INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OUTCOMES: KULLIYYAH OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE AS A CASE STUDY

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1 074 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OUTCOMES: KULLIYYAH OF ENGINEERING PRACTICE AS A CASE STUDY Salmiah Ahmad a, Asan Gani Abd Muthalif b, Maizirwan Mel c a,b Mechatronics Engineering Department, c Biotechnology Engineering Department, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia a salmiah@iium.edu.my, b asan@iium.edu.my c maizirwan@iium.edu.my ABSTRACT Industrial training that is known as an Engineering Industrial Training (EIT) course is the requirement for all engineering students in order to complete their Bachelor of Engineering degree at the Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). EIT is a very important programme since it complements both the academic and professional aspects of the engineering education though it takes only about 12 weeks period of training. Exposing the students to the practical experience and actual working environment shall open the avenues for developing their skills and capabilities, as well as enhancing their intellectual and emotional persona. The EIT also can provide strong linkages between university-industries that shall pave opportunities for "smart partnerships" and industrially driven research. The outcomes of the EIT that are mainly based on the assessment covering the company s and university s evaluation will provide the feedback for students performance after 75% completion of their engineering study. The remarks from the companies on the students will very much helpful for the university to have a continuous quality improvement (CQI) especially on curriculum practiced. This paper provides the EIT course improvement strategy based on the feedbacks from the related parties in executing the EIT at the Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM for the cycle of the year Keywords: industrial training, engineering education, practical training, undergraduate, OBE, CQI. INTRODUCTION Engineering Industrial Training as a Core Course Engineering Industrial Training (EIT) is a kulliyyah level core course for an engineering student at the Kulliyyah of Engineering (KOE), IIUM. Using the course code of EIT 4004, with 4 credit hours, the KOE covers eight programmes from five different departments. The departments include Department of Biotechnology Engineering (BTE), Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), Department of Material and Manufacturing Engineering (MME), Department of Mechanical Engineering (MEC) and Department of Mechatronics Engineering (MCT). Generally, each cycle of EIT will involve,less than 600 students coordinated by different programme coordinators headed by a Kulliyyah Coordinator. The administrative tasks are managed by a unit so called the Engineering Industrial Training Unit (EITU) that is structured under the Office of Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs. The EIT for KOE is structured to be conducted on the third year of the study, which is scheduled on the short semester that has 12 weeks of training period. This short semester provides an option to students to take some subject, i.e maximum 6 credit hours or they can have a long holiday instead, except for students who are supposed to undergo the EIT in that semester. PRE-EIT EXERCISES The students will start the EIT process as early in Semester 1 for each year. The basic flow of the process of application can be seen as in Fig. 1, [1]. The process of EIT application to companies will take most of the semester period until students get placement. The programme coordinators play their important role in assisting students to liaise with companies who offer placement. 314

2 Not Accepted International Conference on Engineering Education 2013 EIT Application to EITU Companies Short Listing (existing/new) and approved by EIT Programme Coordinators Supporting Letter from EITU Sending out Application to companies Accepted GET PLACEMENT and Approved by Kulliyyah Board Meeting (KBM) Figure 1 - EIT basic student flowchart DURING EIT PERIOD Students are very much expected to display a professional ethics upon reporting duty at the company. The status as a student must be re-defined, where students are more likely to be treated as a normal staff with proactive attitude. Maturity and confidence will be more of interests among the employers. As an Islamic International University, students also carry along the university s name with its mission and vision as a package. The performance of students during EIT is very crucial as a benchmark for companies whether to accept students for the next cycle of EIT. ENGINEERING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES The objectives and outcomes of the EIT are in line with the Programme Educational Objective (PEO) and the Programme Outcomes (PO) of the Kulliyyah of Engineering. These two items are part and partial of the Outcome Based Education (OBE), which is currently practiced by universities worldwide. Course Objectives i. Train students to be independent in finding the EIT placement that will prepare them to join the ii. iii. iv. workforce in the future. Expose the students to the actual working environment including rules, regulations and safety practices. Enhance and supplement the knowledge and skills of the students. Develop the students in terms of ability, competence and interpersonal relationship. Course Learning Outcomes i. Generate a report based on the experiences and projects carried out with the ability to apply knowledge of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Fundamentals. 315

