Document Type : Scientific - Research
Author
Professor of Geo- Engineering,College of Engineering, University of Tehran
Abstract
The prerequisite of any method to promote engineering education inIranis the identification of its current deficiencies. A functional method to determine where Iran’s engineering education stands among similar education programs in the developed countries is to assess the regulations and criteria that have been suggested for a standard education. The most important of these criteria are: the situation of students and instructors, objectives and outcomes of the program, the course content of the program, process for improvement of program quality, facilities and supports endorsing the program. ComparingIran’s engineering education programs with these criteria shows that the technical content ofIran’s engineering programs are more or less appropriate.Iran’s engineering education programs have mainly concentrated on transferring knowledge and have emphasized on education of engineering sciences. On the other hand, they have paid less attention to important aspects like development of skills and attitudes required for professional work. This is while the emphasis of modern engineering education is on outcomes, i.e., what the graduates of an engineering education program have leaned or are able to perform. The most appropriate way to address this criterion is the accreditation by an independent organization. Successful accomplishment of the accreditation process in national, and then international level, requires the ratification of the program’s deficiencies. Considering that it is not possible to reach an ideal program in short term, deficiencies can be prioritized; and focus should be made on more significant factors first. In the present paper, the general deficiencies ofIran’s engineering education programs are assessed in comparison with the criteria for similar education programs in other countries, and some of the most important obstacles in the way of successful accreditation of these programs are explained. Suggestions on how to overcome those obstacles are also presented.
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