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SUMMARY

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UNDERGRADUATE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMS IN SELECTED MEMBER STATES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS). SUMMARY

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  1. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UNDERGRADUATE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING PROGRAMS IN SELECTED MEMBER STATES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS)

  2. SUMMARY The mandate embodied in the Panama Action Plan 2012-2016, during the 3rd Meeting of Ministers and High Authorities of Science and Technology of the Hemisphere, held in Panama City in November 2011 was to improve the quality of engineering professionals in order to meet new challenges in innovation and competitiveness in the region. In this context, the study "Comparative Analysis of Undergraduate Industrial Engineering in Selected Member States of the OAS", was carried out by the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (OSTI) of the Department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism of the Organization of American States (OAS), with support from the Advanced Research and Technology Collaboratory for the Americas (ARTCA), the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana of Colombia, and 17 prestigious universities in North, Central and South America as well as in The Caribbean representing nine countries.

  3. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Perform comparative analysis of undergraduate Industrial Engineering programs in order to identify best practices and transferable experiences than can help foster information exchange and cooperation among engineering schools in the region.

  4. METODOLOGY Phase I: In the first phase, the monitoring group (comprised of OAS representatives and researchers from the Policy and Management Group of UPB) researched, identified and selected 19 industrial engineering programs in 10 countries in the hemisphere. The universities selected to participate scored among the highest in national rankings and rankings carried out by ABET. Moreover, many of those selected have worked with the OAS in other programs, such as the Engineering for the Americas (EftA) initiative. Phase II: In the second phase, the survey was designed by the monitoring group. The survey consisted of 39 questions focusing on areas such as: specific aspects of the curriculum; the flexibility and multidisciplinary nature of curriculums; teaching methods and strategies; internationalization of programs; institutional infrastructure; relationship between industry and engineering programs; women in engineering and academic attrition. Phase III: In the third phase, letters and the survey were sent to 19 universities, of which 17 responded. A comparative analysis was carried out for 17 programs. The respondents are grouped by region: Northern (Virginia Tech, Penn State University, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, University of California, University of Purdue and Polytechnic School of Montreal); Central (National Autonomous University of Mexico, Technology Institute of Monterey, University of West Indies and the Latin University of Panama); Southern (Catholic University of Peru, the Pontificia Bolivariana University of Colombia, University of the Andes in Colombia, University of the North in Colombia, University of Chile and the University of Buenos Aires.

  5. . The following statistical methods were used to analyze survey results: Principal Component Analysis: This is a multivariate analysis technique, which uses the variance and covariance matrix of a set of variables breaking it down into eigenvalues ​​and eigenvectors, in order to capture the association between variables and estimate indicators with smaller variables from the chosen group. Descriptive Analysis: This method provides summaries about the variables and about the observations that have been made. Estimation of Generalized Linear Models: Generalized linear models are used to estimate an input scores constituting principal component analysis. The generalized models used were: Poisson regression and logistic regression. Cluster Analysis: Multivariate analysis technique that uses distances for groups of observations according to similarity in the chosen variables. In this case the quadratic Euclidean distance was used, wherein the centroid is the mean. Analysis of Means: A method that provides a comparison between the means of the data to see if there are significant differences between them; they can then be compared by aggregators through confidence intervals.

  6. FLEXIBILITY AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CURICULA Length of the program and total credits needed for graduation by university: The duration of the program in the northern and central regions is on average four years/eight semesters In the southern region, the program is usually five years/ten semesters; however, the universities of Buenos Aires and Chile have programs of six years or twelve semesters. The total credits required for an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering ranges between 120 and 590 credits. The Catholic University of Chile and the National Autonomous University of Mexico report the greatest number of credits.

  7. Elective vs Mandatory Credits Programs that report a high percentage of elective credits are Georgia Tech (42.97%) and the University of the Andes (41.61%) In the northern region the programs with the highest percentage of compulsory credits are Montreal (90%) and Michigan (88.46%). In the central region the universities in Panama and Mexico offer no elective courses, 100% compulsory credits. In the south the Pontificia Bolivariana requires 90% in compulsory credits and the University of Buenos Aires (83.9%).

