Academic Research Portfolio. Differences between Carleton University and Dammam College of Technology

Academic Research Portfolio

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Academic Research Portfolio

There are a number of differences between Carleton University and Dammam College of Technology. The difference to be looked at in this report is the teaching and education differences of these two institutions. Both of them are institutions of higher learning and they offer degree programs in different fields. Carleton University has programs in diverse fields such as public affairs, engineering, journalism, social sciences, film studies, science and technology, business, government studies, public policy and art based courses. Dammam College of Technology has most of its courses being in the field of technology, such as Electronic technology, Mechanical technology, Computer technology, Electrical technology and Administrative technology.

Both institutions have academic support services, which differ in their education delivery, and in the way they offer services to students. Carleton University has academic support services that have a wide range of areas. There is the student academic success centre that facilitates services that foster student personal direction and academic competence. They also develop effective study skills, assist students in choosing or changing degree programs, and also identifying strategies to enhance their academic portfolios. This center as well fosters independence by providing students with the decision making and academic skills they need to be successful. Another academic support service is in the learning support area that is in the library which has open spaces in which students can study with friends, classmates or study groups, drop-in sessions, supportive peer helpers and networked computers to further assist in comprehensive studying.

Another student service in Carleton University is the CUOL, which is Carleton University Online that offers students a range of unique ways to pursue their studies. This educational service is an area with a department which offers a range of ways for students to view course lectures. The CUOL currently offers over sixty credited courses to over 4000 students across Canada and the United States. There is a career center that provides students and alumni with the resources and services needed for career exploration. This includes workshops that can cover a wide range of topics such as resume writing, interview skills, accessing the hidden job markets and proposal writing. This center also offers career counseling, employment advising and information sessions from industry representatives.

Carleton University in its education system also has co-operative education opportunities in more than 80 academic programs, streams, and concentrations at the undergraduate level and four programs at the master’s level. There is the Paul Menton Centre for students with disabilities, which promotes equal access to the educational experience of all students regardless of disability. This is consistent with academic standards and all aspects of services, programs, and degrees that are provided by Carleton University to all the students.In addition, a student experience office orients students as soon as they join the university. It creates an environment that enables students to transit successfully into the institution by preparing them to achieve their personal and academic goals and a have a way that enables students to engage well with each other and with their lecturers. The last academic support service is the office of the Associate Vice-President that deals with students and their enrolment issues. This section works with students, the administration, different student faculties, and the student government to ensure the smooth running of students’ life in the University (Dammam College of Technology, 2013).

On the other hand, Dammam College of Technology has a different support center that has five categories. The first is the Community Service Center, which aims at upgrading the relationship between the community and the institution through research, studies, consultancy services, and continuous training in accordance with the needs of the community. It empowers the citizen to cope with the development of technology through the provision of programs, lectures, forums, and training (Carleton University, 2013). In addition, a computer center deals with the College’s computer network, database and supervises all services that link the computer with the training process. A director who is directly linked to the Dean of the college heads it. The other category in the support center is the follow up unit, which is the department that follows up internal and external decisions as well as issues regarding the attendance of staff in the college.

The college has a Public Relations Section that deals with developing the relationship between the College and all its external and internal public in order to fasten relations within the work environment as well as to improve relations with the external public. This area also has the responsibility of providing all possible services and information to agents through the best possible media and it is connected administratively with the Dean of the college. The final category in this area is the quality unit that usually trains high quality cadre. This category is capable of developing and integrating in the labor market efficiently and effectively and to improve the quality of administrative procedures in the College under the directives of the management to improve management and quality in the corporation. This is also administratively linked to the dean of the college. From the comparison above, for both Carleton University and Dammam College of Technology, there are differences in the way education systems and their structural arrangement are for both of the institutions.

In the two institutions, education systems and teaching modes are different in that, in Carleton University, there is more involvement of students with their lecturers and professors. The various service centers are seen to be more in touch with the students. Their priority is the students and benefits, which the students get through their course work at the university. It has a large base on which students can express their views, opinions, and interact in a conducive learning environment. The education support service center is also well divided in terms of the services it provides for the students. This education system is very much effective as it gives students priority and freedom with responsibility therefore molding the students to be all round as they interact with other members of society and as they study with their fellow students. An interactive environment for students gives them confidence even as they graduate from their course work and join the job market.

Dammam College of Technology mainly concentrates on the use of technology to empower and teach students who enroll for courses in the institution. The education system and training is so much based on technology whereby even the support centers are connected very much administratively with the dean. In addition, most courses offered are technology based while Carleton University has a wider variety of courses. Even the Community Service Center is linked administratively to the institution because the provision of services to the community through training is done through the dean’s office. The administrative system runs most of the student affairs and therefore there is not much interactive environment for the students. This is further because of the technology courses which are more practical and requires a lot of working with machinery and other devices. Therefore concentration is more on how technology works and students and their lecturers interact when being given instructions about the ways to deal with technological devices.

Carleton University also uses research-based methodologies in training and teaching of their students. Having a number of faculties and departments, the institution aims at ensuring student needs are met. Lecturers and students interact at academic and personal levels and the learning is very interactive even among the students themselves as they are expected to present course work in class sometimes so as to engage more with each other. On the other hand, Dammam College of Technology involves more of dealing with technology, and research in this case is based on finding out how technology works as well as the innovations that are coming up in the area of technology. It being a middle level college for post high school students, Dammam College of Technology’s training is more focused on helping students to acquire some technical skills in different areas of technology.

This comparative study of the modes of teaching and the education system in the two institutions is aimed at showing how different education systems impact on students and their life in college or university. Moreover, it is meant to bring out the common grounds with which the teaching process in both institutions is carried out. How students learn and interact in higher institutions of learning is important because it helps in shaping them for the future one they get into the job market. Students with a more interactive learning environment are more confident and become more productive in the work place because they acquire skills that enable them to work independently or in groups with confidence (Ram, 2007).

Overall, education and teaching methods generally are meant to enable students to have different skills and enhance their talent. Use of technology is as equally important as the use of interactive learning method because the result is what matters and if a student is able to excel in his/her specialty, then the objective of the education methodology used is achieved.