2011 ATE Conference Concurrent Session 1

Leadership for a Global Workforce:
Three International Collaboration Projects
Moderator: Pierre Thiry, MPICT Center

1. Computing in the Scottish Highlands
Deborah Boisvert, BATEC and Mike Just, Glasgow Caledonian University

2. Networking with Paris - ICT Project with Centre des Formations Industrielles
Michael McKeever, MPICT and Cécile Montier, CFI Paris-Gambetta

3. Renewable Energy in Agriculture in Denmark
Jeremy Pickard and Marshall McDonald, ATEEC, Eastern Iowa CCD
and Ove Gejl Christensen, Dalum College

RFP March 2010
• “On a competitive basis, NSF’s Office of International
Science and Engineering (OISE) will consider requests
for supplemental funding to ATE Center awards to
support high quality international educational
experiences for small groups of U.S. community college
students and their faculty mentors through active
collaboration with counterpart technology educators at
their respective international sites…..

• For this pilot opportunity, international collaborators
and sites must be located in Europe. We anticipate
making five supplemental awards.

Supplemental funding requests should describe:
………

The plan to assess the impact of the
international activities, to encourage
participants to stay engaged in science and
engineering, and to disseminate the results of
the collaboration;

Leadership for a Global Workforce:
Computing in the Scottish Highlands
Deborah Boisvert Mike Just
Executive Director Assistant Professor
BATEC, Boston GCU, Glasgow, UK

2011 ATE Principle Investigators Conference, 26-28 October 2011

Our Project
• International Collaboration Project between
– Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)
– Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC)
– University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB)
• Four-week exchange of BHCC students to GCU
in Glasgow
• Students tasked with computing projects in
GCU areas of expertise
• Cultural experience in Scotland
27 October 2011 ATE PI Conference 5

BATEC Service Area
Community Colleges
• Massachusetts
– Roxbury CC
– Bunker Hill CC
– Middlesex CC Current
Partners
– Mass Bay CC
– Quinsigamond CC
– Bristol CC
– Northern Essex CC
• Now Adding
– City Colleges of Chicago
– City College of San Francisco
– College of Southern Nevada

About BATEC
• National Center for IT and Computing
(funded September 2011)
• Vision:
BATEC is scaling its coordinated, self-
sustaining, regional IT education and
workforce system – one that attracts a diverse
student population to IT careers, promotes
lifelong learning of technical skills and
supports the IT workforce needs in urban
cities across our country.


About BATEC
• Curriculum and Professional Development
– Regionally Connected; Transferable
– Advanced in Content and Pedagogy
• IT Problem-Solving; Computational Thinking
• IT Seamless Pathways that are Stackable
• IT Intersections – Forensics, Health, Business
– Industry-Linked
• Education, Industry and Community Connections
– Mutually-Beneficial Partnerships
– Career Development
– Lifelong Learning
– Regional Economic Growth

About GCU
• Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)
– Officially formed in 1993. History dating to 1875.
– Centrally located in downtown Glasgow
– Approx. 17,000 students, including 2,000
international students from over 100 countries
– Career-focused, industry-linked programmes,
with recognized research reputation


GCU – School of Engineering
• School of Engineering and Built Environment
– More than 100 academic staff
– Programmes and research in computing, energy
and environment, interaction, and engineering
– Theory and hands-on teaching
– Bachelors (BA/BSc), Masters (MA/MSc/MPhil),
PhD degrees, and Postgraduate Diplomas (PgD)
– Support direct entry at 2nd/3rd year from colleges
within Scotland and internationally


Computing Projects
• Seven computing projects for nine students
– At least one GCU staff for each project
– BHCC supervisor resident at GCU
• Project topic areas
– Web programming
– Networking
– Digital security
• Mix of applied and research projects


Management of Computing Projects
• Projects and resources
– Skills match in advance of visit
– GCU computing resources, and personal devices
• Staff-student interactions varied
– Supervisor + lab instructor, regular meetings
– Interaction with a client
– Check-in with BHCC resident supervisor
• Students encouraged to follow 9-5 workday
• Result: Software and documentation


Scottish Cultural Experience
• Wednesday afternoons, and weekends
• Visits to Edinburgh, Stirling, Highlands


What Went Well (1)
• Students well-prepared for projects (skills)
• Students adapted well to work environment
(maturity)
• Students enjoyed overall experience
– Culture
– Downtown city campus
– Surroundings and regional history


What Went Well (2)
• Students enjoyed academic experience
– University environment and facilities
– New skills learned
– Problem solving and collaboration
• Relationship built between institutions
– Trust built from this initial project
– Momentum for future opportunities


