Need Saliency and Academic Behavior of Technical Students in India: Implications for Career Sustaining Competences

In the current scenario of rapid expansion of higher education, it becomesimperative to study the dynamic factors underlying quality education,student motivation and learning outcomes. Most of the literature availableas on date are predominantly based on western studies, where theindividual’s personal achievement, autonomy, control, power are consideredto be most important. But these western models often influenced by theirindividualistic philosophy and cultural values are quite inapplicable forpluralistic Indian society, where we believe in collaboration and teamwork.Rare attempts have been made to develop an indigenous model to measurethese attributes in our society. The present study is first of its kind to assessthe salient and non-salient needs of technical students pursuing their studiesin India. Authors have identified measures of the students’ engagement invarious academic, co-curricular activities and their performance outcomes.A sample of Four-hundred and Sixty-five (N=465) engineering/sciencestudents were collected through purposive sampling exclusively from IITKharagpur , a premier technical institute in eastern India where studentsacross the country got selected and joined on merit basis, through thenational level joint entrance examination for Engineering and Science, thetoughest examination in the country, known as IIT-JEE. Career implicationsare discussed in light of the major findings.

On SD-oriented mechanism of technological innovation

If one enterprise just takes technological innovation as the way for economic profit but not the combinationalprofit of economy, society and ecology, it will never survive in this fierce competition market. Based on the relationshipbetween technological innovation and sustainable development, this paper brings forward that technological innovationmust take the sustainable1 development of society as the fundamental goal. Technological innovation should be the realimpulse for the development of society, economy and ecology. On the basis of the analysis on previous technologicalinnovation impetus mechanism, combined with the influential factors, this paper puts forward SD-oriented mechanism oftechnological innovation.

Building a Sustainable Future Through International ECE Partnership Programmes

Purpose:Taking a particular example of an international partnership programme,this article aims to discuss kindergartens’participation in international partnership programmes as compelling vehicles for promoting early childhood education for sustainability(ECEfS).The partnership programme included Western Norway University of Applied Sciences,Beijing Normal University,East China Normal University,and kindergartens in Norway and China.Researchers,postgraduate students,kindergarten principals,and teachers participated in the programme,their key concern being to promote competencies for sustainability and agents for change.Design/Approach/Methods:The article is based upon research with a phenomenological approach to Chinese and Norwegian kindergarten teachers’and principals’experiences of participating in an international partnership programme.The data for this article consisted of reflective notes from the teachers and principals and recordings of teachers’and principals’reflections in a joint seminar in the kindergarten network.Findings:This article argues that ethical normative,dialogical,and anticipatory approaches are pivotal within international ECEfS partnership programmes.Originality/Value:The article has the potential to address international partnership programmes,involving different stakeholders,as vital in promoting ECEfS.It also urges international partnership programmes to promote glocality in ECEfS(i.e.,local situatedness with global awareness).

A Competency-Based Transformation in Computing and Engineering Education in the Digital Era

In today’s world,humanity is immersed in a digital era where technological advances driven by computers permeate everyone’s life.The situation raises the need for computing and engineering education to inform students of their responsibilities to society and their preparation to enter higher education and the workplace.Competency and technical performance are central to this thinking.This article poses two questions:Has competency-based learning in computing and engi-neering transformed into the current digital age?If so,to what extent has computing and engineering educa-tion adopted competency-based learning in their curric-ula?The authors explore three reports affecting comput-ing and engineering education to address these queries.They include the 2019 Chinese Computer Education for Sustainable Competence(Blue Book),the Computing Curricula 2020:Paradigms for Global Computing Edu-cation,and the 2023 Infinite Possibilities:Report on the Digital Development of Global Higher Education.The first emphasizes the importance and necessary elements of sustainable competency and agile education for com-puting and engineering in the digital era.The second de-fines competency as a triad of knowledge,skills,and hu-man dispositions;it promotes the transformation from knowledge-based to competency-based learning.The third report provides a pathway for the modern digital development of global higher education in a digital and technological age.All three publications support direct-ly or indirectly the transformation of competency into the current digital age.However,computing and engi-neering programs have yet to adopt competency-based learning in their curricula.Time can tell whether sus-tainable competency will permeate computing and en-gineering education globally.In the meantime,acade-micians and industry professionals should continue pursuing the cause to prepare students and graduates adequately as they become part of the digital era.