DEFINITIONS:

Member Society: A technical engineering society that is a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada.

Participating Partner: A teaching institution partnered with the EIC to deliver professional development programs according to established guidelines.

Professional Associations: Canadian provincial regulatory bodies that license and represent engineering professionals nationwide.
 

BACKGROUND:

Interest in the accountability of public institutions is increasing. The engineering profession, is one such public institution. An important aspect of professional accountability is evidence of continued competency. Although learning does not equal competency it is a necessary condition for it. For this reason in several professions participation in learning activities has become the norm of responsible professional behavior and in a growing number of jurisdictions, a legal requirement.

The EIC, in partnership with its member societies (Annex A), is committed to life-long learning for Canadian engineering professionals and has established a Technical Professional Development Committee (TPDC), (Annex B) for the attainment of this goal.

Life-long learning activities are diverse. The EIC program focuses on continuing education and professional development activities. For the purposes of this document, Continuing Education Units are for the recognition of learning activities meeting the standards outlined in Annex C. All other recognized learning activities are designated Professional Development Activities (PDA). PDA includes a relatively wide spectrum of activities for example, but not limited to participation at conferences, meetings, workshops (a more detailed list is provided in Annex D). Participation in any such activity is recognized by most of the professional associations and the Professional Development Hour (PDH)has been adopted in some constituencies as a measure of participation.

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a concept introduced by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET). The CEU represents participation time in a learning activity that is delivered in accordance with the prescribed standards. Comparing the CEU with the PDH reveals the latter as a less rigorous unit. Recognition of the PDH is a professional association prerogative and definitions vary from province to province.

MANDATE:

In the context of enabling life-long learning for Canadian engineering professionals, the EIC and its member societies have been mandated to provide: standards for continuing education, a CEU and PDH registry, information about available learning opportunities and a network of learning activity providers known as Participating Partners. These four elements define the EIC program for life-long learning. The TPDC has the responsibility to carry out this mandate.

STANDARDS:

The EIC standards for continuing education include both process and technical content considerations. The standards are those introduced by IACET and modified by the EIC for the Canadian engineering community. They are described in Annex C. These standards are generic and apply to a wide range of educational and training activities. In addition to verifying the use of these standards, the EIC through its member societies, provides the necessary technical expertise for the verification of the quality of instructors and the level of technical content of a learning activity. Each member society has technical expertise available to review learning activity proposals according to IACET and EIC standards.

Providers of learning activities are invited to participate with the EIC as Participating Partners. The technical experts of the appropriate technical society randomly review course offerings of these partners.

The quality of continuing education programs is further guaranteed by the administration of a satisfied customer questionnaire. This questionnaire is directed at registrants of completed activities for which CEU’s have been awarded. In the case of dissatisfaction, follow-up action takes place with the course provider.

The EIC does not conduct technical course-by-course reviews in the case of providers of large programs of continuing education, for example, universities or other educational institutions including private ones. EIC is satisfied with the commitment made by its Participating Partners to comply with the CEU Learning Activity Program Standards (Annex C) as well as their established internal institutional standards. However, site visits by member society representatives are made on a periodic basis in order to review compliance with the agreed upon standards.

Other course providers who are not Participating Partners may apply to EIC to have a single continuing education activity assessed and evaluated for CEUs by submitting a learning activity proposal using the CEU Course Approval Form attached as Appendix A to Annex C. This form is also available online through the EIC web site www.eic-ici.ca. Each member society of the EIC has established a learning activity evaluation committee for the purpose of reviewing these proposals.

REGISTRY:

In response to the requirement for many engineering professionals to maintain a record of their learning activities and in compliance with IACET standards, requiring records be kept, the EIC has developed a computer-based Registry. This Registry is a backed-up, confidential and secure database that provides transcripts to individual registrants upon receipt of written authority and a nominal fee for service.

This Registry is capable of receiving bulk registrations electronically from providers of learning activities who must ensure that all participants have signed a consent form upon registering for a course to have their CEUs transferred to the EIC Registry office. This Registry service is available to all engineering associations and technical societies for the registration of CEU’s and PDH’s. Fees for this service are currently under negotiation. Individuals may also use the registry by supplying the necessary information in a validated form and upon payment of a registration fee.

CALENDAR:

The EIC maintains a web site containing links to all of its partners (societies, universities, associations etc.) for the purpose of providing information on learning activities available to engineering professionals across Canada.

PARTICIPATING PARTNERS:

Institutions and other significant providers of continuing education such as universities, colleges and other organizations are invited to collaborate with the EIC as Participating Partners. Participating Partners pay an annual membership fee and provide input to meetings and workshops organized by the TPDC. Course-by-course approvals are waived for Participating Partners who have agreed to comply with IACET and EIC standards. A list of current Participating Partners appears in Annex E.

Participating Partners of EIC are authorized to use the EIC logo in their advertising and on their diplomas and certificates. The verification of standards by the EIC and its member societies makes the EIC logo a sign of authenticity.
 
 

TERMS OF REFERENCE:

The TPDC organization is described below. There are four working groups:

• Guidelines,
• Assessment,
• Registry & Calendar, and
• Participating Partners & Member Societies.

The Chair is responsible for the administration of the committee’s budget and for the provision of leadership. The goal is to have the EIC recognized by learning activity providers and the profession at large as the principal enabler of life-long learning for engineering professionals in Canada.

Each member society is responsible for assigning a representative to the TPDC. The administration of the TPD program is the responsibility of the EIC coordinating office under the direction of the Executive Director who is responsible to ensure the administrative guidelines are followed.

