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| Office of Corporate Training (313) 845-9670 OCT
Staff OCT Educational Services
Henry
Ford Community College |
Content Flow in the Bridge Program
The Bridge Curricular Materials were developed on a modular basis allowing for the mixing and matching of modules for the benefit of the learner. These learning tools have been developed with an interdisciplinary perspective allowing for many learning development strategies and scheduling pathways to achieve the programs learning goals. During the planning for implementation, and even during implementation, decisions about how to relate different topic areas to each other can be made based upon a principle of complementarity. The Program coordinator or lead faculty can focus on how to improve the learning experience by way of overlapping, combining, or running in parallel the different topic areas. Practical considerations can also be addressed through this modular inter-related set of modules. It is often the case of special programs that the primary determining factor of the actual implementation strategy will be based upon the availability of the right subject matter expert instructors during program delivery. The temptation to create a series of mini-classes of topics beginning to end being delivered sequentially should be avoided at all costs. Much of the content addressed requires "soak" time by students. The interspersing of topic areas is truly a necessity of the learner. What follows are the observations of program coordinators and faculty in regards to content flow. These observations have been based upon multiple deliveries of the modules. General Observations 1. In the earliest stages of delivery there should be a selection of modules that introduce the three-fold goals of the program: technical skills development, personal development, and career entrepreneurship. The delivery plan should continue to intersperse topics related to these goals as well as sequence modules that directly relate to each other. Where specific module relationships exist they are noted below. 2. Topic areas that should be introduced early in the program include: Industrial Computers, Communications Skills, Math, Industrial Safety, Manufacturing Processes, Team Work, Career Entrepreneurship.
3. Topic area that should be introduced later in the program include: Measuring Devices, Quality Manufacturing, Welding, Industrial Electrical, Print Reading Content Specific Observations 1. Measuring Devices should be started prior to beginning Quality Manufacturing. The specific math skills for SPC should be reviewed prior and during the SPC modules implementation. 2. Job Skills Analysis-Oral History modules begun by the second Site visit. This should provide practice for participants to listen, as related questions, infer ideas, and conduct a dialogue that is relevant to occupation/career exploration. Also, some of the Industrial Safety and Manufacturing Processes modules should be introduced as a context for the Site Visits. 3. Math practice should be well underway when beginning Manufacturing Parts Print Reading. 4. The Communications Modules that address employment seeking skills should be seen as addressing the Career Entrepreneurship goal as well. The Communications Modules entitled "Employment Interview" and " Job Skills Analysis-The Use of Oral Histories" should occur at least once in the case of the Job Skills module prior to students participating in job fairs, job shadowing, or cooperative education arrangements that may have been made in conjunction with the delivery of the Bridge Program. 5. The Communications Modules that address specific technical skills development modules include:
These findings speak to the two pilots that have been implemented within the last year. A third run of the curriculum will lead to other observations about how to combine areas or modules for the most effective learning experience. We encourage others undertaking the Bridge to share their findings in this regard.
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