  8. Percentage of Total Hours for Compulsory and Elective Courses by University (based on class time) On average, curricula have a total of 85% of hours dedicated to compulsory courses and 15% for elective courses. Georgia Tech and the University of the Andes offer the most flexible curricula. Curricula with the lowest levels of flexibility are the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Latin University de Panama in the central region, the Polytechnic of Montreal in the northern region and the University of Buenos Aires in the southern region.

  9. Percentage of Total Hours by Academic Discipline, Elective and Mandatory On average the results show that 27% of total hours is dedicated to basic sciences, 46% to industrial engineering, 10% to humanities and social sciences, 3% to languages and ​​composition, 6% to non-engineering classes and 8% to other courses and workshops. In the northern region Georgia Tech has the highest percentage (19%) of elective hours in Basic Sciences, followed by Virginia Tech with 14%. In the southern region, the University of the North, 31%, and the University of the Andes 18% of elective hours in basic sciences. The central region reported 100% of compulsory hours. In the area of Industrial Engineering, Georgia Tech offers the greatest flexibility with 47% of elective hours. The University of the Andes has 28% of elective hours and West Indies has 22%. In Humanities, the University of the North in Colombia and Virginia Tech offer 100% elective hours in this area.

  10. Academic Areas and Competencies The Study also analyzed the association between academic areas and competencies taught as stated in the curricula. The Component 1 axis shows greater variability and focuses more heavily on industrial engineering (in the chart, the longest line to the axis of the component). The graph indicates that universities place more emphasis in industrial engineering courses and basic science in order to develop student competencies as defined in their program.

  11. For this analysis clusters were organized based on similarity or relationship between the variables: skills defined by the program and the number of courses in areas of concentration. Most universities fall under cluster 1 because of the number of courses they offer in modeling, case analysis and technological innovation. This can be seen in the graphic by the trend observed in cluster 1, represented in blue. Analysis of Courses in Areas of Concentration

  12. Relationship between variables Estimated Regression Model (Maximum Likelihood) -Poisson Regression We applied the generalized regression model to identify the degree of relationship between the dependent variable "courses offered in the program" and other variables such as “technical expertise", "interpersonal skills" "social skills" and “length of the program. “ We conclude that there is no statistically significant relationship between the length of the industrial engineering program and the total number of courses. Nor between the length of the program and the number of skills. However, the regression analysis confirms that there is significant relationship between total courses and the skill: "Design, select and apply scientific and technological developments," and it is observed, with decreasing effect on the logarithm, the relationship between "total courses" and the variables “length of programs," "interpersonal skills," and “skills in resolving engineering problems using ICT and economic, social and environmental resources.”

  13. NON-TRADTIONAL TEACHING METHODS The nontraditional teaching methods refer to methods used different from the lecture method. Case studies are the most popular (67%), followed by class activities (55%), and guest lecturers from industry and group discussions - German seminars (50%). Other strategies that stand out are demonstrations of tools, equipment and software at 45%, the use of videos at 39%, company visits 33% and computer use by students and teachers at 39% and 45% respectively.

  14. INTERNACIONALIZATION Program Accreditation 16 of the 17 programs have national accreditation with the exception being the University Pontificia Bolivariana. Ten programs have ABET accreditation (6 in the northern region, the Tech of Monterrey in the central region, and in the southern region the University of the Andes, University of the North in Colombia and the Catholic University in Peru). Other international accreditations are reported with University of West Indies IME-UK). U. Latina of Panama with G-CREATE, the U. North with RIACES and the Catholic University of Peru with CEAB.

  15. Activities Most Common in the Internationalization of Programs The principal component analysis shows that research, international agreements and studies abroad are the more intensive activities associated with the internationalization of programs. Followed by students in CO-OP programs and practices.

