Journal of Education and Human Development

A Case Study Reflecting Successful Industry Engagement: Utilizing Industry Projects as a Mechanism for Discovery and STEM Education in Aviation Technology
Sarah Hubbard, Denver Lopp

Abstract
Higher education is under increasing scrutiny, as evidenced by widely publicized concerns regarding the amount of student debt, new metrics for assessing the benefits of higher education such as the Gallup-Purdue poll, and competition between traditional learning and online resources, including on-line courses and degree programs, and massive open online courses (MOOC).Although there are many perspectives on higher education, there is also common ground. A goal shared by many stakeholders, including educators, students, parents, and industry is that education will lead to skill sets that are valuable to industry, which will benefit not only industry and individuals, but also society. One way to assure that education is relevant to industry is to involve industry in the education process. This is undertaken in a variety of ways, from industry advisory boards to cooperative education and internship programs at universities. Another avenue for collaboration between industry and academics is the inclusion of industry projects into academic courses. This paper provides a case study regarding how industry projects can be successfully integrated into an aviation technology curriculum to benefit both industry and education.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v4n2a21