A Case Study on the Implementation and Quality Management of General Education in Career-Technical Education in the U.S: Focused on the Implications for University College of Korea

Abstract

This study attempted to obtain implications for the systematization and qualitative operation of university college (junmundaehak in Korean) general education by analyzing the implementation and quality management method of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology and New York City College of Technology in the United States. These schools offer both applied associate degrees (AAS) and bachelor of applied science (BAS) degrees. The results of this case analysis are as follows. First, both universities vertically link the general education courses of AAS to BAS programs, individually with a significant proportion of general education, so that learners on the track of vocational programs can cultivate common core skills. Second, both universities evaluate students' acquired college-wide learning outcomes in the selected subjects, analyze students' weaknesses on based on a standardized rubric, and devise improvement plans in the corresponding subjects.Through the above results, the researcher drew three implications that could be obtained for junmundaehak general education. First, it is reasonable to diversify the types of vocational-oriented degree such as AAS, AS, AAS-T in Washington State in order to differentiate required general education credits, and to systematize general education curriculum in connecting to advanced degree course (jungongsimhwa in Korean) in order to vertically design the general education curriculum. Second, this study recommends that instructors include intellectual skills as an objective of junmundaehak general education. To this end, it is necessary to offer required composition courses and correspondingly revise respective course learning outcomes and teaching/learning methods. Third, it is necessary to introduce plans to properly evaluate general education outcomes beyond diagnosis tools or surveys. It is also necessary to improve the course embedded assessment so that the achievement of core competences can be evaluated in connection with the subject, and course improvement plans can be initiated to make up for any weaknesses.