FIG Commission 2 - Professional Education

Work Plan 2019-2022

Origional work plan in.pdf format

Terms of Reference

  • Professional surveying education (vocational, higher and academic education) curriculum development.
  • Professional surveying education (vocational, higher and academic education) learning and teaching methods and technologies
  • The role of professional education and its relation to the public sector, private sector and professional organizations.
  • The domain of professional surveying education (continuing professional development).
  • Knowledge transfer in education and training, , and via existing academic networks.

Mission statement

Promote good practices in professional surveying education by:

  • Exploring the needs of society and endorsing universities and other educational organizations to develop mechanisms and processes that will help to meet those needs.
  • Methods and content of education: To support and promote advances in learning and teaching methods and content of curricula with special emphasis on the impact of technology and learning styles on education (outcome – report on state of education).
  • Knowledge sharing. Promoting sharing of advances in professional education, research in surveying education and training and initiate joint projects (curriculum development, educational material development, joint courses, quality assurance etc.). Improving dissemination of information on educational theory and practice to the members across the world via existing academic networks. (outcome – special issue of journal, seminars/conferences).
  • Supporting capacity building for surveying education in the developing world, through strengthening knowledge transfer (including collaboration with UN-GGIM, GLTN, RICS and General academic networks). (outcome – regional knowledge sharing)
  • Cooperation with other professions. Reinforcing cooperation with Educational Commissions of International Organisations on the related professions.
  • Continuing Professional Development. Encourage improved surveying practice through the promotion of continuing professional development (CPD) and the practical application of research, help surveyors continuously to update their academic and professional profiles. Key priorities include becoming a more active Commission, a focus on worldwide professional education, supporting the education continuum in surveying education, and preparing land professionals for new challenges.

General

FIG Commission 2 is the domain of professional surveying education. The traditional core areas for the commission are: 1) curriculum and core surveying body of knowledge, 2) teaching and learning methodology, 3) marketing and management of professional education and 4) accreditation and quality assurance. During the 2011-2014 term Frank (2008, 2012) and Greenfeld (2010, 2012) centred on the understanding of the surveying core body of knowledge. Developments and discourse justified the broadening of the scope of FIG Commission 2 from surveying education to educating the land professional (Enemark & Williamson, 2004; Enemark, 2008, 2009, 2010; Magel et al. 2009; Mitchell & Enemark, 2008).

During the 2015 -2018, FIG Commission 2 built on the above work focusing on the following themes (i) Becoming an active Commission, (ii) Professional education world-wide, (iii) the chain of professional surveying education, and (iii) towards educating the land professional. A key publications from this term were Masum et al (2017) focusing on Bridging the Gap between Demand for and Supply of Professional Education, and Groenendijk (2017) reviewing the VGGTs in the curriculum1 (next step in this research is to research the gaps in the implementation and adoption of the VGGTs in the curriculum).

Innovative learning and teaching has always received major attention in FIG Commission 2. This is reflected in the work of Enemark (2004, 2007, 2009; Enemark & Gallant, 2012) promoting innovative teaching and learning approaches in surveying education, in particular project- and problem-based learning. E-learning, open learning and knowledge management achieved major attention by Markus (2005, 2008, and 2010). The work on e- learning resulted in the most recent publication by FIG Commission 2: FIG Publication No. 46. Enhancing Surveying Education through e-Learning. Markus (2010) mentioned the following two challenges for FIG Commission 2 that are still highly relevant to consider: ubiquitous learning and open education. For the new term these will be embraced and further explored.

There has been a noticeable trend in recent years, particularly in English speaking countries, of a declining population of surveyors and the need to attract promising young surveyors into surveying (Frank, 2010). Various approaches and recruiting tools have been developed and shared during recent FIG Commission 2 events.

Developing educational and skills qualifications of surveying professionals and technicians is one of the other main concerns for FIG Commission 2. For some countries this is of more concern than others. In the United States ABET is used to allow standard recognition of educational surveying qualifications (Frank, 2007, 2009, 2010). In the United Kingdom, RICS has developed educational criteria that allow universities to assess the suitability of their curricula to the professional needs (Plimmer, 2003; Frank, 2010). With the rapidly changing surveying profession it is a continuous challenge to maintain a system of standardization. The former chair of FIG Commission 2 has worked intensively on defining educational surveying qualifications and in relation to the core surveying body of knowledge and learning and teaching methodologies (Frank, 2012).

