Building competencies in sensor harness manufacturing through prototyping

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2001.Vita.Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-115).Organizational knowledge is information about products, processes and customers that is held by the personnel in the organization. Institutionalization of the best practices contained within this knowledge is essential in creating competencies. Unfortunately, organizations do not utilize this knowledge effectively. This thesis introduces a framework that shows how establishing a prototype system to enhance product and process understanding can start to build organizational knowledge in the short-term. Along with external benchmarking, this internal knowledge can be used to form best practices based competencies. This framework will be illustrated through the use of a case study. The case study was conducted at the Delphi Automotive Systems Mexico Technical Center. The case study project was undertaken to improve the Energy and Chassis Systems division's competencies in sensor wire harness products. In order to support this competency development, the author worked with Delphi Automotive Systems personnel to develop best practices based competencies employing the competency development framework introduced in this thesis. Installation of a working prototyping system was achieved in the six-month project period. Through the production and delivery of these harnesses, internal best practices were developed. These were used along with benchmarking of other harness manufacturers to develop a baseline best practices based competencies repository for the division. Effective use of the best practices based competencies developed during the case study project should foster improvement in competitive metrics, particularly speed-to-market and product development costs. Extension of best practices based competencies development to other products will allow human and monetary capital to be released from re-engineering tasks. These resources can then be refocused on product advancement to exceed customer expectations in the automotive market. It will also allow the organization to focus resources on development of strategic nonautomotive markets in order to diversify the business to protect against future downturn in the automotive market.by Stacy Bergman.S.M

The impact of synchronous inter-networked teacher training in ICT integration.

This research aimed to provide fresh perspectives and experiences in technology-based learning, in an endeavour to produce new knowledge that would further inform the literature on the utilisation of technology in education. The Case Study research (Merriam, 1988) attempted to develop an understanding of the change in pre-service teacher trainees' pedagogical practices in the integration of ICT in learning environments during a 12-week undergraduate course where synchronous networked tasks were developed and implemented. The contributions by the trainees (n=16) to the process of the iterative task design, post-task discussions, and commentaries on a Bulletin Board System, provided insights to the research question regarding changing beliefs and the impact of synchronous networking in affecting such change. This qualitative data was supported by quantitative data in the form of weekly surveys that situated synchronous and asynchronous task activities and cognitive outcomes (Knipe & Lee, 2002). In summary, the research highlighted a development of academic competencies (Morrison & Collins, 1996) considered appropriate for informed ICT integration; namely, generic, epistemic and declarative competencies. In addition, after taking into consideration the competencies developed during this Case Study, a framework consisting of four key elements, namely, the communication, the task, the learning and the technology, was drawn. It is thus anticipated that the competencies and the framework contribute new knowledge to the literature on technology in education on how best facilitate the 'informed' integration of ICT (Towndrow & Vallance, 2004) by teachers to support 'good' learning (Goodyear, 2001)

A Knowledge-Engine Architecture for a Competence Management Information System

This paper describes the ongoing project to develop a knowledge-engine architecture that is being specified and developed by a Portuguese software development company called Shortcut. The primary goal of this work is create an architecture suitable for use, initially, in a Competence Management System (CMS) but also scalable for later use in more generic forms of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS). In general, Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives promote the management, i.e. the creation, storage and sharing, of knowledge assets within an organization. The practical focus of our work is to support the management of employees’ competencies through using a KM approach to create a web based CMS based on a structured content management infrastructure. The system is designed using an ontology-driven framework that incorporates expert annotations which integrate aspects of less tangible knowledge, such as contextual information with more structured knowledge such as that stored in databases, procedures, manuals, books and reports. The theoretical focus of the work is on the representation of competence-based knowledge resources, such as human capital, skills, heuristics acquired during project development, best practices and lessons-learned. This work should contribute for improving the understanding and analysis of the collective knowledge, skills and competencies that are created through problem solving in day-to-day activities and could act as a meeting point for issues around problem solving in complex organizations and context-based information retrieval

Design Principles For Knowledge Productivity

This study explores the learning processes that contribute to knowledge productivity: the improvement and innovation of an organisation’s procedures, products and services, based on the development and application of new knowledge. Based on reconstruction and parallel case studies in more than 20 innovation practices, we formulated eleven design principles. Those principles help key players to turn the work environment into a learning environment that supports knowledge productivity

Implementation and perceived benefits of an after-school soccer program designed to promote social and emotional learning: A multiple case study

