Introduction international conference elgic 2014

Education and Leadership in Glocalization : What does “think globally, act locally” mean for education around the world? 21-24 2014 23 A case study of work integrated learning for science and engineering undergraduates at KMUTT ChotikaViriyarattanasak Food Engineering Practice School, Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 126 Pracha u-tid Road, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand chotikav.kmuttgmail.com ThanapaKijpinyopong Promoting and Supporting Office for Work-integrated Learning WiL, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 126 Pracha u-tid Road, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand thanapa.kijkmutt.ac.th PapapitHirunsirisawat Promoting and Supporting Office for Work-integrated Learning WiL, Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 126 Pracha u-tid Road, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand papapit.ingkmutt.ac.th PrapassornWongdee Department of Educational Communications and Technology, Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology,King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 126 Pracha u-tid Road, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand prapassorn.wonkmutt.ac.th MontiraNopharatana Food Engineering Practice School, Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi 126 Pracha u-tid Road, Tungkru, Bangkok 10140, Thailand montira.nopkmutt.ac.th Abstract This study reported the new model of Work Integrated Learning WIL programs for science and engineering undergraduates at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi KMUTT. The objectives of this new WIL program were to enhance student soft skills required in an industry and to provide knowledge transfer between KMUTT and an industry. This WIL program differed from other industrial trainings, such as internships and co- operative education programs in that the program places emphasis on an intensive selection of industrial problems and project-based learning during industrial training. Prior to a training session at the industry placement, the students spent one week for training in working skills including presentation and teamwork skills. At the placement, the students spent at least four months working in a team for solving industrial problems under the supervision of placement engineers, university advisors, and facilitators assigned to work full-time at the placement for training and evaluating the students in soft skills. In order to assess the achievement of this new WIL model, an evaluation of the students’ soft skills was performed during the industrial training. Moreover, the impact of the students’ project on economic and academic aspects was evaluated by the placement director. Keywords:Work Integrated Learning,project-based learning, facilitator, undergraduates

1. Introduction

King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi KMUTT has recognized Work Integrated Learning WIL programs as an important mechanism to develop professional engineers who possess strong technical knowledge, theory application, teamwork, effective communication, and problem solving Ku Thonglek, 2011; Thonglek et al., 2011. KMUTT initiated “Science and Engineering Practice School program” for Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, andStarch Engineering and Process Optimization Ku et al., 2005. During the first year of the curriculum of the practice school, students study basic knowledge in a related field, and also get experience with problem- based learning PBL. In the second year, one Education and Leadership in Glocalization : What does “think globally, act locally” mean for education around the world? 21-24 2014 24 semester is for doing thesis research, and another is for learning at an industrial site. During the practice site, students work in a team for solving industrial problems under the supervision of placement engineers, and university advisors working full-time at the placement. Student preparation and the presence of university advisors working full-time at the placement are the key issuesfactors which enhance the skills of the students and make the KMUTT-practice school different from other WIL programs such as internships and co-operative education programs. According to the concept of practice school, the new WIL program has been established for undergraduates since 2013. The objective of this new WIL program was to develop ready-to-work graduates, who possess problem solving skills, communicative skills, teamwork skills and management skills in science, technology and engineering. In the KMUTT-WIL model, undergraduates spent one semester or at least four months for project-based learning at an industrial site under the supervision of placement engineers, university advisors, and facilitators assigned to develop learning skills of students at the placement. This internship replaces the research thesis found in a general Bachelor’s degree program. The aim of this paper was to reveal the structure of the KMUTT-WIL model for undergraduates and to discuss enhancement of the student soft skills during training at the industrial placement.

2. Structure and process of the KMUTT-WIL model for undergraduates