3 ii. Demonstrate competency in relevant engineering fields through problem identification, formulation and solution. iii. Effectively implement skills in communication, in writing and using multimedia tools. iv. Develop the ability to work as an individual and in group with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member. v. Master the professional and ethical responsibilities of an engineer. The overall mapping between the EIT course outcomes to the programme outcomes is shown in Table 1. Table 1. Mapping of course outcomes to the Programme Learning Outcomes Learning Outcome of the course 1. Generate a report based on the experiences and projects carried out demonstrating the ability to apply knowledge of Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Fundamentals. 2. Demonstrate competency in relevant engineering fields through problem identification, formulation and solution. 3. Effectively demonstrate skills in communication, in writing and using multimedia tools. 4. Demonstrate the ability to work as an individual and in group with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member. Programme Outcomes Demonstrate professional and ethical responsibilities. The overall relation of the EIT outcomes, teaching and learning methodology and the assessment methodology of the Kulliyyah of Engineering are listed in Table 2. Table 2. Teaching & learning (T & L) and assessment methodologies PROGRAM OUTCOMES 1. acquire and apply knowledge of mathematics, computers, science, and engineering. (T) 2. have in-depth understanding and technical competency in relevant engineering discipline. (T) 3. identify, formulate and provide solutions to engineering problems. (T) 4. design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. (D) 5. analyze and design a system, component, or process to achieve the required objectives. (A) 6. apply design principles for sustainable development. (D) 7. communicate effectively. (S) 8. function effectively as an individual and in group with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an T & L METHODOLOGY Laboratory works, Lectures, Seminars Seminar 2, Laboratory works, Courses with project work,, EIT. Courses with project work, Laboratory works, ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY Lab reports, report and presentation. assessment, seminar presentation. Lab reports, EIT report, report and presentation, 2 Poster presentation, class and seminar presentations. Lab reports, group works and presentation. 316

4 effective team member. (S) 9. recognize the need for lifelong learning and to pursue independent learning for professional development. (S) 10. understand the responsibility of a professional engineer in the context of contemporary social, cultural, global and environmental issues. (ESSE) 11. demonstrate understanding and commitment to professional and ethical responsibilities. (ESSE) 12. understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context through broadbased education. (ESSE) Seminars, Courses with project work,, EIT Courses (UNGS 2030, UNGS 2040) Courses (UNGS 2030, UNGS 2040) Courses (UNGS 2030, UNGS 2040),, Design courses. EIT report, report and presentation, class and seminar presentations and exit survey. assessment, class presentation. assessment, class presentation. assessment, class presentation, report From Table 1 and 2, it is clear that the EIT course is designed to contribute to most of the programme outcomes of the Kulliyyah of Engineering including to communicate effectively and lifelong learning. ASSESSMENT OF ENGINEERING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING Company s Supervisor Evaluation [30% marks] The student who is undergoing the EIT at a company will be attached to a supervisor, commonly an Engineerlevel of staff throughout his/her practical. The supervisor must ensure sufficient exposure especially hands on to be given to the students. Issues is rise when students are given tasks that are not suitable to a trainee engineer who expect more engagement in engineering field including design, documentation, experimental work, and etc. This can be initiated by a continuous proactive habit on asking projects or direct field/site involvement by a student. This assessment contributes to the evaluation of students whether they have achieved the Outcome 2, Outcome 4 and Outcome 5. Student Presentation Evaluation [20% marks] Students are expected to present his/her activities throughout the EIT during the visitation period. Assigned lecturers will have to visit the students and assess for their presentation in front of their company s supervisor. The presentation is a key assessment method for student s soft skills to assess how well the student can communicate effectively. This assessment given by the visiting lecturer will contribute to the evaluation of whether our students have achieved Outcome 2. Student Log Book Evaluation [20% marks] To train students to be a professional engineer, a log book is made compulsory for their EIT daily activities record. Students are expected to write their daily activities and will be finally endorsed by the company s supervisor. The daily activities recorded are part of the training for future engineer. The log book content and style provided by the EIT Unit is based on the standard log book manual prepared by the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM). The log book assesses the Outcome 1 of the students. Student Final Report Evaluation [30% marks] Final report has to be prepared upon returning back to the university where the students are given 2 weeks after new Semester 1 begins for submission. An approval from the company is needed for the final report to be submitted avoiding any company confidentiality issues. This type of assessment evaluate students Outcome 1 and Outcome 2. The evaluation by the company s supervisor is very crucial to be highlighted as it is the mirror of the students as the university s product in the future, therefore this paper stresses on the assessment by the company s supervisor that reflect most of the outcomes of the EIT courses. ENGINEERING INDUSTRIAL TRAINING OUTCOMES: 2012 EIT STUDENTS PERFORMANCE AS A CASE STUDY 317

