undertaken to develop a job-oriented basic skills curriculum appropriate for the acoustic sensor operations area, which includes members of four ratings: ocean systems technician, aviation antisubmarine warfare operator, sonar technician (surface), and sonar technician (submarine). Analysis of the job duties of the four ratings…

This paper discusses program requirements and career patterns in technical education with the goal of assisting persons who design community college/technical institute programs to produce technicians to work in a technological environment. The first section describes the five components of the product development cycle in which technicians work…

A Seattle Central Community College project visited existing programs, surveyed need, and developed a curriculum for a future program in Laser-Electro-Optics (LEO) Technology. To establish contacts and view successful programs, project staff made visits to LEO technology programs at San Jose City College and Texas State Technical Institute, Center…

The purpose of the Photoinstrumentation Technology Program is to train technicians in creative design and implementation of high-speed and other scientific photographic recordings. The curriculum was designed to provide technicians without the A.S. degree with the opportunity to acquire the educational background necessary for salary advance and…

The development of a data-based technical education curriculum at Western Kentucky University is described, with consideration of: assessment of the technical needs of the industrial community to identify topics for inclusion in the computer integrated manufacturing technology (CIMT) curriculum, assessment of available physical and human…

A project was conducted at Spokane Community College to identify the electronics competencies required of entry-level employees in several occupations. The methodology included surveying advisory committee members and faculty members representing a variety of vocational programs at the college, and direct contact with industry. Through these…

The Software Development Program described in this report was developed at Collin County Community College as a pilot associate degree program for the State of Texas. Drawing from an employer needs assessment and a DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process, the two-year associate in applied science (AAS) program was developed to train scientific…

A project was conducted by Manchester Community College and Howell Cheney Vocational Technical School in Connecticut to develop a joint curriculum for a two-year computer technology and maintenance program. During the year the project was conducted, a high technology advisory council was formed, consisting of industry and faculty representatives…

A Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) curriculum was developed for a new job title, the "multiskilled health technician." A traditional task analysis method was not feasible, since the occupation does not exist. Instead, the project defined the occupation and developed the duties and tasks as a hybrid of many…

Intended for use in competency-based and criterion-referenced vocational programs, this articulated, performance-based instruction objectives guide for Drafting I is designed for reference use in the articulation of drafting programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels. It consists of a description of the development of the guide, 14…

Recognizing that an important key to success of developing solar technologies is the availability of skilled labor to produce, install, and maintain it, the Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon, Connecticut created a training program for vocational-technical and high school staff. The program's goal was to develop curriculum materials that…

Trained personnel will be needed in the future to install solar energy heating and hot water systems, and public school vocational education teachers will be needed to train these technicians. A project to train high school vocational teachers so that they can teach their students about solar energy concepts, manufacturing techniques, testing, and…