Social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies such as self-awareness and relationship skills are predictors of academic success, overall well-being, and avoidance of problematic behaviors. Among school-aged children, research has demonstrated that well-implemented programs teach SEL competencies and life skills (e.g., leadership, responsible decision making) that can transfer to other settings. Similar claims have been made in the field of sport-based youth development (SBYD), however, the SEL framework has not been widely applied in sport programming. Implementation, student learning, and transfer of learning in SBYD programs designed to promote SEL require further exploration. Therefore, the current study examined the implementation and perceived benefits of an after-school soccer program designed to promote SEL. Participants were six coaches and 51 students from three different sites where this program is offered. A multiple case study design was used, integrating data from customized feedback surveys, interviews, systematic observation, and field notes. Results indicated the program reflects many SBYD best practices. Although implementation varied between sites, program culture and core values were consistent. Evidence indicated students learned and applied SEL lessons in the soccer program and that transfer beyond the program was promoted. Participants were most likely to report transfer to the school setting, therefore, future studies should examine this topic more directly. Other implications for research and program implementation are discussed

Student-Centered Learning: Functional Requirements for Integrated Systems to Optimize Learning

The realities of the 21st-century learner require that schools and educators fundamentally change their practice. "Educators must produce college- and career-ready graduates that reflect the future these students will face. And, they must facilitate learning through means that align with the defining attributes of this generation of learners."Today, we know more than ever about how students learn, acknowledging that the process isn't the same for every student and doesn't remain the same for each individual, depending upon maturation and the content being learned. We know that students want to progress at a pace that allows them to master new concepts and skills, to access a variety of resources, to receive timely feedback on their progress, to demonstrate their knowledge in multiple ways and to get direction, support and feedback from—as well as collaborate with—experts, teachers, tutors and other students.The result is a growing demand for student-centered, transformative digital learning using competency education as an underpinning.iNACOL released this paper to illustrate the technical requirements and functionalities that learning management systems need to shift toward student-centered instructional models. This comprehensive framework will help districts and schools determine what systems to use and integrate as they being their journey toward student-centered learning, as well as how systems integration aligns with their organizational vision, educational goals and strategic plans.Educators can use this report to optimize student learning and promote innovation in their own student-centered learning environments. The report will help school leaders understand the complex technologies needed to optimize personalized learning and how to use data and analytics to improve practices, and can assist technology leaders in re-engineering systems to support the key nuances of student-centered learning

Examining Competencies for the Human Resources Professional Within Idaho State Government

This study examines the vital competencies of the Human Resource (HR) professional within Idaho state government. Through the lens of comparability and factor analysis, the competencies examined in this study utilize the Human Resource Competency Survey (HRCS) study framework as a basis for study. Since the HRCS model was primarily designed for the private sector, this study examines these study findings in light of public services on a state government level. This study establishes a competency model that the human resource professional in state level government can use in various facets related to their individual performance, training and development, recruitment, evaluation, professional development, and succession planning. Research suggests that public services often look to the private sector to bridge the gap between the inflexibility of civil systems and the flexibility of HR best practices delivery of private business (Selden, Ingraham, & Jacobsen, 2001; Borins, 2000; OPM 1999-2000; Ulrich, 1997; Gore 1993). Nine original constructs were re-categorized and reduced to five viable competency factors that groups together competencies based on participant agreement as to what competencies were important for the successful HR professional in state level government. These five factors include professional credibility, quality management, global best practices management, workforce management, and performance management. Three taxonomies also surfaced as a result of this study: technical skills, interpersonal skills, and workforce learning and development. Future research implications for studies span possibilities on a more national level across different states in public services, local government systems, and quite possibly into other nations

Core Competencies for Undergraduate Community-Engaged Researchers

Undergraduate community-engaged research (UCEnR) is a growing trend which VCU has proactively pursued by providing grants for UCEnR projects and assimilating UCEnR into interdisciplinary curricula. However, a definitive sense of core competencies for undergraduate community-engaged researchers has not yet been established. To that end, this literature review answers the question, What skills should UCEnR students have

Addressing challenges to teach traditional and agile project management in academia

In order to prepare students for a professional IT career, most universities attempt to provide a current educational curriculum in the Project Management (PM) area to their students. This is usually based on the most promising methodologies used by the software industry. As instructors, we need to balance traditional methodologies focused on proven project planning and control processes leveraging widely accepted methods and tools along with the newer agile methodologies. Such new frameworks emphasize that software delivery should be done in a flexible and iterative manner and with significant collaboration with product owners and customers. In our experience agile methodologies have witnessed an exponential growth in many diverse software organizations, and the various agile PM tools and techniques will continue to see an increase in adoption in the software development sector. Reflecting on these changes, there is a critical need to accommodate best practices and current methodologies in our courses that deliver Project Management content. In this paper we analyse two of the most widely used methodologies for traditional and agile software development – the widely used ISO/PMBOK standard provided by the Project Management Institute and the well-accepted Scrum framework. We discuss how to overcome curriculum challenges and deliver a quality undergraduate PM course for a Computer Science and Information systems curricula. Based on our teaching experience in Europe and North America, we present a comprehensive comparison of the two approaches. Our research covers the main concepts, processes, and roles associated with the two PM frameworks and recommended learning outcomes. The paper should be of value to instructors who are keen to see their computing students graduate with a sound understanding of current PM methodologies and who can deliver real-world software products.Accepted manuscrip