Areas for Improvement
• Timing and schedule alignment
– More interaction with local students
– Better alignment re: staff holidays
• Entry to the UK
– Missing “letter of invitation” to BHCC supervisor
– Preparation for non-US citizens
• Small number of students
– Though good for initial relationship-building
• Resident supervisor not necessary for full
duration


Looking Ahead
• BHCC students registered to GCU networking
learning environment
• Future student exchanges
– Repeat of same model, with more students
– GCU student exchange to BHCC/UMB
• Staff exchanges
– Especially in areas of complementary expertise
• PhD exchanges
– Especially in areas of shared expertise

Leadership for a Global
Workforce:
Networking with Paris

Leadership for a Global Workforce

 Pierre Thiry MPICT P.I.– City College of San
Francisco
 Michael McKeever – Santa Rosa Junior
College
 Cécile Montier – Centre des Formations
Industrielles


MPICT’s mission is to coordinate, promote and
improve the quality of ICT education, with an
emphasis on 2-year colleges, in a region
consisting of northern California, northern
Nevada, southern Oregon, Hawaii and the
Pacific Territories.


About CFI :
One of the 11 Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry schools
One of the 5 technical training schools along with Tecomah, EGF and
Gobelins
School for Industrial Maintenance Technician Jobs
CFI offers training courses in six professional fields (Business networks and
Corporate telecommunications, Energy engineering, Industrial vehicle and
car maintenance, Lift maintenance, Woodwork and Building layout,
Plastics industry)

Open to students and professionals attending continuing education
courses


All the diploma are prepared in apprenticeship
Apprenticeship : Students from 16 to 25 are employees
Organisation :
Two weeks in school : the program is not specific but we insist on general subjects
Two weeks in firm : Sutdents have to find the job in touch with their studies and they
have to keep it! They are paid
We teach know-how and social skills
Key figures :
– Exam Success rate : 88% (2011)
– Work integration rate: 85% on average
– Breaches of contract rate : 6% (2010-2011)


Positioning
A close relationship with professional organisations and leading
companies:
We offer training programs tailored to the market needs
We provide specific vocational certificates
We receive grants and apprenticeship taxes


International programs
Eurotruck : advanced vocational training
diploma for industrial vehicles

• Three European partnerships
• ANFA partnership
• Léonardo (ECVET) financing program

Exchange programs
• BASF Germany / Advanced vocational training diploma in Plastics
industry
• United States City College of San Francisco / Computer Architect /
CISCO


Paris France Project, US Goals:

 US and French students differentiate their
respective ICT educational systems and
workplace environments.
 Students develop and enhance their “soft-
skills”
 Students implement and demonstrate the
use of advanced technologies
 US and FR instructors integrate each other’s
“best practices”


Paris France Project, US Objectives:
 Develop a “Scalable” Problem-Based-Learning course
 Conduct the course using online synchronous delivery and
conclude in-person in France
 Student teams formally present their course solutions in-
person at Cisco HQ Paris and remotely using TelePresence
 Visit French ICT workplaces


Paris France Project, US
Objectives:
 Required Web-based structured
student diaries to be kept during
the project, to document pre-visit,
visit (for the selected students)
and post-visit, documenting
changes in perception and
appreciation of technical and
cultural differences especially as
they relate to workplace success


Paris France Project, US Outcomes:
 Gain firsthand knowledge of how other countries organize
Career Technical Education and, in particular, ICT education in
the absence of community colleges
 Distillation of the perceived advantages and disadvantages of
the French technical education system and workplace
environment as seen by faculty and students


Paris France Project US Outcomes:
Establish a collaboration between a group of 24 ICT students
selected from the MPICT Regional Partner community colleges
and a cohort of 18 students in the "Informatique et Reseaux"
Programm from the "Centre de Formations Industrielles (CFI)" in
Paris-Gambetta, France
Invite students and graduates of the Cisco Networking
Academy on both continents to participate in an experimental,
capstone, project-based course, using case a study especially
designed for this purpose


Paris France Project US Outcomes:
 The opportunity for students in technology to participate in
collaborative learning experience with students from a
European country - experiences often reserved only for
liberal arts students.
 The opportunity for students, teachers, and the institution to
broaden their experience base through development of
problem-based instructional experiences using a variety of
real-world, concurrent, trans-national inputs and assets


Paris France Project US
Outcomes:
 Improvement in student engagement and
enrichment of student learning outcomes
due to the unique opportunity to connect
with their French counterparts
 Improved understanding of the
organization and delivery of technical
education in the EU that could find
application within or beyond the MPICT
footprint


What Happened:
 Culture exchanges and understandings
 Invited back to weddings!
 US students applied for FR jobs
 Student initiated discussion, “Where is
it better to work, US or FR?”
 “The biggest surprise for me was learning how
many network jobs were available in France and
how high the demand for Cisco trained workers
was. This was a big surprise to me and after
learning of this I am going to try and get into an
exchange program to come and work in France.”
– JM


