Discussion SOFT SKILLS EDUCATION FOR PREPARING VOCATIONAL SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL IN PRODUCING SKILLED GRADUATES
documentation. We have evaluated two approaches:
a. A detailed initial lecture: At the beginning
of the course, instructors give a lecture that describes the whole system thoroughly.
b. Intermediate lectures: In every laboratory
session, instructors give an initial brief lecture describing the main issues related
to the subsystems that should be developed in this session, according to the proposed
timetable.
3. Strategies and tools for student progress
monitoring: A large number of enrolled students makes it more difficult to carry out a
detailed progress monitoring of the course. In order to facilitate the progress monitoring
process and to automate its analysis, we have designed and developed a tool for annotating
the development stage the students have reached at any time. By comparing this
information to the proposed timetable, the tool can detect major differences between current
progress and the planned schedule. With the information gathered by the tool, we can
estimate accurate statistics on the students’ progress and identify possible problems in the
planned schedule or unforeseeable difficulties in the laboratory assignment. The granularity
of the reports is also adjustable, so that you can track the overall progress, specific workgroups
or even selections of workgroups. Another way of keeping track of the students’ progress is by
means of requesting intermediate progress reports from the students which can include
performance measurements, design schematics, source code, e.tc . In order to facilitate the
reports management by instructors, we have developed a tool that allows the students to
submit their reports.
4. Strategies for guiding the advising sessions: In
a PBL course, advising students is probably the main task of the instructors. We can define two
mayor instruction strategies: polling the instructor talks to each team orderly on a one to
one
basis and
interruption-based the
instructor answers students’ question as they arise. In PBL coursed with a high student-to-
faculty ratio, the polling strategy has serious drawbacks: the instructors spend most of their
advising time in polling and there is hardy no time for urgent questions. Because of the
complexity of the system different problems for different teams, if the instructor does not
assist the students at these times, they may not able to succeed.
5. Strategies
for efficient
and exhaustive
evaluation: The work of students in PBL laboratories, because of its practical complex
projects, it is rather difficult to grade. We may assume that the development of a fully working
prototype can guarantee that students have learnt the key points that make engineering
projects successful However, as PBL is more a process than a final result, we must look at the
process, not just the final system.
In a study about effective employer [8], it is found a finding that strengthens the constructivism
learning theory in vocational education. The study concluded that an effective employer has to: 1 be
able to simplify the tasks, use effective shortcut and find certain strategy in order to optimize the effort
in completing the task, 2 has certain flexible strategy and be able to re-organize the task to be
suitable with the current asset, 3 do collaboration with partners and customers in order to develop
new possibilities and find alternative solutions, 4 continually develop his competence, 5 want to
change
and improve
himself, avoid
fixed procedure. Therefore, constructivism learning
theory sees the learners in an authentic context so the authentic task can be a part of educational
practice as modification.
This project-based learning’s effectiveness is supported by findings which prove that this
learning can improve certain competence, such as academic achievement, high-level thinking ability
and critical thinking ability. The learning also may improve problem solving ability and develop
creativity, strengthen independence and ability to see something from better perspective, develop
understanding about learning material, develop positive thinking behavior toward the subject, build
more positive and supportive relationship with partners, improve communication skill and improve
learning motivation [9].
Pan, et al [9], one of the researchers who studied the effectiveness of PBL laboratory, focus
on project-based
electronics manufacturing
laboratory course for lower-division engineering students. He found that:
1. This project provides a good challenge through
having to learn new subject matter and having to critically think through the issues that arose
throughout the process. Also, it tests your patience, and your ability to follow instructions.
These are great characteristics that will serve as a great tool for yourself and will carry through
in the future when working for your future employer.
2. “Overall,
this was
a very
educational experience. I feel that the laboratory component
of this class, although very rigorous, supported the concepts presented in the class very well.
Throughout the project, every aspect of the electronics manufacturing process was new to
me, and I feel that I now have intimate knowledge of the art. From soldering, to
etching, to board design, I felt that I truly experienced Cal Poly’s ‘learn by doing’
philosophy.”
4
According to the characteristic of laboratory project-based learning, it can be concluded that this
learning has similarity with vocational education innovation concept, especially in these cases: 1
the learners gain the basic sciences which is useful for solving the problem related to his major, 2 the
learners actively and independently learn the integrated and relevance teaching material which is
usually called student-centered learning, 3 the learners are able to think critically and develop their
initiation. Therefore, the application of this learning model in vocational education create opportunity in
improving
the learning
process, learning
innovation, and preparing graduates whose skill is suitable with the characteristic of the work field.