  16. UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS-GOVERNMENT RELATIONSHIP Relationship Between Extracurricular Activities and University-Business-Government (UBG) Using the principal component analysis method we compared the extracurricular activities that best foster the relationships among University-Business-Government. The activities analyzed include: percentage of students participating in research, percentage of students in programs such as, Co-Op, domestic internships, study abroad, international internships, and research conducted by faculty. The analysis of the six variables shows that student research activities (0.75) in component no.1 and domestic internships (0.67) in component no. 2 are the activities that most strengthen the relationship U-B-G in all programs. Co-op programs (15%) was not significant among the activities because it is generally more common in the northern region.

  17. Percentage of Students Participating in Extracurricular Activities by University The Polytechnic of Montreal leads the northern region in the number of students that participate in internships with 100%, followed by Virginia Tech with 60%. In the central region, Monterrey Tech leads with 100% and in the south the Pontificia Bolivariana leads with 100%, followed by the University of the Andes (57%). Co-op programs are most popular among the programs in the northern region with Georgia Tech (25%) leading in the number of students participating in Co-op programs, but also reported by the University of the North in Colombia, and West Indies. Study abroad programs are also more popular in the northern region. Leaders in undergraduate research activities are the University of the Andes, the University Pontificia Bolivariana , and the University of the West Indies, all with 100% participation, followed by Virginia Tech with 37%.

  18. INSTITUTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE Professor Education Levels by Region The northern region is characterized by having the highest percentage of full-time professors with PhDs. The southern region is characterized by having more professors full and part-time at the Masters level. The central region has the fewest professors with PhDs and Master. The “other” category represents professors hired sporadically to teach specific courses. This latter approach is used more frequently in the southern and central regions.

  19. WOMEN IN ENGINEERING For the universities in the northern region, the average percentage of female students enrolled in industrial engineering programs is 34% with the Polytechnic of Montreal leading with 40% and University of Purdue trailing with 26%. For southern programs, the average participation of female students is 35%. The University Pontificia Bolivariana reports the highest participation of female students, and the University Católica of Perú reports the lowest level of female students at 17%. In the central region, the average participation of femaile students is the highest at 48%. The Latin University of Panamá has the highest level of female students at 70% and the Tech Monterrey has the lowest level of female students in the region at 31%.

  20. Women Professors by Type of Contract by Region and University In the northern region the average participation of women as full-time professors is only 14%, the average share of women as part-time professors is slightly above 18%. The southern region has a higher percentage of full-time faculty (28%) compared to part-time teachers (23%), in contrast, the central region has more part-time professors (35%) compared to full-time (32%).

  21. DROPOUT IN ENGINEERING Student Dropout Rate for the Academic Period 2008-2011 by University Overall academic attrition is higher in the central and southern regions than in the north. The high levels of attrition at Monterrey Tech and the Autonomous University of Mexico are noteworthy.

  22. The analysis indicates that the principal reason for attrition in the southern and central regions is the lack financial resources. In the north, the principal causes for attrition are associated with the academic difficulty for the students and students changing between academic programs. Reasons for Dropout by Region

  23. Multidisciplinarity Flexibility and Study Plans • Length of Study Plans • There are no significant difference between the curricula of the central and northern region in terms of the length of their programs (four years/eight semesters). However, the southern region is longer (five years/ten semester average), and some last up to 6 years/12 semesters.Curricula excessively long are not in step with the dynamics and demands of globalization and the rapid advance of science, technology and innovation. Such curricula are at risk of becoming obsolete even before students enter into the profession. • Curricula of shorter duration and with good ranking in the market are relevant success stories and worthy of review by other programs. • Best practices demonstrate that programs are not intended to teach "everything at the undergraduate level" and encourage a spirit in their students “to recognize the need and the ability to engage in continuous life learning life. "(ABET) CONCLUSIONS

