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Fixing eco-friendly cars: Sabbatical to research training methods, assess CLC's program

As the gas/electric hybrid cars, plug-in electric cars and fuel cells continue to grow in popularity, just how well-trained are College of Lake County (CLC) automotive grads at fixing them? How does CLC's automotive technology program compare to other colleges? What does CLC need to do to keep its program cutting-edge?

Answers to the above questions will be answered in fall semester 2009, as Dr. Lance David, CLC automotive instructor, takes a sabbatical leave to study automotive education at colleges and corporate training centers in the Midwest.

"The last time we revised the layout of our automotive program was 1984," said David, who has taught part-time at CLC since 1979 and fulltime since 2001. "The sabbatical will be a fact-finding mission. I plan to start with a blank slate and ask a lot of questions. At the end of the sabbatical, the conclusion may be that we're doing a good job at CLC. Or it may mean that we need to make changes in the program."

David, who will not teach courses in the fall but will continue his duties as department chair, said his sabbatical will focus on two areas: staying current on the cutting-edge technologies and observing different educational methods. For the technology portion, he plans to visit the auto makers such as Audi, which has a training center in Lincolnshire. He expects to observe up close the latest in electric/gas hybrid engines, the plug-in electric cars ready to go to market and future technologies such as fuel cells.

As part of his research on educational methods, David plans to visit automotive programs Southern Illinois University, Hennepin Technical College in suburban Minneapolis, Ferris State University in Michigan and Sinclair Community College in Ohio. "Not having to teach courses at CLC means that I'll be able to visit these colleges when classes are in session, and I can talk to the students," he explained.

David said Hennepin's automotive program uses the cohort model, an approach that CLC has been using in the administrative office systems program. "At Hennepin, the same group of students stays together throughout the program, from the introductory courses to the same internship with the same supervisor," he said. "The cohort model helps the students form friendships and learn from each other."

David also plans to observe automotive training in the private sector. "The educational methods vary widely at the auto makers," he said. "For example, at Honda's training centers nationwide, they emphasize independent study and have individual kiosks with computer-based instruction to supplement the hands-on training."

Regardless of the training methods, tomorrow's mechanics won't be employable if they don't learn the new hybrids, fuel cells and plug-in cars, David said.

"The majority of cars sold in the next few years will be hybrids containing an electric engine for slow speeds and a traditional combustion engine for higher speeds," David predicted. "All manufacturers are now offering hybrids, from SUVs to pickup trucks to sub-compact cars."

The hybrids will help America transition eventually to fuel cells, he said. "A car with fuel cells stores hydrogen gas or liquid on board and uses the fuel cells to convert the hydrogen into electricity for the motor," he explained. "Hydrogen is not a fossil fuel. You can create it from breaking down water, and the engine emits only water as a byproduct. But the fuel cell technology is still expensive compared to conventional vehicles. Also, we don't yet have the infrastructure for a nationwide network of fueling stations. So it'll be at least 10 years before fuel cells are widely used."

Interestingly, the troubleshooting methods used by mechanics aren't much different on a hybrid than with a traditional engine, said David, who was a technical trainer for Midas International Inc., the nationwide muffler retailer, before joining CLC. "You're still using a computer to monitor engine components, as is currently done with today's cars that use internal combustion engines," he explained. "What will change are the components themselves, how they work and what's behind the new technology. Those are the new cutting-edge concepts we'll teach students."

David plans to produce a full report when his sabbatical ends in December.