Our project focuses on Application Specialist education on the university level in Japan. The required skill and knowledge for the Application Specialist is described in the official Information Technology Skill Standard (ITSS) . We have developed the framework of adaptive e-learning systems with learning portfolio which is called POLITE. POLITE has a curriculum-based learning environment based on SCORM2004 and an exploratory-based learning environment with interactive Q&A and virtual systems development world. We continued to utilize the POLITE in regular classes in our university for two years. The students in the POLITE class achieved the same or better level of understanding than in the standard face-to-face class, and learned longer than almost students in other class. As a result of questionnaires, it is confirmed that students felt our framework to overcome weaknesses of ordinary style of lessons.

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This paper describes the PBL (Project-Based Learning) method which is applied to the seminar class at the Advanced Course of Electronic and Information Systems Engineering in Kushiro National College of Technology. The PBL method is an educational technique used for students to develop problem-solving skills through a self-directed learning process, in which students are responsible to identify problems and explore possible solutions. A small team-based competition approach which is applied by companies in developing trial product is employed in the seminar, aiming at developing students′ problem-solving skills. Subjects which contain two solutions or more are applied for the seminar class. During the problem-solving process, the students are also expected to learn the practical knowledge and skills.

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Today there is increasing development of products in which embedded microprocessors are installed in a wide variety of industrial fields including mechanical industries. Mechanical engineers will be asked to develop such embedded systems in the future. To educate mechanical engineering students who possess information technology skills, for five years we have offered practical classes in which the students build a mobile robot with an embedded microprocessor and compete in a robot-triathlon race. The students have an incentive to program their robot to finish the race. We call this style of learning “robot-based learning.” In this paper, we discuss the efficiency of and problems in our practical classes as derived from information gained in surveys. In addition, we verify how the engineering design abilities of the students are improved through their participation in these classes.

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Several years passed after advanced course had been set up National College of Technology. Kushiro National College of Technology advanced course entered fifth year in 2008. As for education of advanced course, the introduction of a progressive curriculum that acquires adaptability corresponding to the reformation in the age is needed to basic curriculum. This paper shows effectiveness of the proposed new design project based on finding problems to be solved through a reproducing the manuscript of Leonard de Vinci using 3D-CAD application, brainstorming and brainwriting method.

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We introduce the internationalization promotion program conducted in Tomakomai National College of Technology (TNCT) . In order for the students to improve their international understanding and communication skills, the program was undertaken by means of collaborative education and distance education. TNCT delegates consisting of 2 teachers, 6 students, an office staff, and an engineer were sent to New Zealand, and worked on a project in cooperation with faculty members of Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawke′s Bay (EIT) . The students explored environmental issues through discussions with other international students. At the end of the two-week on-site project, they reported the result via a video conferencing system. Additionally, this system served as a medium for international exchange in an intercultural communication class. Since the most of the students did not go to NZ, it was a good opportunity for them to communicate with people overseas. We discuss the effectiveness of both the collaborative education on practical topics and the distance education using a video conferencing system.

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Department of Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, which was renamed to Course of Sustainable Resources Engineering in 2005, was established in 1972 based on Department of Mining. Number of coal mines in Japan rapidly decreased at that time by the governmental policy and the department was not popular with students from the beginning. Students with very low GPA (Maximum GPA was 1.6 in 1981, for example) were distributed to the department and the department was filled with full of dull students. Teachers also lost eagerness for high quality education. A negative spiral was formed and the situation went worse and worse. As time goes, attempts were made to revolutionize the department. One is “Curriculum Petit Committee” . And the other is “Committee for Education System Improvement” . These two committees significantly improved the education in the department. As a result, the department was filled with full of vivid students, and teachers. For exampe, in 2007, students′ maximum, minimum and average GPA was 3.3, 2.0 and 2.5, respectively,

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A JABEE educational program must be regular improved in educational methods and educational environment. For the purpose, “educational improvement system” has been formulated for General Engineering Program in Hakodate National College of Technology. The “educational improvement system” has peculiar schemes such as self-check and level-check, educational checking has been executed since 2005 by using this system. As a result, many educational improvements have been obtained. In this paper, “educational improvement system” in Hakodate National College of Technology is described and its effectiveness is analyzed.

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To foster engineers with creative power, Muroran Institute of Technology established Manufacturing and Engineering Design Center (MEDeC) that concentrates on Monozukuri. MEDeC consists of three project groups : i) Education Support Group provides educational support for practical training classes on and off campus and PDCA (plan-do-check-action) -conscious engineering design education related to Monozukuri ; ii) Fundamental Manufacturing Research Group carries out nurture research into fundamental and innovative technology of machining and manufacturing, and iii) Regional Cooperation Group coordinates the activities in cooperation with bureau, schools and industries in and around Muroran City. MEDeC has a fully integrated collection of machine tools and hand tools for manufacturing, an atelier, a tatara workplace, implements for measurement and related equipment designed for practically teaching state-of-the-practice manufacturing methods.

