Read a source with a question in mind
The references below connect the technical subjects to the publications that describe them. Course descriptions explain curricula; occupational profiles describe work; agency pages explain responsibilities and standards; research records describe particular investigations. A source is most useful when its scope matches the question being asked.
For a comparison of the fields, begin with the technical pathway comparison. For the curricula’s educational context, follow the consortium profile and the discussion for educators. The workplace health page reports the health studies with their findings and limits.
The consortium and its evaluation
ERIC’s evaluation record summarizes the education model, the main evaluation findings and uncertainty about the consortium’s future structure.
Hezel Associates’ full evaluation sets out the college partnership, program design, reported outcomes, recommendations and student questionnaire.
ERIC’s Scaling Change record introduces the Office of Community College Research and Leadership brief on the consortium and its TAACCCT context.
The Scaling Change full text discusses cross-college collaboration, technical curricula and supports for students in the consortium.
The Open Education Consortium’s showcase describes the certificate pathways, STEM Bridge and planned release under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
The SkillsCommons consortium showcase records the completed grant and the participants, credentials and employment reported at the final evaluation.
Open course materials
The Open Learning Initiative’s cyber description outlines computer hardware, software, networking, security and the learning materials prepared for the consortium pathway.
The Open Learning Initiative’s electric vehicle description distinguishes the consortium’s vehicle-development and vehicle-service tracks and their technical contexts.
The Open Learning Initiative’s mechatronics description describes a curriculum combining electrical, mechanical and computer technologies with instructional materials.
The Open Learning Initiative’s composites description distinguishes fabrication, assembly and repair from CNC machining and composite manufacturing in the pathway.
The Open Learning Initiative’s environmental description describes the hazardous-materials, safety and health track alongside the water-quality track.
The Open Learning Initiative’s overview introduces its approach to learning experiences informed by data and support for educators and institutions.
Materials, systems and occupations
Wikipedia’s composite-material overview explains materials made by combining constituents with different properties while retaining their identities in the finished material.
Wikipedia’s carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer overview describes a composite formed from carbon fibers and a polymer matrix, with its material properties and uses.
Wikipedia’s carbon-fiber article explains the fibers’ structure, production and characteristics, including their combination with other materials.
Wikipedia’s computer numerical control article describes the automated control of machining tools through instructions and the relationship between a machine and its program.
O*NET’s fiberglass laminator profile describes forming products by laminating fiberglass on molds, with associated tasks and work activities.
O*NET’s computer user-support profile describes assistance with computer hardware and software, problem investigation and communication with users.
O*NET’s computer network-support profile describes testing, analyzing, troubleshooting and maintaining networks and related systems.
NIST’s NICE overview describes an initiative that coordinates cybersecurity education, training and workforce development through a wider community.
NIST’s NICE Framework Resource Center explains the common vocabulary for cybersecurity work and the knowledge and skills needed for that work.
NIST’s framework versions page separates the framework structure from its work roles, competency areas and task, knowledge and skill statements.
FuelEconomy.gov’s all-electric vehicle page describes propulsion using electric motors supplied by rechargeable battery packs and discusses vehicle characteristics.
FuelEconomy.gov’s hybrid explanation describes vehicles that combine gasoline engines with electric motors and different ways to use that combination.
FuelEconomy.gov’s plug-in hybrid explanation describes rechargeable hybrid batteries and distinguishes vehicle arrangements in which the engine and motor have different roles.
The Department of Energy’s vehicle-battery page describes battery research concerned with performance, durability, size, weight and tolerance of abuse conditions.
O*NET’s automotive service profile describes diagnosing vehicle problems, using test equipment and maintaining or replacing vehicle components.
OSHA’s electrical overview describes workplace electrical hazards, including shock, fire and explosion, and directs readers to standards and related resources.
EPA’s hazardous-waste introduction describes hazardous waste and the responsibilities of generators, transporters and facilities within its management system.
EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act page explains the public drinking-water law and links its statutory, regulatory and rulemaking context.
EPA’s water-quality data page describes the Water Quality Portal and the collection of monitoring data made available for retrieval.
The USGS Water Science School’s topic guide explains water quality in relation to a particular use and physical, chemical and biological characteristics.
The USGS National Water Quality Program describes work on water-quality conditions, trends and the influence of natural features and human activities.
O*NET’s environmental science technician profile describes laboratory and field tests, pollution investigations and sample collection under specialist direction.
O*NET’s water and wastewater operator profile describes operating systems and machinery that process water or wastewater, including monitoring and adjustment of equipment.
