Telematics education II: Teaching, learning and assessment at foundation level

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Apr 2005 by Vaezi-Nejad, S M, Olabiran, Y

Abstract

The newly formed Telematics Research Group in the School of Computing, Comunications Technology and Mathematics (CCTM) at London Metropolitan University is involved with delivering a number of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level leading to BSc, BEng and MSc degrees in Electronics, Computer Networks & Communications. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to describe our successful Higher Introductory Technology and Engineering Conversion Course (HITECC), also known as the Foundation Year of the BSc (Sciences) Extended Degree programme and secondly, to outline our approach in teaching, learning and assessing telematics-related subjects at the HITECC level by describing a few specific modules.

Keywords curriculum design; telematics; foundation studies

The development of engineering education in the UK since the 1980s has taken place in the context of the formation of 'new' universities including London Metropolitan University.1-4 The Telematics Programme for European Collaborative Research and Development covers areas such as transport, healthcare, distance and flexible learning, libraries, language translation, the needs of rural areas and communication between public administrations.5,6 However, telematics at London Metropolitan University deals specifically with storage, exchange and interpretation of electronic information in relation to communications technology, electronics, multimedia, computing and information technology. The teaching of telematics-related modules at postgraduate level is the subject of a separate publication.

The aim of this paper is to describe our successful Higher Introductory Technology and Engineering Conversion Course (HITECC) or foundation programme, designed to admit students who show promise for progression in the course of one year of study to a level where they are capable of entering upon degree- or diplomalevel study with a high likelihood of success. A significant proportion of entrants are mature returners to education. This is consistent with the wider aims of the University to enhance access, widen participation, and promote social inclusion.

Aims and objectives of the HITECC foundation year

The acronym HITECC is a reminder of the origins of the Foundation Year in 1987. From 1992 the choice of study options and post-Foundation degree pathways were widened and the semester-based year already in use elsewhere at London Metropolitan University and other universities7-9 was introduced. The study skills content of the course, hitherto free-standing, was integrated into the main subject areas. The 1995 revalidation of the course saw large changes in its structure and content. The course adopted the modular structure of the rest of the Faculty's Modular Degree Scheme, with its four-hour, half-day 'blocks'. The content was further expanded to allow progression to all degree and diploma courses offered by the Faculty of Science, Computing and Engineering.

The essential aims of the Foundation Year are to:

* equip students with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills in the areas of science, technology and engineering to enable them to embark with well-founded confidence on the next year of the Extended Degree/HND Course; and

* provide students with a broad, varied and stimulating experience, which allows them to assess their own aptitudes and interests and thus make an informed choice of progression pathway within the Faculty of Science, Computing and Engineering.

Broader aims are to:

* stimulate a lasting interest in the areas of science, computing, technology and engineering;

* develop the ability to apply principles learned in the classroom and laboratory in unfamiliar situations;

* develop the ability to communicate material of a technical nature both clearly and appropriately;

* promote an awareness of employment opportunities for scientists, technologists and engineers; and

* promote an awareness of the social, economic, environmental and ethical impact of science, computing, technology and engineering.

Students completing the Foundation Year are expected to possess the knowledge and conceptual understanding specific to the degree or diploma course to which they progress; in addition, they are expected to possess more general, transferable skills. Thus the skills which students are expected to possess at the end of the course are in the areas of communication, application of number and information technology. A more detailed breakdown of these skills is as follows:

Communication

The ability to:

* contribute to discussions

* make a presentation

* read and synthesise information

* write different types of document

Application of number

The ability to:

* plan and interpret information from different sources

* carry out multi-stage calculations

* present findings, explain results and justify choice of methods

Information technology

The ability to:

* plan and use different sources to search for and select information

* explore, develop and exchange information, and derive new information