In the soft-to-hard technical spectrum: Where is software engineering?

In the computer journals and tabloids, there have been a plethora of articles written about the software engineering field. But while advocates of the need for an engineering approach to software development, it is impressive how many authors have treated the subject of software engineering without adequately addressing the fundamentals of what engineering as a discipline consists of. A discussion is presented of the various related facets of this issue in a logical framework to advance the thesis that the software development process is necessarily an engineering process. The purpose is to examine more of the details of the issue of whether or not the design and development of software for digital computer processing systems should be both viewed and treated as a legitimate field of professional engineering. Also, the type of academic and professional level education programs that would be required to support a software engineering discipline is examined

Implementing polylingual space into the process of training future primary school teachers

La relevancia del problema objeto de investigación es debido a un nuevo orden social, reflejado en el Concepto para el Desarrollo de la Educación en Idiomas Extranjeros de la República de Kazajstán, donde la formación de una personalidad polilingüe se determina como resultado cualitativo final de la sociedad, estudiando una lengua y cultura extranjeras. En estas condiciones, el problema de la capacitación del personal pedagógico respectivo de maestros de escuela primaria se está actualizando para construir un nuevo tipo de educación en un entorno polilingüe en la etapa moderna de la educación, incluidas las cuestiones del desarrollo de su apoyo teórico y tecnológico. La mejora de la calidad de la educación, que es un problema clave de la pedagogía, en las condiciones modernas de expansión de las áreas de cooperación internacional y las tendencias de formar una comunidad global unificada, se enfoca con atención. El objetivo del artículo es desarrollar el contenido de un plan de estudios experimental sobre el espacio polilingüe y probar la formación de la competencia lingüística de los futuros maestros de Primaria en el proceso de Educación Superior, así como estudiar los detalles de su capacitación para trabajar con estudiantes en el espacio educativo multicultural de la moderna Kazajstán. El método principal para estudiar este problema es el análisis, que permite identificar las necesidades lingüísticas de los estudiantes. El estudio analizó una serie de encuestas a 115 estudiantes y estudiantes universitarios, así como a profesores universitarios de diversas disciplinas. Además, implementando en el estudio métodos como el análisis, síntesis, generalización, encuesta, diagnóstico y realización de diversos trabajos prácticos, se determinaron las condiciones para optimizar el desarrollo de currículos y cursos especiales y eliminar obstáculos en la implementación de la educación trilingüe. El análisis de los trabajos para mejorar el sistema de capacitación de maestros de Primaria en las condiciones del espacio polilingüe y los requisitos para la personalidad de un maestro muestra que se pueden enfatizar las siguientes áreas de su implementación: el desarrollo de las habilidades comunicativas de un maestro; la organización de sitios experimentales de diferentes niveles para enseñar a los estudiantes en tres idiomas; el desarrollo del aprendizaje integrador; el uso de tecnologías innovadoras de aprendizaje. Como resultado del trabajo experimental, el programa de la disciplina "Espacio polilingüe: teoría y práctica" se desarrolló en tres idiomas para estudiantes de Pregrado de la especialidad 6M010200 - Pedagogía y Metodología de la Educación Primaria, un libro de texto con el mismo título y textos en tres idiomas que fueron publicados, probados e implementados en el proceso educativo. Los materiales de este artículo pueden ser útiles para profesores de Primaria, que trabajan en un entorno polilingüe, así como para estudiantes, estudiantes universitarios y estudiantes de doctorado de la especialidad mencionada anteriormente.The relevance of the problem under research is due to a new social order of the society, reflected in the Concept for the Development of Foreign Language Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where the formation of a polylingual personality is determined as the final qualitative result of studying a foreign language and culture. In these conditions, the problem of training the respective pedagogical staff primary school teachers, is being actualized for constructing a new type of education in a polylingual environment at the modern stage of the modernization of education, including the issues of developing its theoretical and technological support. Improving the quality of education, being a key problem of pedagogy, in the modern conditions of expanding the areas of international cooperation and the tendencies of forming a unified global community, comes into sharp focus. The aim of the article is to develop the content of an experimental curriculum on polylingual space and to test the formation of language competence of future primary school teachers in the process of higher education, as well as to study the specifics of their training for working with students in the multicultural educational space of modern Kazakhstan. The leading method of studying this problem is the analysis, which allows to identify the language needs of students. The study analyzed a series of surveys of 115 students and undergraduates, as well as university teachers of various disciplines. Moreover, implementing in the study such methods as analysis, synthesis, generalization, survey, diagnostics and carrying out various practical works, conditions to optimize the development of curricula and special courses and to remove obstacles in the implementation of trilingual education were determined. The analysis of works on improving the system of training primary school teachers in the conditions of polylingual space and the requirements for the personality of a teacher shows that the following areas of its implementation can be emphasized: the development of a teacher’s communicative abilities; the organization of experimental sites of different levels for teaching students in three languages; the development of integrative learning; the use of innovative learning technologies. As a result of the experimental work, the program of the discipline “Polylingual space: Theory and Practice” was developed in three languages for undergraduates of the specialty 6M010200 - Pedagogy and Methodology of Primary Education, a textbook with the same title and texts in three languages was published, tested, and implemented in the educational process. The materials of this article can be useful for primary school teachers, working in a polylingual environment, as well as for students, undergraduates and PhD students of the above-mentioned specialty.peerReviewe

