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Dr. Mirka Kans

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Linnaeus University, 35195 Växjö, Sweden
Interests: STEM education; engineering education; interdisciplinary education; data-driven maintenance; performance-based contracting; maintenance management; digitalization

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Dear Colleagues,

We live in a world that rapidly changes, and where the border between physical and digital is blurred. Considering the fact that we live in the digital era, information and the capability to manage it become a key competence for industries. The digital transformation of the industry affects all parts of the business, from daily work routines to strategic decision making, addresses technical, organizational, managerial, as well as business-related issues, and is a means to reach sustainability. This Special Issue focuses on how education can support the digital transformation of the industry as well as how the education system could be adapted to the demands that stem from digitalization to reach sustainability. In addition, a holistic, interdisciplinary systems approach is suggested for the promotion of sustainability in education. The purpose of the Special Issue is to build up a common understanding of how to develop sustainable education practices to support the digitalization of industry. Theoretical, conceptual, as well as empirical papers are welcome, and especially case studies illustrating practical applications within the area.

Dr. Mirka Kans
Guest Editor

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Keywords

sustainable education
digital transformation
industry
competence requirements
lifelong learning
distance-based education
interdisciplinary education

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Research

17 pages, 1203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study of Maintenance-Related Education in Swedish Engineering Programs

by Mirka Kans

Educ. Sci. 2021, 11(9), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090535 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1936

Abstract

Engineers of today require a holistic understanding of the lifecycle of products and processes, from conceptualization to operations. Maintenance and reliability are areas receiving increased attention due to the contribution to sustainable industry practices. The related literature describes ways to strengthen the education with respect to curricula and teaching, but studies on the extent and content of maintenance-related education in engineering programs are lacking. The purpose of this study is to describe the maintenance-related education content in Swedish engineering programs. The main objects of study are the curricula and courses of engineering programs in Sweden. In total, 123 Bachelor of Engineering and 119 Master of Engineering programs were studied, as well as 36 maintenance-related courses. It was found that 12% of the engineering programs include one or more maintenance-related course, either mandatory or elective. On the Master of Engineering level, only 4% of the programs include mandatory maintenance-related courses. The corresponding number for Bachelor of Engineering programs is 15%. The courses are typically of 6–7.5 credits, but as low as under one credit worth of maintenance-related content is seen, as well as two specialized programs offering up to 60 credits. Of the 36 courses, 20 have a distinct maintenance focus, 2 are degree thesis courses, and 2 are within reliability engineering, while the rest have a focus in other areas. The lack of maintenance-related education makes future engineers less prepared to make good decisions and judgments that might affect the operational phase of the product or system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education and Digital Transformation of the Industry)

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