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Summary of Meeting Proceedings
EnterTech Quarterly Meeting
July 30, 1998
Welcome and Introduction
Coalition members were welcomed to the IBM Team Focus Decision Room by Bruce Aumack, IBM Austin Area Education Manager. From an employer perspective, Mr. Aumack emphasized the importance of the project and informed the attendees that IBM has changed its hiring strategy. Particular skills are sought rather than particular individuals. It is critical for success as a business to know the required skills and to acquire the skill sets. Personnel hiring -- as well as acquisitions of other companies -- is based on identified skill needs.
Dr. George Kozmetsky, Chairman of the IC2 Institute, thanked attendees for their participation and contributions to the project. In striving to address the needs of employers and learners alike, the collective resources and expertise of the coalition remains vital to EnterTech Project success.
Deaton Bednar, EnterTech Project Director, introduced participants and noted their advisory team memberships. In attendance were:
Tom Applegate, Austin Community College; Bruce Aumack, IBM; Deaton Bednar, IC2 Institute; Ron Brey, Austin Community College; Lynore Brown, Austin Academy; Fred Butler, Community Action Network; Doug Caldwell, 3M; Corey Carbonara, Baylor University; Louise DaRe, Austin Technology Incubator; John Fitzpatrick, Capital Area Training Foundation; Erich Geisler, Dell Computer; Keith Hall, Capital Metro; Molly Hocking, EIMC-UT; Mindy Jackson, IC2; Cassy Key, Capital Tech-Prep; George Kozmetsky, IC2; Norman Lewis, TSOICC; Don Loving, Communities in Schools; Lindy McDaniel, Montgomery College; Karen Pennell, ACT Inc.; Nancy Sutherland, EIMC-UT; Rip Rowan, Citizen at Large; Jim Walton, GreenThumb; Judith Weiss, Top Drawer Productions; and Dewey Winburne, Interactive Architex.
Computer-mediated discussions among coalition members were facilitated by Carolyn Johnson of IBM's Austin Education Center. The meeting topics were structured around the project milestones to be accomplished within the first five months of project timelines.
Milestone: Funding and Administrative Processes
Ms. Bednar reviewed progress to date with state funding received for the EnterTech Project, the Baylor University subcontract complete, and the imminent completion of subcontract negotiations with ACT Inc., Austin Community College, EIMC-UT Austin, and Interactive Architex. Today’s meeting outlines project activities for the next three months.
Milestone: Analysis of Current Delivery Platforms and Emerging Technology Trends
Dr. Corey Carbonara, Executive Director of the Institute for Technology Innovation Management at Baylor University, discussed strategies for assessing current and emerging technologies that may impact the delivery of the EnterTech program.
Results of the assessment will include a technology infrastructure profile of Texas with recommendations for the appropriate delivery platform for EnterTech. Technology pathways under consideration are computer-based delivery (CD-ROM and DVD-ROM), internet-based delivery (from Web-TV to electronic publishing and interactive software templates), and data-broadcasting delivery (digital television, cable, telco, satellite).
Dr. Carbonara solicited attendees for their insights into training technologies. While the members contributed a broad listing of various technology solutions, a common thread among recommendations was delivering quality video while enabling human interactions at a distance. Digital groupware and internet accessibility ranked highly among members. Media streaming technologies and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM storage technologies were recommended for delivering high-end video scenarios to learners.
Next, participants were asked which technologies might be required by EnterTech graduates to be successful in the high-tech workplace. Member recommendations included the fundamentals of computer usage such as e-mail and word processing. Graduates also should understand telecommunications basics such as faxing, paging and using large telephone systems. Exposure to electronic testing and diagnostic equipment was recommended. With technologies evolving rapidly, the ability to learn new systems was noted as an important skill to impart to EnterTech graduates.
Milestone: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for Entry Level Jobs
Ms. Bednar led the group in considering entry-level jobs to profile for EnterTech competencies.
Important considerations in the decision include:
- focusing on industries with greatest expectation for growth
- determining number of openings in a typical year
- identifying emerging occupations
- obtaining job descriptions and Work Keys profiles from employers
- obtaining labor market information data available through the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Development Boards and TSOICC
- making contacts at HR departments of major employers, such as Dell, IBM, etc.
- gathering information from organizations such as the Vocational Technical Educational Consortium of States, the Dacum Institute, community college curriculum development departments.
Milestone: Competencies and Performance Objectives in Related Curricula
Mindy Jackson, EnterTech Project Coordinator, asked members to provide suggestions on curriculum to review that may be complimentary to EnterTech objectives.
EnterTech is to innovate, not recreate. But with the given constraints of resources, other curricula may be packaged with or recommended for use with EnterTech. Members suggested videotapes, workbooks and computer-based training modules in various skills areas.
The most reported items include:
| ACT Inc. curricula list | Market Yourself (UT Distance Education Center) |
| AISD’s Delta Program | Moonbase simulation (for problem-solving) |
| CASAS curricula list | Odyssey of the Mind |
| Competitive Edge | Ohio Vocational Instructional Materials Lab |
| Computer Curriculum Corporation | Personal Efficiency Program |
| Contemporary Math series | PLATO |
| Daedelous | Principles of Technology |
| INVEST | Skill Bank |
| JumpStart Math | Transformations |
| Leadership Development |
Milestone: Target Learner Characteristics Analysis
Participants next considered which characteristics were most important to identify about EnterTech learners. Understanding the general characteristics of the audience is important in developing appropriate learning activities and materials, and in selecting pre-requisite skill levels for the program. Participants created a listing of learner characteristics and skill levels important to developing the EnterTech project.
Members then ranked the following in order of importance:
- Desire to learn, desire to work characteristics
- Reading for information skills
- Following instruction skills
- Team work skills
- Applied mathematics skills
- Listening skills
- Contextualiztions for instruction (cultural characteristics)
- Learning styles characteristics
- Self-esteem characteristics
- Computer use skills
Other areas noted as important were perceived situational barriers to success (lifestyle characteristics), writing skills, applied technology skills, and leadership abilities.
Milestone: Gaps in Curriculum Identified
As EnterTech project activities progress, the previous milestones will be analyzed and synthesized into a report that compares the knowledge, skills and abilities inventories with that of other curricula and with added consideration of the targeted learner characteristics. This gap analysis is the next step in mapping instructional competencies, performance objectives and curricular content for the EnterTech Project. EnterTech will fill the gap between employer needs and learner needs.
Meeting Adjournment.
NOTE: for a full-text transcript of the electronic discussions, please e-mail request to melindaj@mail.utexas.edu
Copyright © 1998 The EnterTech Project. All rights
reserved.
Revised: August 5, 1998.