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The advanced courses of Hakodate National College of Technology perform “Manufacturing skills succession program” with students and retired engineers who used to work for enterprises. We aim at inheriting “consciousness for delivery deadline, consciousness of cost, ability to plan and ability to grasp progress of work” throughout this activity. The author presumes that this activity realizes all of the engineering educations for students, utilization of retired engineers and contributions to the local community.

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Creative Manufacturing Practice, a cooperative class of the 2nd and the 3rd year students, has been conducted since fiscal year 2004 in Department of Mechanical Engineering, HAKODATE National College of Technology. In this paper, the contents of the practice in the classes covered for three years from fiscal year 2005 are outlined, and the results of the questionnaire survey conducted among the students who attended the cooperative class are shown. The results of the questionnaire survey showed that higher educational effects such as development of communication skills and leadership were obtained by working in combined teams of students at different grade levels.

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New education programs for engineering graduate courses, and the achievements are described. Following the previous reports on overseas and domestic internship2) , 3) , this article states other common programs ; seminars on state of technologies in industries, practical English and internationalization programs, and a program to accept overseas internship students. E-learning system to assist off-campus students is also described. All these programs are developed and conducted by specialist professors invited from industries and national institutions, in collaboration with faculty professors. Students learn how the engineering science apply to the practical problems, acquire wider view and deeper understanding on industries, and gain abilities to act in global society including communication skill, those are not taught in classrooms and laboratories. Educational effects of these industry collaborated programs is significant to activate the graduate course education, although the comprehensive evaluation is the future subject.

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Since 2005, Tomakomai National College of Technology has been conducting “A Promotion Program of Academic-Industrial Collaboration with Active and Joint Participation by Technical College Students” , in which the students actively challenged to resolve technical problems of local companies through internships and graduation researches. This project was adopted as part of the Support Program for Contemporary Educational Needs by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. It has been revealed that the program is practical and effective engineering education for the students, i.e. “Future Engineers” . In addition, it leads to the revitalization of local companies which carried out collaborative researches with the participating students.

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Engineering study in the field of aerospace is an effective way to enhance the student motivation. The young students can be attracted by the research and development aiming at returning its results to the public society. The Muroran Institute of Technology is carrying out the practical education in the field of real research and development by the Aerospace Research Center. The projects of the center is being performed well in cooperation with the national research organization and the private companies and thereby the students have the good opportunity to find the actual situation of the real world.

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[in Japanese]

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Recently, in Japan, the number of students who hope for finding employment at the nuclear power company has decreased as students′ concern for the nuclear power industry decreases. To improve the situation, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology launched the program of cultivating talent for nuclear power which supports research and education of nuclear power in the academic year of 2007. Supported by the program, Kushiro College of Technology conducted several activities concerning nuclear power for about a year. The students came to be interested in nuclear engineering through these activities and its results.

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Specialist knowledge and creative ability are important for engineers to solve various problems in manufacturing products. Creative ability cannot be acquired without real experiences and much knowledge. This paper discusses the educational effects of “instruction for thinking” in fundamental experiments in electrical and electronic engineering. An experiment was conducted in which students were required not only to use their previous knowledge but also to think by themselves in order to enhance creative ability. In this experiment, the present authors encouraged students to find out problems on their own, and waited until they worked out the solution. After the experiment, we conducted a questionnaire on students to the motivation for studying the technical subjects. As a result, it was confirmed that the practical ability for thinking was improved.

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In recent years, a method of enhancing the problem-solving abilities of students has been explored in many universities and colleges of Technology. The trial and error engineering experiments were introduced to the department of electrical engineering in Kushiro national college of technology in 2005. In the experiments, it is necessary to continuously improve the experimental contents in order to cultivate understanding of engineering. And at the end of the experiments, we have analyzed the relation between design specifications and student′s products and the results of the questionnaire of the experiments. As a result of their analysis, we found that the experiments supported voluntary learning, problem-solving approach by the trial and error and the sufficient motivation for learning of engineering. This paper describes the contents of the trial and error experiments and these effects in the last three years.

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Hokkaido University holds first year student seminars for promoting student ability in communication, presentation, design, and creativity. The authors have held this seminar to students of all faculties, where the research topics were determined by the students themselves from the phenomena or questions relating to children′s games such as playing in the sand and blowing soap bubbles. Then, they planned experimental procedures, discussed, summarized, and presented the results with minimal advice from teachers. After the student presentations the teachers introduced the techniques and equipments related to the topics, which are used in industrial plants. The final questionnaire showed that this type of lecture is very effective to promote student motivation and ability.

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We have proposed the omnibus style to teach an engineering ethics program. This paper showed the essentials to practice the class. The engineering ethics program is constituted with the factors; grade, subject, objective even if it is operated by some themes and teachers in the style of omnibus. Also, teachers have to select the cases which have dilemma of the engineer and the good effect. And they should teach how to analyze the case. Evaluation of student activity must be made up by versatile style according to objective. And student is recommended to understand the relation of activity and object.

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