Creation of a universal “model of an engineer” is a complicated process, for there is a number of engineering specialities. Many countries have their own system of requirements to the training quality and acknowledgement of engineering qualifications (АВЕТ, FEANI, WA). Since 2012 within CDIO initiative Astrakhan State University (ASU) has been designing engineers training programs. ASU has elaborated and is implementing an original strategy of transferring from the system of disciplinary theoretical education to the project-based one. The focus is on the modernization of training engineers in a long term by changing the attitude to education and vocational guidance of schoolchildren. To unify the “school-university” educational process, to introduce a competence- and project-based method in secondary school, ASU organized and holds Workshops, Training Day etc for teachers with the assistance of international experts. Engineers training in ASU is intimately connected with forming of systems thinking based on diversity of intellectual operations and modes of thought. Module-based method of forming an integrated syllabus turned out the most efficient. The following elements were distinguished: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced level module and Specialization module. Two-dimensional learning is taken as a basic principle. The vertical component of the academic program is based on the logical structuring of educational material within the studied subject area, in which the previous themes are the basic foundation for the next ones. The learning process is consistently goes vertically up, i.e. from the simple theme to the difficult one. The place in the system of multi-disciplinary knowledge and examples of the use in engineering and other subject areas are determined for every theme as part of the horizontal component. We introduced subjects that help our students master skills of innovative engineering. There is a special discipline for the practical application of acquired knowledge, creativity, imagination, mastering the analysis and synthesis of systems, systems engineering, methods of formulating and solving inventive problems. A unique course was developped at ASU on "Lean Production+6 Sigma" aimed at deepening students' knowledge in the field of production management and developing skills and competencies for professional participation in strategy development of innovative companies and increase of their competitiveness. Integrated control of the knowledge process formation and the levels of skill and competency mastering of students are a component of the separate academic discipline content and international relationships. There is an authors' database of integrated assignments and assessment tools for all major structural units of the curriculum at ASU. The use of integrated assignments to evaluate students' ability to transfer research methods from one area of knowledge to another and apply them in the new circumstances. The source of integration is interdisciplinary and intradiscilinary relations that play an important role in improving the practical, scientific and theoretical training of students. Evaluation program (Standard 12) showed that the given approach is effective, some "bottlenecks" were identified. Much of the success is associated with the creation of a creative atmosphere at the university, where students can fully realize their potential. It is one of the priorities of the university.
Proceedings of the 10th International CDIO Conference, Barcelona, Spain, June 15-19 2014