  24. CONCLUSIONS • Required Courses and Credits • There is no statistically significant relationship between the length of the industrial engineering program and the total number of courses or between the length of the program and the number of skills developed. This means that although some programs take a longer time to complete, on average they have the same courses and develop the same competencies. • Total credits required in the curricula of the three regions range between 120 and 590 credits. Two successful programs, at American universities, have shorter and fewer credits. These are leaders in reducing the number of credits to a curriculum model average of 126 credits, and are ranked among the top national and international programs in engineering industrial. Another success is the University of the Andes (sixth place in the ranking of the best Latin American universities), and leader in Colombia with the best academic performance of undergraduate students. According to the survey "Saber-Pro," which measures academic quality among all industrial engineering programs in Colombia, programs with greater length and credits show moderate performance results.

  25. CONCLUSIONS • More Intensive Training Areas • In general, programs place a strong emphasis on industrial engineering courses, followed by basic science courses in order to develop the desired competencies.Flexibility in Curricula • Curricula are generally more flexible in the northern region because they have the highest percentage of elective hours in their curriculum, as compared to other regions. Leaders in flexible curricula are Penn State and Georgia Tech in the north and the University of the Andes in the southern region. • Curricul with less flexibility among all programs are in the central region, particularly the Autonomous University of Mexico and the Panama America, and in the southern region Buenos Aires University and Pontificia Bolivariana. • A clear trend in curricula flexibility is reducing the number of courses, number of credits and the number of contact hours between student and teacher. Decreased classroom presence allows students to devote more time to other extracurricular activities that complement their training and encourage the spirit of research and innovation.

  26. CONCLUSIONS • Areas of Specialization or Concentration • Courses with the highest percentage of participation by region were modeling courses in the north with 50%, slightly more than double that of other regions. Analysis courses had the highest percentage of participation in the central region with 50% and the courses of technological innovation and technology transfer with 52% in the southern region. • Integrated Skills Training • Performed correlation analysis showed a high association between the total number of courses and the skill: "Design, select and apply scientific and technological developments", and with decreasing effect on the log, the courses offered in “interpersonal skills "and " problem solving using Tics, and economic, social and environmental resources. “ This indicates that academic training is focused on the development of mathematical skills to analyze, design and solve problems related to engineering practice, and much less importance is placed on training in other skills required to practice the profession. Analysis also showed that little attention is given to negotiating courses, human resources management, communication, entrepreneurship, environment, sociology, culture, history, politics and ethics, which represent less than 4% of curricula.

  27. CONCLUSIONS • Integrated Skills Training • There is a clearly identified need to provide future engineers with new and broader skills if they are to address the great challenges of our times, as well as expand the stringent technical and scientific roles in curricula. Moreover, there is a need to teach new skills such as: listening, writing and communicating effectively; ethic and professional responsibility, foreign language abilities​​; negotiating skills; the ability to influence and deploy leadership; direct teams; develop businesses and innovate, the ability to solve complex problems; adapt and manage change; interact in complex, multicultural and diverse environments; work under pressure, and the ability to understand the global business of engineering, new global treaties and global citizenship. • The big challenge will be to educate engineers demanded by today’s global economy--multidisciplinary and world-class engineers with high standards, and "holistic" and technical-managerial skills, and with a commitment to life-long learning, as opposed to super-specialized engineers in basic sciences without a global vision of problems and opportunities.

  28. CONCLUSIONS • Teaching Methods and Strategies • Most programs frequently use nontraditional teaching strategies such as, case studies (67%), followed by targeted class activities (55%), German seminar-style discussions in large groups and guest lecturers from industry (50%), and to a lesser extent they use tools, equipment and software (45%). These methods go beyond the traditional lecture-style teaching and allow students to experience a greater understanding of the real world by engaging in interactive environments that research, experiment, innovate and resolve problems. • Internationalization of Programs • For all surveyed institutions, international agreements and the percentage of students participating in extracurricular activities and study abroad undergraduate research are more relevant than the percentage of students participating in the activities of Co-op programs and practices. • The programs in the northern region have a sophisticated platform designed to ensure international mobility of students, which is why they report the largest volume and coverage of international agreements in different parts of the world. This guarantees extensive student interaction with the global education marketplace and job opportunities.