Wikipedia’s mechatronics article introduces the combination of mechanical, electrical, electronic and computing subjects used in integrated systems.
Wikipedia’s programmable logic controller article explains industrial controllers, input and output behavior, programming and their role in automation.
O*NET’s mechatronics technician profile describes testing, operating, maintaining and adjusting automated or electromechanical equipment and assisting engineering work.
OSHA’s robotics overview describes industrial robot uses and notes hazards during nonroutine activities such as maintenance, testing and setup.
OSHA’s machine-guarding overview describes hazards of moving machine parts and the need for safeguards within the relevant standards.
OSHA’s hazardous-energy overview describes the energy-control standard for servicing and maintenance and the wider context of lockout/tagout programs.
OSHA’s protective-equipment overview describes equipment used to minimize exposure to workplace hazards and the context for its selection and use.
Adult learners and workforce programs
Wikipedia’s academic-certificate overview distinguishes certificates that document specific education and explains their general place among educational qualifications.
Wikipedia’s associate-degree overview describes an undergraduate qualification and its position relative to a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree.
O*NET OnLine’s introduction explains that its occupational descriptions serve learners, job seekers, researchers and workforce-development professionals.
The Community College Research Center’s developmental-education page discusses preparatory math and English, the limitations of traditional sequences and reform approaches.
The Community College Research Center’s guided-pathways page describes a whole-college redesign framework connecting program exploration, planning, instruction and student support.
Apprenticeship.gov’s overview introduces the federal apprenticeship resource and its information for learners, employers and other partners.
Apprenticeship.gov’s system explanation describes the Office of Apprenticeship and the employers, education providers, agencies and other participants in the national system.
Apprenticeship.gov’s employer resources organize information about developing, enhancing and working with apprenticeship programs.
The Apprenticeship Finder description explains a tool for finding apprenticeship-related opportunities and distinguishes occupational and partner labels.
The National Science Foundation’s ATE program describes partnerships between technical colleges, other institutions and industry to improve technician education.
Workplace safety and health research
OSHA’s ergonomics overview connects workplace tasks and conditions to musculoskeletal risks and points to occupational ergonomics resources.
OSHA’s ergonomics problem-identification page describes risk factors involving force, repetition, posture and duration and ways employers assess workplace conditions.
MedlinePlus’s ergonomics overview explains the relationship between a person’s work, tools and job environment.
MedlinePlus’s carpal-tunnel overview describes numbness, tingling, weakness and pain associated with compression of a nerve at the wrist.
MedlinePlus’s shoulder overview describes the joint and its supporting tissues as background for understanding shoulder disorders.
MedlinePlus’s back-pain overview distinguishes patterns of back pain and discusses the general clinical context of back symptoms.
MedlinePlus’s osteoarthritis overview explains joint changes involving cartilage and the joint locations commonly discussed in this condition.
The automobile-maintenance study in Work reports musculoskeletal symptoms and associated risk factors among maintenance workers, including uncomfortable working postures.
The occupational low-back-pain meta-analysis reports differing levels of evidence for mechanical exposures, with stronger findings for lifting, carrying and non-neutral postures.
The occupational knee-osteoarthritis review examines associations involving physically demanding occupations and activities such as kneeling, squatting and lifting.
The WHO/ILO ergonomic-exposure review examines occupational exposures and musculoskeletal outcomes while rating the main body of evidence as low quality.
The hand-arm-vibration systematic review reports associations with selected hand disorders but limits causal interpretation because most included studies were cross-sectional.
The NIOSH hand-arm-vibration research review summarizes work on measurement, biomechanical responses, biological effects and exposure-control technologies.
The ergonomic-intervention systematic review reports different findings across body regions and calls for further research on intervention design and long-term effectiveness.
Open education and learning design
Wikipedia’s open-educational-resources overview explains teaching, learning and research materials licensed for sharing and, under relevant licenses, modification.
Wikipedia’s open-textbook overview describes textbooks published under open licenses and made available for use in different formats.
The Creative Commons Attribution deed explains sharing and adaptation permissions alongside attribution obligations and other license conditions.
The Creative Commons international Attribution deed explains credit, license links, change notices and the restriction on suggesting endorsement.
MERLOT’s collection overview describes curated learning and support materials and content-creation tools used by an educational community.
Open Education Global’s introduction describes its international community and its aim of advancing openness in education.
CAST’s UDL Guidelines offer prompts for using the learning-design framework in practice across different learning environments.
CAST’s Universal Design for Learning overview describes a framework for designing learning around strengths, access, participation and barriers.