Specifying Competencies in Materials for Technician Education Results of a nationwide study involving the materials industry

MatEd The National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, WA Tom Stoebe, U. of Washington Bob Mott, Univ. of Dayton, Sinclair CC Bob Simoneau, Keene State U. Mel Cossette, Edmonds CC

MatEd Goals Develop a set of core competencies in the area of materials technology defining the materials-related skills a technician needs in today's advanced manufacturing environment Provide faculty with easy and direct access to available teaching materials that will allow them to introduce the required competency-related concepts of materials technology into their manufacturing and engineering technology courses

Provide mentoring and professional development opportunities for faculty members to assist them to better teach the basic subjects of materials technology to their students Develop the communication systems and web- based resources needed to create a community of users to disseminate and sustain the Resource Center activities.

COMPETENCY LIST DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURE Four focus groups rated materials competencies: Four focus groups rated materials competencies: Seattle areaSeattle area Los Angeles areaLos Angeles area Detroit areaDetroit area Cleveland areaCleveland area A variety of industry types included A variety of industry types included Results integrated from all groups Results integrated from all groups

FOCUS GROUPS – INDUSTRY TYPES Aerospace Aerospace Automotive Automotive Materials testing Materials testing Failure analysis Failure analysis Plastics processing Plastics processing Materials education Materials education Metals processing Metals processing Basic materials Basic materials Composites processing Composites processing MEMS/NANO materials MEMS/NANO materials

BASIC PROCESS – Competency List Development Introductions of participants--Materials usage in their companies Introductions of participants--Materials usage in their companies Discussions about differences between materials technicians and general technicians Discussions about differences between materials technicians and general technicians Preliminary list of competencies provided by the project team Preliminary list of competencies provided by the project team Participants requested to identify added competencies Participants requested to identify added competencies Rating of competencies Rating of competencies

COMPETENCY RATING PROCESS Rate each competency - four point scale Rate each competency - four point scale 1 = Vital – Highest rating1 = Vital – Highest rating 2 = Important2 = Important 3 = Desirable but not critical3 = Desirable but not critical 4 = Not important4 = Not important NOTE: Lower numbers are better! NOTE: Lower numbers are better! Separate rating for Separate rating for General engineering techniciansGeneral engineering technicians Materials techniciansMaterials technicians

TWO SEPARATE RATINGS Focus groups rated preferred materials competencies for: Focus groups rated preferred materials competencies for: Materials engineering techniciansMaterials engineering technicians Those who work in materials labs Those who work in materials labs Those who work with materials processing Those who work with materials processing General engineering techniciansGeneral engineering technicians Support for product development Support for product development Production operations technicians Production operations technicians Test technicians, chemical technicians, etc. Test technicians, chemical technicians, etc.

DATA ANALYSIS Data from all participants aggregated Data from all participants aggregated Set of competency ratings distributed to all participants Set of competency ratings distributed to all participants Participants asked to comment Participants asked to comment Competency set revised Competency set revised Summary/reduced set developed Summary/reduced set developed Final results distributed to project staff, participants, partners Final results distributed to project staff, participants, partners

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS - IMPORTANT FOR BOTH GT & MT Communication skills Communication skills Workplace performance Workplace performance Basic mathematics Basic mathematics Technical drawing Technical drawing Testing Testing Data analysis Data analysis Units and conversions Units and conversions Computer skills Computer skills Working in teams Working in teams Personal professionalism Personal professionalism Quality management Quality management

IMPORTANT MATERIALS-RELATED SKILLS Effects of defects on performance Effects of defects on performance Effects of mfg variations on properties Effects of mfg variations on properties Laboratory skills Laboratory skills General nature of materials: metals, plastics, polymers, and composites General nature of materials: metals, plastics, polymers, and composites Materials processing Materials processing Materials testing Materials testing Fabrication processes and tooling Fabrication processes and tooling

REDUCED ‘75 LIST’ Combinations and sub-categories created for presenting/reporting results – ’75 List’ Combinations and sub-categories created for presenting/reporting results – ’75 List’ Complete total of 397 competencies is available for analysis Complete total of 397 competencies is available for analysis MatEd staff using the full set to acquire curriculum materials MatEd staff using the full set to acquire curriculum materials