Naval Engineering A National Naval Obligation

As part of its national obligations, ONR must ensure US world leadership in those unique technology areas that insure naval superiority. ONR accomplishes this mission through research, recruitment and education, maintaining an adequate base of talent, and sustaining critical infrastructure for research and experimentation. One critical area requiring support by ONR is the "knowledge infrastructure" in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. An innovative knowledge infrastructure in NA & ME consists of two main elements: • People who have the knowledge, skills and experience to perform innovative design and engineering applied to in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering; and • An industry that employs these people and allows this innovative knowledge to be applied in the ships it designs and builds for the Navy. The universities along with industry develop the technology and educate the people who are employed by industry. In turn, the research supported primarily by the government provides direct support for the conduct of research and the education of the future faculty who perform their doctoral research in this discipline. This study examined the current situation in navy related Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. The need for ONR support in this area is identified and recommendations made to establish long term support that will provide for the introduction of innovative technology in naval ships. The following are documented in this report to establish this need: (1) The uniqueness of "Engineering for the Marine Environment" is explained. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, among all engineering disciplines, studies the design of complex marine systems and their performance in the marine environment. The latter is stochastic in nature and exerts motion and vibration dependent loads. (2) The uniqueness of analysis, design, and manufacture of naval ships is presented. A key unique aspect of naval ship design is the need for new capabilities in performance such as high speed while remaining affordable. (3) A vision of the role and knowledge of the NA&ME professional of the future is presented. In a distributed simulation based environment, naval architects will lead the design effort by contributing the expertise in marine mechanics, design of complex marine systems, and design for manufacturing. Naval Architects are trained in marine mechanics and the design of complex marine systems. This breadth of skills will be even broader in the future while remaining base on experience in designing naval ships. (4) The Navy need for a solid national knowledge infrastructure in NA&ME is established. Accordingly, the need for ONR support of research and education in the few healthy NA&ME Departments remaining in top tier US universities is very strong. (5) Navy needs for breakthroughs in such areas as survivability of structures, stealth and hydrodynamic performance, and adaptive structures are identified. From those, fundamental research that naval architects are uniquely qualified to perform for ONR is specified. (6) A selective industry survey has established the areas of technical expertise needed. Naval Architecture and Integrated Ship Design and Shipbuilding and Manufacturing Technology top the list. (7) Freshmen in engineering, the few universities remaining active in teaching and research in NA&ME, ONR, and the shipbuilding industry are the parties involved in this problem. The challenges each party faces are discussed. (8) The urgency for ONR to help preserve the knowledge infrastructure in NA&ME is assessed based on current national trends in funding and student choices. (9) An educated estimate of the national need for naval architects is presented and used as a basis for establishing the level of long term funding in research and education required for a steadily healthy and competitive higher education environment. (10) An implementation plan for a vigorous knowledge infrastructure and a healthy university environment is proposed. This plan abides by the ONR mandate of supporting fundamental, high risk, innovative research needed by the Navy. It calls for: • A research program centered on National Challenge Initiatives with the intent to revolutionize the state of the art in ship analysis and design and to bring the participants, industry, government and academia, in this endeavor closer together in perspective and time for innovation. • Acknowledging NA&ME as a specialty area of basic research. This is typically done by federal research funding agencies. As an example, in NSF, mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, etc. are established specialty areas. • Modernization of contents and methods of delivery of marine curricula. • Industrial participation in both research and education activities.Office of Naval Research Code 334 ONR Contract number N0001499WR2016

Historical Development of the Undergraduate Educational Model at BIT from the Perspective of Suzhi Education

From the perspective of suzhi education, this study analyses the historical development of the undergraduate educational model at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT). It could be argued that BIT’s talent-cultivating system’s transformations from 1940 to 2020 echo Chinese higher education’s reform and development. This study concludes that BIT has experienced four phases: (1) from advocacy for general-specialized education’s integration to general education’s disappearance, (2) from the rectification of specialized education to the germination of suzhi and general education, (3) the flourishing of suzhi education and general education, and (4) the establishment of the Shuyuan System. The case of BIT reflects Chinese higher education’s development and the process of transforming from meritocracy to popularization. Chinese universities have changed their paradigm from emphasizing specialized education to highlighting suzhi education, as well as from focusing on training students into specialists to stressing students’ holistic development