Traditional Higher Education Engineering versus Vocational and Professional Education and Training: What Can we Learn from Each Other?

Dave Towey and James Walker
University of Nottingham Ningbo China
Ningbo, China

Ricky Yuk-kwan Ng
Vocational Training Council
Hong Kong SAR, China

This paper examines and contrasts the learning and teaching practices in traditional higher education engineering (THEE) and vocational and professional education and training (VPET). As education evolves and new and alternative technologies and tools appear — especially in the form of more open, flexible, and lightweight technology-enhanced learning (TEL) options, such as massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other open educational resources (OERs) — the need for THEE and VPET institutions to adapt and reinvent has never been more urgent. This paper introduces some recent changes in education, and the Chinese contexts of the authors. The history and parallels between THEE and VPET are presented. Then, current challenges for both THEE and VPET institutions are discussed, with potential strategies and solutions outlined. Insights from Agile development methodologies in software engineering are discussed as themes for how THEE and VPET institutions may be able to address current challenges and maintain a sustainable trajectory into the future.