Co-working on the curriculum development

As mentioned previously, the work process knowledge is analyzed by Mr. Su from Company T. After analyzing the whole technical process, including the whole production process and its key parts, four key working competencies during work are confirmed. They are, the ability of identifying components, welding, and assembling, the capability of reading blueprint, wiring, and testing systems, the ability of maintaining production lines and diagnosing tackling breakdowns, and the capacity of developing the control system and upgrading technology respectively. Four key courses are developed accordingly, and they are PLC technology and application, producing and testing of the electrical products, control technology of mechanical and electrical equipment, and control technology of computer. These four courses are co-developed by full-time teachers from the department and the part-time teachers

from Company T. Each course is co-edited by two teachers, who is either professor or senior engineer. They share different tasks on curriculum standards, layout of textbooks, design of teaching software, reformation of teaching methods, and teaching contents of network platform.

 The curriculum standards include the analysis of work process knowledge, the design and organization of on-campus training, the theoretical knowledge that students must master, and the ways to assess the above-mentioned three standards. The part-time teachers are in charge of the analysis of work process knowledge, and the full-time teachers are responsible for the theoretical knowledge that students must master. The design and organization of on-campus training, the ways to assess these three standards are co-developed by them.

 The layout of the textbooks includes practical training part, examples of

project cases, the training of the project cases, and the theoretical parts. The teachers from Company T are in charge of the practical training part, examples of project cases, and the training of the project cases. The teachers of the department are in charge of the theoretical part.

 In the designing of teaching software, the teachers from Company T are

responsible for designing and developing the training, and the teachers from the department are responsible for the designing and developing the teaching.

 In the teaching method reformation, the teachers from Company T are responsible for the training module, project cases, and the ways of assessment,

and the teachers from the department are responsible for the design of teaching (what, who, where, how to teach) and the ways of assessment.

 In the teaching contents of network platform, the teachers from Company T

offer materials such as the models of real work-situated operation, the production process, equipment and components, work process and the production lines, technical specifications, and operation constructions. The teachers from the department design the internet platform, offer technical support, teaching materials and training materials, design the systems concerning the online teaching, interaction between students and teachers, and online assessment and evaluation.

4.2.1.5.3 Double identities of the part-time and full-time teachers

It is important to point out that not only the engineers or managers from Company T involve in the teachings in the department, but also some teachers from the department participate in the workings in Company T. These persons have double identities due to their part-time and full-time jobs. According to the rules in the department and Company T, part-time employees should have professional titles, clear-cut responsibilities and duties, and authentic projects to do in their part-time job.

 Professional titles. It is regulated that the part-time employees should have

professional titles in their part-time workplaces. For example, professor Gao is the director of the electrical department as well as the vice manager in the branch of Company T. Mr. Su is the branch manager of Company T as well as vice director of the electrical engineering department. He has his own office in the

department and is required to participate in the regular meetings in the department every Wednesday afternoon. As mentioned previously, there are altogether 15 persons from Company T serve as part-time teachers in the department, and one of them serves as the vice director of the department and the rest 14 are teachers who play important roles in the development of the specialties in this department. Currently, there are 11 teachers serve as part-time employees in Company T. Most of them serve as engineers or senior engineers who focus on the design and problem-solving of the equipment in Company T.

 Clear-cut responsibilities and duties. The department and Company T have come to an agreement that part-time employees must have clear-cut responsibilities and duties in their part-time workplaces instead of just being nominal. For example, professor Gao is the vice manager of the branch Company T who in charge of design and evaluation of the technical arts, and he is required to work in the branch two days a week (Sunday included), attend the central meetings, and make sure that his project in Company T is progressing. Mr. Su, who is the vice director of the department and in charge of the practical training and teaching, is required to work a whole day in the department besides his lecturing time (Sunday excluded), attend the regular meeting in the department every week, supervise the execution of the practical training and teaching plan, syllabus, and approval of the projects, and the evaluation and assessment of the practical training. Generally speaking, college teachers serve as engineers in Company T and engineers serve as teachers in their part-time workplaces, both are expected to bring their

expertise into new working environment. They are assigned peculiar responsibilities and duties in their part-time workplaces before they start their work. Finally their work will be assessed and evaluated according to the rules and principles in their contracts.

 Authentic projects to do. It is regulated that the precondition for the part-time employees is that they have projects of their own or projects cooperated with their partners and these projects must have been initiated and approved. For example, professor Cao serves as a senior engineer in Company T and is supervising the project on “electrical control system of automatic welding workstation”, and the results have been applied in the welding production lines in Company T. Mr. Lu serves as a part-time teacher in charge of the curriculum development. His “PLC technology and application” becomes a classic course in Liaoning province.