What Happened:

 Learned and deployed advanced
tech in their team projects
 “At the end of day two we had a
show stopping technical issue
(will save the details). In short,
we had an issue with routing
and had to solve it. There was
the hard way and the harder
way. I decided the harder way
and ran it by the team.” – SK


What Happened:

 The Soft-Skills
 “I learned that when working on a team project that it is
very important to let everyone contribute and to be open
and receptive to new ideas and suggestions, even if you
do not necessarily agree. For everyone to get the most
value of the project and teamwork, it is important for
everyone to participate. If a person is reluctant, they just
may be a little shy and/or not confident, if encouraged,
they may open up a little more.” – ESM


What Happened:

 Use of technology in education –time zones, synchronous
 “Everything I needed as a student was available to me at
anytime on any computer with a net connection. It is
times like this, I really enjoy my field and wish other class
were taught like this...” – SK


What Happened:

 Cultural Exchanges
 “The three lessons that I've learned as a result of this international
experience: First, The balance of life and work, second,
communication skills towards non-English speakers and third, the
appreciation of what we have in America and the freedom to do what
you want and what we want to be.” – SJB
 “I found it amazing how alike Americans are to the French when
dealing with Technical topics.
 I found that the French have an interesting take on life; After the
work day is over they forget all about there work life and move
on to socialize. I noticed in France that being social and meeting
with friends is an essential part of the day. It is almost like they
live two separate lives, a work life and a social life.” – JE


What Happened:
 What we learned from each other
 Cultures, expectation and county core values might seem
to make a difference in the students’ efforts, but in both
countries, those who strive and put in the extra effort get
the better jobs
 I saw more learning when the teams
were engaged than in most of my
other classes!!!
 Student transformations!


What Happened:

 Scaling the project
 Gave the entire course away to 50 US instructors
 Proposal to collaborate with China in 2012
 Half the cost
 Lessons learned applied
 Real time Google translations
 Change scenario
 Train teachers in use of distance tool
 Long term partnership


What Happened:

 “To Michael, Pierre, Daniela,
Richard, Grace, everyone at
Accent I thank you very much.
This is one of the moments where
a group of people or teachers
change a student’s life and I
know I am not the only one on
this trip. Thank you.” – SK


Evaluation of the partnership by the students
– In the technical plan:
• Tools and modules of training CISCO are the same
• On the other hand, the remote work and the work in project mode with
French-American teams was a challenge of organization and
communication

– In the professional plan:
• The French Students became aware of the place of their formative
company
• The testimonies on their companies were precious for them between
them,

– From the cultural point of view
• The French people appreciated to discover another organization of the
schooling with a wide place made for the sport, another approach are
holidays, taxes
• The students of Paris confirmed their interest for the spare time


The appreciation by the teachers
– Difficulties:
• To convince the French students to put a lot on a
project which does not enter the evaluation of
the training
• Difficult jet lag for the remote courses

– Satisfactions:
• The very professional presentations of the
solutions proposed by the teams
• The enthusiasm of the students to work when
they met all together


Evaluation of the partnership by the Management

– The material aspects of the journey in France managed by an outside
company what allowed to concentrate on the project

– The organization of the companies visits was facilitated by:
• The country of origin of the group = > These visits would not be
possible for French students!
• The good connections maintained by the teachers with their
alumni
– The project is rewarding for the teachers
– The students pull a real profit : will to go abroad
– It is a real pleasure to work with a smiling and enthusiastic group


Evaluation by TSI The Saflund
Institute

 Summer 2011 , Digital Bridge Sister
Cities Project
 DUE 0802298 ,Supplemental Award

 Available in electronic format
 See us at MPICT booth or
afterwards

NSF ATE Center Collaboration
Study Abroad to Denmark
June 5 – July 2, 2011

Overview

• 15 participants
– 5 Faculty Members
– 10 Students
• Representing five
Community College
from Across the
Nation

Overview
• Representing Five States:
– California
Mt. San Jacinto College
– Iowa
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
– Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College
– New York
SUNY Cobleskill College of
Agriculture and Technology
– North Carolina
Central Carolina Community College

Overview
• Spent 25 days in Denmark studying renewable
energy in agriculture
– Based out of two towns
• Sonderborg (pop. 30,000)
• Odense (pop. 175,000)
• Copenhagen (pop. 1.9 million)
– Hosted by two Colleges
• Dalum College – Agricultural Training College
• EUC Syd – Vocational and Technical Training College

Lely Astronaut
Robotic Milking Dairy

Benefits of Robotic Milking

• Calmer more comfortable cows
• Increased Milk production
• Cows are in the production
longer
• Cows are milked more often
each day
(4 times per day)
• Shift the human labor resources
to additional farm duties
and/or time with family which
the Danish value
Jersey Herd using Robotic Milking Units

Higher Production = Higher Profits

• The cost of each milking machine is
approximately $200,000
• Each Robotic Machine will
accommodate 60 cows
• 60 X $324 = $19,440
Do the
60 X $648 = $38,880
• The Robotic machine could pay for
itself in 4 – 6 years if you factor in
Math
labor costs
• Is it a good investment in the long
term?