  29. CONCLUSIONS • Internationalization of Programs • In the case of central and southern programs, the internationalization of programs and the mobility of students and teachers face difficulties with accreditation and the similarity of course content and distinct levels of academic difficulty. • 50% of the programs of the central and southern region are accredited by ABET, CEAB and EMI-UK, but the other 50% do not have international accreditation, which constitutes a barrier to the dual degree and for student and teacher access to educational alternatives and multiple higher education institutions in the region or in the world. • It’s important to increase undergraduate exchanges especially in the southern region. In general, these programs are more research intensive and less involved in international exchanges and co-op programs. • Peru Catholic Universities (ABET, CEAB), and North University (ABET and RIACES) report several international accreditations, a strength that contributes to the quality of its programs and the international mobility of its students.

  30. CONCLUSIONS • University-Business-Government • Extracurricular activities that most promote a strong relationship among University-Business-Government (UBG) are undergraduate research programs (74%) and internships (67%), followed to a lesser extent by the co-op programs (15%). • The southern region has the highest participation of students in undergraduate research programs. • The central and southern regions lack incentives for greater cooperation between the research groups and the private sector, and should expand the dialogue between academia, business, civil society and public sector agencies to develop better collaborative tools. • There is also a need in the central and southern regions to improve the application of research on sectors and supply chains, increasing financial resources, performance and competitiveness. • Internships are most popular in the northern region.

  31. CONCLUSIONS • University-Business-Government • Co-op programs are very popular in the northern region and are undoubtedly one of the most successful practices in the UBG relationship. The universities that utilize this type of model most are Georgia Tech, Penn State and Virginia Tech. • The Co-op programs constitute a successful experience of the northern region—they should be, studied, transferred and adapted to local contexts in the southern and central regions. • Institutional infrastructure • In institutional infrastructure related to the faculty, the northern region is characterized by having the highest percentage of professors with masters and PhDs full and part-time. The southern region is characterized by having more professors with masters full and part time but fewer PhDs. The central region has the fewest professors with masters and PhDs in full or part-time positions. • One limitation identified in the analysis is the lack of experience in industry or business of professors. In general most are highly trained professors with doctorates and master with little to no experience in industry.

  32. CONCLUSIONS • Women in Engineering • In the nine countries under study, female students were 39% of the total student population in industrial engineering programs. This percentage is higher in the central region (48%), and highlights American University of Panama with 70% of female college students, West Indies with 60%. • More efforts are needed to attract more women to careers in engineering and remove barriers associated with discrimination and prejudice that still dominate the engineering profession. • Dropout Rate in Engineering • In the south and central regions the main reason for dropping out is associated with economic reasons; on the other hand, the northern region cites the high academic demands made on students and switching between undergraduate programs. • A high desertion rate at Monterrey Tech is due to the English language requirements. At the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which in 2008 had a 30% attrition rate and managed to lower it to 20% by 2011 by offering more flexibility in graduation requirements.

  33. STUDY SPONSORED BY: • The Office of Science, technology and Innovation of the Organization of American States (OAS) • The Advanced Research and Technology Collaboratory for the Americas (OAS-ARTCA) • The Institute for Computing in the Humanities, Arts and Social Science (I-CHASS) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • The Policy and Technology Management Group of the • School of Engineering, University Pontificia Bolivariana of Medellín: • Jhon Wilder Zartha Sossa, Gina Lía Orozco, Dr. Bibiana Arango, David Alejandro • Coy, Fabián Vélez, Iván Darío Cortes Badillo, Alvaro Diego Agudelo Arredondo, • María Paulina Pino Palacio, Marisol Valencia, Fabio Castrillón

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