For its new term, 2019 -2022, FIG Commission 2 will continue to build on the work carried out by the former commission chairs. FIG Commission 2 has developed for the term 2019 – 2022 the following focus areas. These will be discussed and worked out in concrete actions during the first Commission 2 meeting in 2019:

In addition to the specific activities above, Commission 2 will support and contribute to FIG Task Forces, Permanent Institutions and Networks, in particular to the Young Surveyors Network, the OICRF and the FIG Foundation.

Working Groups

Working Group 2.1 - Developing academic networks for knowledge sharing

Objectives

  • To share knowledge and good practices in surveying curricula and programs across educational institutions and across countries – especially through existing and newly created academic networks.
  • Contribute to the final Commission 2 report on professional education.
  • To seek feedback from these academic networks on changes in curricula and approaches to professional education that respond to the changing nature of the surveying profession.
  • To discuss and describe core competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) for the education of future land surveyors and land professionals.
  • Exploring the needs of society and endorsing universities and other educational organizations to develop mechanisms and processes that will help to meet those needs.
  • Knowledge sharing. Promoting sharing of advances in professional education, research in surveying education and training and initiate joint projects (curriculum development, educational material development, joint courses, quality assurance etc.). Improving dissemination of information on educational theory and practice to the members across the world
  • Supporting capacity building for surveying education in the developing world, through strengthening knowledge transfer (including with UN-GGIM, RICS and regional academic networks).
  • Cooperation with other professions. Reinforcing cooperation with Educational Commissions Report on Professional Surveying Education Challenges, trends, and latest approaches (methods and content of education) Regional Capacity Development and Knowledge Sharing. Cooperation with other professions Regional training and CPD of International Organisations on the related professions.

Chair

Dr. Dimo Todorovski, the Netherlands
d.todorovski[at]utwente.nl

 

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Working Group 2.2 - Innovative learning and teaching / "Curriculum on the Move" 

Objectives

  • To exchange and promote good practices in teaching and learning methodologies in professional education of the surveying and land professional. The aim is to capture the very best teaching that our members are doing and not currently writing about.
  • Increase our understanding of the challenges and trends and innovation in professional education. Contribute to the final Commission 2 report on professional education.
  • Exploring the needs of society and endorsing universities and other educational organizations to develop mechanisms and processes that will help to meet those needs.
  • Methods and content of education: To support and promote advances in learning and teaching methods and content of curricula with special emphasis on the impact of technology and learning styles on education.
  • Knowledge sharing. Promoting sharing of advances in professional education, research in surveying education and training and initiate joint projects (curriculum development, educational material development, joint courses, quality assurance etc.). Improving dissemination of information on educational theory and practice to the members across the world.
  • Continuing Professional Development. Encourage improved surveying practice through the promotion of continuing professional development (CPD) and the practical application of research, help surveyors continuously to update their academic and professional profiles.

Chair

Mohsen Kalantari, Australia
mohsen.kalantari[at]unimelb.edu.au

 

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Working Group - Joint Commission 2 and Young Surveyors Network
- Learning styles in surveying education

Objectives

  • To survey, analyse and document the learning styles of students at different ages (including young surveyors) and from different regions.
  • Increase our understanding of the varied ways that surveying students learn.
  • Contribute to the final Commission 2 report on education.
  • Exploring the needs of society and endorsing universities and other educational organizations to develop mechanisms and processes that will help to meet those needs.
  • Methods and content of education: To support and promote advances in learning and teaching methods and content of curricula with special emphasis on the impact of technology and learning styles on education.
  • Knowledge sharing. Promoting sharing of advances in professional education, research in surveying education and training and initiate joint projects (curriculum development, educational material development, joint courses, quality assurance etc.). Improving dissemination of information on educational theory and practice to the members across the world.

Chair

Melissa Harrington
United States
melissa.obrien[at]live.com.
Chethna Ben
Fiji
chethna.ben[at]usp.ac.fj
Franka Grubisic
Croatia
grubisicfranka[at]gmail.com 
Mudit Kapoor
India
mkapoor[at]ce.iitr.ac.in

 

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