Are they validated or overlooked perspectives?

 

                   The Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea (ABEEK), which provides guidance on essential knowledge for engineering students, is facing the dissatisfaction of some students. Not only Ajou University, but also many other universities, participate in ABEEK’s system. This system offers many advantages to engineering students. ABEEK’s purpose is agreeable: to focus on engineering education and foster engineering students who are well prepared for their future employment at various types of companies. Indeed, the system works well, and many students receive the benefit of being able to reach their potential. Moreover, ABEEK is a member of the Washington Accord (WA), which means that students who are qualified through ABEEK can achieve recognition of their potential from other members of WA such as ABET (U.S.) or EA (Australia). Thus, it seems ABEEK offers students more benefits than drawbacks. However, some students point to problems in the system. We might ask, what exactly do they want from ABEEK?

             Students mostly agree with the purpose of the system and feel satisfied with its benefits, but they express dissatisfaction with its process. Specifically, students’ freedom of choice and feeling of satisfaction are ignored by the system. The students’ main points are as follows:

1.      The course registration system is unsatisfactory.

2.      Too many liberal arts courses are required.

3.      The range of course selection is narrow.

4.      It is unclear why some courses are available after students complete other required courses.

 

To explore the details of these complaints and Ajou University’s opinions on the issues, The Ajou Globe asked the Innovation Center for Engineering Education (ICEE) to give a response to the problems.

 

The course registration system is unsatisfactory.

             Some students complain about the course registration system, saying that they have to follow different rules and taking extra courses is meaningless for their career. In response, Ajou University describes that the College of Engineering has its own course registration system. Students and professors have to officially meet before the day of course registration. This is because ABEEK emphasizes the education provided by the college. As education is important, both the professors and students have important roles. Counseling is mandatory, and students have to meet with their advisors at least twice a year. This ensures the students are well-educated and makes them feel a sense of responsibility under every circumstance. However, the requirement also constitutes a burden, as the professors are busy with their projects and the students are concerned about their studies, with little time to rest.

 

Too many liberal arts courses are required.

             The students do not understand why the college requires them to take many courses in the liberal arts, as this limits their freedom to select their own courses. Ajou University’s explanation is that ABEEK’s educational philosophy is outcome based, demand (needs) driven, and focused on continuous quality improvement (COI). The outcome-based portion of the philosophy explains why liberal arts courses are required. To graduate, students need to acquire certain knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Therefore, the college has set 10 regulatory criteria, broadly divided into technical and non-technical criteria. The university believes the non-technical skills can be learned through the liberal arts, so it has regularized liberal arts in the curriculum.

 

The range of course selection is narrow.

             The next problem brought up is in the same vein as the second one. Students at Ajou University are limited in choosing which major course they want to take, and this leads them to study different fields to widen their knowledge. According to Ajou University, this issue can be understood from the perspective of the outcome-based philosophy, just like the second problem. Being outcome based means focusing on enabling each engineering student to secure employment at a company he or she wants to work for. This brings up two perspectives: the reinforcement of quality education and the limitation of students’ ability to choose courses freely. Yet, Ajou University thinks that students’ futures are important. As mentioned above, ABEEK is a member of the WA, and this provides the students some opportunities. For example, those who fulfill ABEEK’s requirements can expand their job search to other countries that are also members of the WA.

             Also, students need 128 credits to graduate from the College of Engineering. To meet ABEEK’s standard, they can take no more than 26 of these credits as their free course selection. This leads to student dissatisfaction. According to the College of Engineering, the reason for the rule is that the engineering industry worries that students with low abilities in their major will make bad employees. To address this concern, the school changed its requirements to make students more expert engineers.

 

It is unclear why some courses are available after students complete other required courses.

             Most of the students expressed concern about this problem. They did not understand why some courses are available to them after they complete other required courses, and this made them uncertain about the overall vision of the system. According to Ajou University, ABEEK believes it is important to have a phased education system. Phased education means that students have to learn the knowledge for their major in a progression from an easy to difficult level. As ABEEK describes this notion clearly, the universities have to conform to it, and the course systems are the result. Before studying their major in-depth, students must first learn the base knowledge behind it, such as mathematics, physics, biology, etc.

             Certainly, the College of Engineering and ICEE have their own opinions about the problems, but this does not mean that they have solved the issues. There remain unresolved problems resulting from the interests of the university versus the students.

First, imposing limitations is the opposite of being flexible. The system needs to be more flexible to increase student satisfaction. Ajou University’s reasoning described above seems logical in a way. Yet does it really deliver what students want? Maybe the students can suggest practical directions and regulations for Ajou University. Also, limiting students’ options can make them feel dissatisfied, especially if they do not understand the reasons for the college’s requirements. It may be difficult to persuade students to comply with positive attitudes. If the college can achieve the desired outcomes without imposing unnecessary limitations, students may comply more readily.

Second, the professors’ work environment needs to be improved. Despite ABEEK’s good purpose and the college’s duty to educate students, professors’ primary work is to conduct research in their field. It would be better if the interests of ABEEK and the professors could coexist well.

Finally, both the college and the students’ need to participate in active communication to identify points of agreement regarding the problems above. Being unwilling to communicate with each other undermines ABEEK’s purpose. Ajou University is a public space for both its employees and its students. Since they share the profit of good education, communication between them should be encouraged in order to create a better environment. Also, this means the causes of the problems are the responsibility of both Ajou University and the students. Interviews with engineering students revealed there is a lack of surveys asking what students think about ABEEK. However, engineering students experience problems. According to ICEE documents, since June, only one student has shown interest in ABEEK. This means that students do not actively point out the problems they face. If both Ajou University and the students make an effort to discuss the problems, they may be able to agree on certain points toward a better solution.

 

저작권자 © 아주대학보 무단전재 및 재배포 금지