5 Criteria Evaluated by a Company s Supervisor The data is taken from 681 students who have undergone the EIT period that are scattered in more than 500 companies locally and overseas, [2]. The students comprise of different eight programmes (Communication, Computer and Information, Biotechnology, Material, Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Mechatronics). There are about 10 criteria evaluated by the company which determine the performance of the students of Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM throughout 12 weeks of industrial training. The critera is listed as in Table 3. Label A B C D E F G H I J Table 3 Students Performance Criterion Criteria Attendance and punctuality of the students Ability to carry out project work Level of contribution to the industry Performance of the student compared to other trainees Level of creativity and innovativeness Teamwork attitude Integrity and moral values (character and attitudes) Adaptability to the industrial environment Student's technical knowledge toward given task Ability to complete the project as scheduled Sample of Evaluation Figure 2 shows the performance of all students on different criterions. As for the first part, Label A shows the attendance and punctuality of the students. From the graphs, most of the students have shown quite a good performance given by excellent and good ratings which are more than 50% have shown a good attitude with regard to attendance and punctuality. This can be further improved by the kulliyyah in terms of developing the consciousness on the importance of time management. This issue must be integrated in any means of curriculum directly or indirectly. Figure 2 Students Evaluation Criterion 318

6 Criterion B and J respectively show the performance of students in terms of their ability to carry out project given by the superior within a stipulated time. Although most of them have shown a good performance but having more excellent rating will reflect to good project-based courses that inculcate independency and team work of students given at kulliyyah level. In contrast since majority are rated with good rating therefore a review on courses with projects must be conducted. On the other hand, the level of contribution of our students for the industry is depicted with label C. As shown in the Figure 3, a moderate performance where rating on satisfactory was also highlighted significantly. The issue arise for this assessment whereby what kind of contribution is expected from a trainee engineer that satisfy the satisfaction of the companies are ambiguous. This criterion has to be revised to be more specific in detailing the type of contributions to the companies. Label D in the graph shows the comparison between the IIUM engineering students compared to other universities students. Some companies might have trainees from other universities as well and some are not. Overall performance is promising whereby most of them are better than other trainees, which comes from different public universities all over Malaysia. Level of creativeness and innovativeness is summarized by Label E while Label F shows the teamwork attitude among students. The teamwork attitude portrayed by the students are overwhelming as majority of them are rated good and excellent ratings. On the other hand Label G and H show the students performance based on their integrity and moral values and their adaptability to the industrial environment. Alhamdulillah, the majority of IIUM students are equipped with good integrity and moral values. In addition, they can easily adapted themselves to the industrial environment. From Label I, it can be seen that the ratings given by the companies on the technical knowledge possess by the students during the EIT is promising. This reflects to the courses covered prior letting the students undergo the EIT is appropriate. Besides, there are some specific courses indicated by the company to be covered by the students prior the EIT. This has been highlighted at the kulliyyah level and as a result, different departments have come out with a unique department-level pre-requisite courses in addition to third year standing requirement. For example, in Mechatronics Engineering Department, Industrial Automation subject has made as a pre-requisite course for EIT. From the graph generally, there is very rare cases where the students is rated as poor. The investigation has been done, which has shown that it comes from a problematic student. This is a common rare case in each batch of engineering students. Besides, there are comments from the companies that prefer to have longer period of EIT. The requirement of the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC) [3] in their recent manual has stated that the minimum weeks for performing the EIT is 8 weeks, thus the EIT practiced by the Kulliyyah of Engineering is in line and even better than their minimum requirement. CONCLUSIONS EIT is a compulsory course which exposes students to a real life of working engineering environment. Students are trained to execute a job hunting process until they secure a placement. They bring over the knowledge that has been learned in three years before with their personal characteristics developed to perform the EIT. Companies will evaluate their performance based on the pre-determined criterion. The company s evaluations are very important tool that reflects the preparedness of a student to undergo the EIT with a good support from the kulliyyah and university as a whole. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors would like to thank to all former deans and the current dean of Kulliyyah of engineering, IIUM, who are always supporting the authors to improve the coordination of Engineering Industrial Training in facilitating the students to undergo the EIT. The author would like to express the appreciation to all programme coordinators of EIT for their sincere cooperation. REFERENCES [1] Engineering Industrial Training Unit, (2013), Engineering Industrial Training Guide Book, Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM. 319

7 [2] S.Ahmad, N. F. Hasbullah et al., (2012), Engineering Industrial Training Report, Kulliyyah of Engineering, IIUM. [3] Engineering Accreditation Council, (2012) Engineering Programme Accreditation Manual 2012, Board of Engineer Malaysia (BEM). 320