ADMINISTRATION

Certificates:

The EIC provides accredited learning activity providers with certificates for distribution to participants at the completion of activities. Course providers are required to submit the necessary information in a prescribed electronic format.

Records:

The EIC maintains confidential records of professional development activities for the purpose of providing registrants with a formal record (transcript) of their learning activity upon receipt of a written request. These records are maintained for a period of at least seven years

Transcripts:

The EIC Coordinating Office maintains a backed up electronic database of learning activity records for engineering professionals who register for this service through their course provider. Individuals are provided with a transcript or record of their professional development activities upon receipt of written authority and a nominal fee for service.

Fees:

• Learning activities developed by member societies are evaluated without fee.
• Learning activities registered by member societies on behalf of their members are registered free of charge. Such registrations must be transmitted electronically in bulk following the prescribed format as detailed on the EIC website.
• Transcripts are available to individuals on demand for a fee of $10.00.
• Where a member society wishes to provide participants with an EIC certificate, these are available for a fee of $5.00 each.

• Participating Partners pay dues of $100.00 per course delivered under the auspices of this program up to a maximum of $500.00 or five courses.
• Records of learning activities offered by participating partners will be registered in the EIC registry at a fee of $3.00 per activity for engineering professionals.
• Individuals with records in the EIC registry may, at any time, and on the payment of $10.00, receive an up-to-date transcript/record of their continuing education and professional development activities.
• Individual learning activity certificates are available from the EIC for a fee of $5.00. 

Provincial Professional Engineering Associations:

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a concept proposed by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET), an organisation launched in the USA to respond to the need to develop standards for the delivery of continuing education programs for professionals.

The CEU is defined as: Ten hours of participation in a continuing education program organised in compliance with prescribed standards under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.

Recognizing the popularity for programs not requiring demonstration of learning outcomes, IACET has recently introduced the certified CEU for the purpose of recognizing programs that while meeting the prescribed standards for program delivery also require demonstration of value through the assessment of learning outcomes by individuals participating in the program.

CEU Learning Activity Program Standards

These standards are process standards considered generic to quality continuing education programs.
 

1. Each learning activity is a planned response to educational needs that have been identified for a target audience.

For example, the following steps should be considered to assess the training needs and develop a learning activity:

• determine training requirements and desired learning outcomes;
• identify course provider based on skills and abilities to deliver learning outcomes;
• design course content and instructional methods based on needs analysis;
• schedule the activity based on learners' needs, resources available for providing the learning program and the projected outcome;
• Prepare a participant feedback questionnaire and a post-assessment action plan/follow-up.

2. Each activity has clear and concise written statements of learning outcomes.

This statement must specify what individuals will achieve from participating in the learning activity. The outcome objective should emerge from the needs assessment and provide the learning framework which focuses on specific goals.

3. Qualified instructional personnel are included in the planning and delivery of each activity.

Program planners, administrators and qualified instructors must co-operate to develop the best course content possible. Each has a particular role and collectively, they are responsible for:

• Needs assessment
• Selection of course instructor
• Content and instructional methods
• Course delivery
• Learner outcome verification (testing)
• Course evaluation

In the case of non-members/partners, the curriculum vitae of the instructor should accompany each course proposal in order to have a continuing education activity approved for CEU accreditation.

4. Content and instructional methods are appropriate for the intended learning outcomes.

The amount of time available for a course influences what can be accomplished. Short courses limit an instructor to little more than the provision of information. Time is needed for skill building and the processing of information in a meaningful way. In either case, the length of presentation must be balanced with content. Furthermore, the course must be tailored to the needs of the potential audience.

 Instructional methods should be tailored to the learners' needs, and to instructor requirements to meet the objectives of the course. Instructors should select and use teaching methods and strategies that prepare participants to demonstrate the projected learning outcomes at the end of the course.

5. Requirements for satisfactory completion:

The EIC requires that participants demonstrate they have attained the planned learning outcomes. How this is done should be an integral part of course planning. Where individual proficiency is a goal, the participant must demonstrate the skill or knowledge acquired in a particular course. Where individual proficiency is not a specific goal, group demonstrations may be carried out. Oral or written examinations may in some cases be the best method to adequately evaluate learning outcomes. Learning demonstrations throughout a course are recommended to keep participants actively involved.

6. Each learning activity is evaluated by the participants:

Course providers must have a systematic evaluation procedure to know if and where improvements are needed. Course evaluations should provide answers to the following questions:

• Did the learning activity accomplish what was planned?
• If not, why?
• How should the activity be redesigned if it is to be offered again?
• What was learned from the evaluations that would be useful to activity renewals?

 
7. Organization:A Learning Activity Provider is required to have an identified unit, group or individuals with clearly defined responsibilities for the development and administration of Continuing Education Activities.

These individuals are responsible for providing the EIC with the necessary information for the registry and for obtaining the necessary consent from participants to have their participation results recorded in the registry.

8. Learning Environment:

Learning activity providers are responsible for arranging the appropriate learning environment and support services. The EIC is responsible for the review of continuing education proposals and activities for the assurance of compliance to the standards established by IACET.

It is generally accepted that all engineering professionals are responsible for maintaining their level of competency in a manner appropriate to the engineering activity in which they are engaged. Although provincial jurisdictions have different rules, all support the involvement of their members in professional development activities for which, in many cases, individuals are encouraged to record and even report their involvement as measured by professional development hours.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES:

• Seminars
• Workshops
• Scholarship: technical articles, books, research reports, papers etc.
• Attendance at meetings of technical or professional chapters etc.
• Task forces, committees, review teams for codes and standards
• Theses
• Research proposals
• Design submissions
• Computer-based training
• Mentoring
• conferences, congresses, symposia etc.
• Giving lectures and conferences