SUMMARY OF RESULTS GTMT Important (Green)1144 Important (Green)1144 Desirable (Blue)5831 Desirable (Blue)5831 Less important (Red)60 Less important (Red)60 Totals7575Totals7575

Sample results: Top 75 Communication Communication Follow directions and request additional information as needed (1.1)Follow directions and request additional information as needed (1.1) Workplace Performance Workplace Performance Practice good workplace safety methods(1.2)Practice good workplace safety methods(1.2) Basic Math Basic Math Demonstrate mastery of basic arithmetic, including proportions, percentages, etc (1.3)Demonstrate mastery of basic arithmetic, including proportions, percentages, etc (1.3)

Use of units and conversions Use of units and conversions Manipulate and report accurately units for all calculations (1.4)Manipulate and report accurately units for all calculations (1.4) Apply correctly appropriate units for physical quantities (1.7)Apply correctly appropriate units for physical quantities (1.7) Computer skills Computer skills Avoid inappropriate usage of computer systems (1.4)Avoid inappropriate usage of computer systems (1.4) Create and use spreadsheets for data analysis, graphing and record keeping (1.6)Create and use spreadsheets for data analysis, graphing and record keeping (1.6) Personal professionalism Personal professionalism Manage time effectively (1.5)Manage time effectively (1.5)

Materials Topics: Top 75 Relationship between processing variables, quality, properties and defects Relationship between processing variables, quality, properties and defects Describe how changes in manufacturing processes affect materials properties (1.5)Describe how changes in manufacturing processes affect materials properties (1.5) Describe how defects affect properties of metals and alloys (1.7 mt)Describe how defects affect properties of metals and alloys (1.7 mt)

Basic materials technology Basic materials technology Define stress and strain (1.4 mt)Define stress and strain (1.4 mt) Describe fundamentals of a tensile test (1.4 mt)Describe fundamentals of a tensile test (1.4 mt) Describe the general nature of ferrous metals (1.6 mt)Describe the general nature of ferrous metals (1.6 mt) Describe how polymers differ from metals and ceramics (1.5 mt)Describe how polymers differ from metals and ceramics (1.5 mt)

Manufacturing operations and quality management Manufacturing operations and quality management Recognize and address quality and safety issues (1.5)Recognize and address quality and safety issues (1.5) Differentiate between critical and non- critical defects (1.8)Differentiate between critical and non- critical defects (1.8)

OTHER OBSERVATIONS Rating system appears appropriate Rating system appears appropriate Many raters had low expectations of technicians in mathematics, chemistry, and physical sciences Many raters had low expectations of technicians in mathematics, chemistry, and physical sciences Breadth of raters’ areas of interest was good, however some industries not represented [Furniture, food, electronics, biomaterials, refractories] Breadth of raters’ areas of interest was good, however some industries not represented [Furniture, food, electronics, biomaterials, refractories] Some low-rated competencies still important to some fields Some low-rated competencies still important to some fields

Study limitations Competency list development process Competency list development process Adequacy of industry groups represented Adequacy of industry groups represented Sample size (36 respondents) Sample size (36 respondents)

Future steps Broaden the listing to include input from a broader set of materials industries Broaden the listing to include input from a broader set of materials industries Utilize this input to develop the core curriculum needed by all technicians who deal with materials Utilize this input to develop the core curriculum needed by all technicians who deal with materials Develop targeted curriculum for materials technicians Develop targeted curriculum for materials technicians

Access to full report The full report is available on line at competencies_report.html

Contacts MatEd, the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education MatEd, the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education Project PI, Mel Cossette PI, Mel Cossette Project director, Tom Stoebe director, Tom Stoebe

Acknoweldgments The authors wish to thank Drs John Rusin and Laura Collins for their input on this study, along with all focus group participants. The authors wish to thank Drs John Rusin and Laura Collins for their input on this study, along with all focus group participants. This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program, grant This work was sponsored by the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program, grant DUE