Project Zero
Sonderborg, Germany

Project Zero
• The vision
– Create a carbon neutral Sonderborg by 2029
– Create new jobs in related businesses
• Based on
– Intelligent Energy Equipment
– Comprehensive pig farming
• Founders/sponsors
– Sønderborg Municipality
– Nordea Denmark-foundation
– Local agriculture/farmers
– SYD ENERGI – regional utility company
– DONG Energy – power generation and distribution
– Bitten & Mads Clausens fond – the main owners of Danfoss
• www.projectzero.dk

Wirtschaftsakademie
Training Center for
Wind Turbine Technicians
Husum, Germany

BZEE Training Center

• BZEE was the first
program standard
for wind technician
training programs.
• The training center
in Husum was the
first in the world.

Nacelle top rescue training
apparatus; training tower

Daka Biodiesel
www.dakabiodiesel.com
• Rendered Animal Fat from
processing plant next door
• 10 MGY Capacity
• Products from Daka Biodiesel:
– Biodiesel
– Heating Oil
– Glycerin
– Potassium Sulfate
• Utilizes post-transesterificaton
distillation of biodiesel for
improved cold weather
Animal Fat
performance Finished Fuel
Feedstock

Inbicon Biomass Refinery
www.inbicon.com

• Ethanol facility using
straw for feedstock
• Utilizes custom
enzymes for conversion
of cellulosic material
into more easily
fermentable sugars.
• 10MGY pilot facility

Biogas via Anaerobic
Digestion
Observations of Danish and German Practices
(with some contrast to the U.S.)

Prevalence and Incentives
• AD practiced on farms in Denmark and Germany;
more common there compared to U.S. farms
• Typically sited on an individual farm but a few
centralized digesters also exists which process
manure from several local farms
• AD system tends to be owned by the farmer with or
without additional partners
• The practice is subsidized through the price received
for electricity; other subsidies may also be in place
• Electricity price depends on feedstock and region
but generally higher than retail electric rate.

Economic Drivers
• AD can be a profit center for the farm
• In some cases, farm appears to operate as an “energy farm,”
the traditional farm enterprises (e.g. pigs) seem secondary
• In any case, farm obtains the benefit of energy for farm
operations and can export the surplus energy
• AD expected to expand on farms in future
(“manure = gold” news article)
• The structure of the subsidies influence the feedstocks
digested and how the energy is used
• favor generation of electricity
• higher price for energy from biomass crops than energy from manure

This pig farm operates 5 digesters, fed with pig manure and
corn silage grown for the digesters. The farm serves as an
energy center producing electricity and heat for the
surrounding community (delivered via underground
network of hot water pipes). The digesters are a major profit
center for the farm.

Lely Astronaut Robotic Milking Dairy

Biogas fueled
boiler at the
Dalum Agriculture
College.

The digester
produces biogas
from the school’s
manure.

This corn silage is grown for the purpose of feeding it to the
anaerobic digester, not for feeding cows. Growing crops for
digestion is rare, if not unheard of, in the U.S.

Corn silage is fed into these parallel hoppers,
from which it is fed into a grinder and then
conveyed into the digesters.

Biodigesters creating gas for electrical production.

Farm digesters in the Danish landscape. Visible from
the road. Not an uncommon sight (at least more
common than it would be in the U.S.)

Roadside shot of wind turbines

Hay barn covered with Photovoltaics; from Germany.

Solar thermal system in Aeroskobing. 18,000 square meters of solar
thermal provide much of the hot water needs for the town. It’s one of
the largest solar thermal plants in the world.

Offshore wind turbine components on a barge

Waste water treatment plant in Sonderborg

Municipal waste being used to produce electricity and heat
at Vattenfall Energy Plant. No new landfills are being
created in Denmark. All municipal waste is now being
burned for energy instead of being buried.

Wind Turbine Technician Training Equipment,
Wirtschaftsakademie

Our Project
• International Collaboration Project between
– Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)
– Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC)
– University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB)
• Four-week exchange of BHCC students to GCU
in Glasgow
• Students tasked with computing projects in
GCU areas of expertise
• Cultural experience in Scotland