It’s true that engineering students cannot learn everything while in college. What more during the pandemic? This is a realization by engineers who happen to work in the field already and feel like they have missed a lot that is supposed to be acquired when they were studying online. Every engineering educational system always has its demerits that cannot be neglected, because they almost always affect the students in their training to become engineers. Engineering students who care so much about optimizing the tuition they paid for will definitely notice the lapses. There are suggestions that needed room for improvement, which are the following:
Lack of competent online faculty
Some engineering colleges employ instructors who are subpar when it comes to technical competency. Some may have the qualifications but they don’t have the zeal to teach. In the new normal, most professors are not competent to teach online or do not have the charisma to teach online.
Poor teacher-to-student ratio
One teacher versus one hundred students just doesn’t seem to be an effective ratio in the classroom. It’s already a crowd that disables the students develop their full potential in learning. The lesser students in the class is the better setup since it’s just like tutoring, which is more focused.
Few linkages
When it comes to internships and on-the-job trainings, colleges need to have solid connections with companies in the engineering industry. This is to expose the students of what the industry is like while still being in college. If the students are lucky, they get absorbed by the company right after graduation.
No emphasis in developing soft skills
Electives like communication skills, technical writing and behavior seem to only take effect on face value and rarely do they transcend to the professionalism of an engineer. It’s only for namesake that these courses are included in the curriculum.
Outdated syllabus
One important thing that engineering colleges have to adapt is the changing of the industry’s current requirements. Having syllabi that have been the same in the past 10 to 20 years doesn’t help at all. They should be revised according to what the engineers are expected of once they graduate.