XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3 797
(1) areas which include any missing qualifications of the
current graduates, (2) the required knowledge and skills in
the next five years, (3) any challenges that currently cannot
be tackled but will be by new technologies in the future, (4)
the preferred software packages for training and operation,
and (5) recommendations for universities to improve their
mining education.
Data Analysis
To analyze data from the Likert-type questions, the mean
score of each question along with its 95% confidence
interval (CI) were calculated. For a question related to
knowledge, skills, and qualifications of mining engineering
graduates, we deemed an attention is required when the
lower limit of the 95% CI was below 4 (i.e., neither agree
nor disagree). For the rest of questions (e.g., the applica-
tion of artificial intelligence/virtual reality can be used to
enhance mining teaching and learning experience), we con-
sidered the participants agree if the lower limit of the 95%
CI was higher than 4.
Because participants’ responses may relate to the nature
of their companies, we divided the nature of participants’
companies into two groups (i.e., affiliated with or not affili-
ated with a mining/metallurgical operation company) and
examined if there were significant differences between the
two groups on their responses to general qualifications of
graduates. There were 15 participants who were affiliated
with a mining/metallurgical operation company and 13
participants who were not affiliated with a mining/metal-
lurgical operation company. Therefore, if the population
effect size of d is at least 1.2, we met the minimum sample
size requirement to achieve a statistical power of 0.8. The
questions related to general qualifications of graduates were
derived from the overall curriculums. The four questions
that the survey asked in this area include: “Current gradu-
ates have demonstrated a reasonable grasp on the connec-
tion between theory and practice.” “Current graduates
have sufficient communication skills for their first profes-
sional careers.” “Mining/metallurgical engineering students
should have a good understanding of the overall mining
operation, e.g., the mine-to-mill approach.” “Current min-
ing/metallurgical engineering graduates have demonstrated
sufficient understanding of the overall mining operation.”
For open-ended questions, we matched the survey
responses with seven criteria designed for evaluating the
student leaning outcome. The number of times that survey
responses can be matched with each of the seven student
outcomes was counted. One respondent’s response can
only be counted once for one student outcome. Yet one
respondent’s response may be matched to multiple out-
comes, depended on the fit of the response to the outcomes.
A higher number implies that participants perceived a need
to strengthen that specific outcome. For the responses that
cannot be matched with any of the areas, we listed those
separately. When participants from multiple types of min-
ing companies all mentioned something related to a specific
student outcome/area, it also indicates a need to strengthen
that specific outcome/area, regardless of participants affili-
ated companies. Therefore, we color coded the responses by
participants’ companies.
RESULTS
Results from Likert-Type Questions
Knowledge of Mining Engineering Upon First
Employment
Figure 1 shows the survey responses to the qualifications of
mining engineering graduates upon their first professional
employment. The results indicate that the participants
generally agreed that the mining engineering graduates are
equipped with qualifications in the areas of mining meth-
ods (4.86 ± 0.55, error bar stands for the 95% CI) and
mine design in both underground and surface mines (4.79
± 0.49). For engineering underlying sciences (4.50 ± 0.57),
mining design experience (4.29 ± 0.54), and mining fea-
sibility study (4.25 ± 0.56), the results reflect a somewhat
neutral viewpoint and the lower limits of the three were
below 4. We consider these three areas can be improved and
marked them in orange in Figure 1.
General Qualifications of Graduates Derived from the
Overall Curriculum
Responses related to the qualifications of graduates derived
from the overall curriculums are presented in Figure 2.
Participants did not agree that the current curriculum pre-
pare students to bridge the gap between theory and real-
world practice, i.e., 4.11 ± 0.61. It is marked in orange
in Figure 2. The responses indicate the expectation of the
industry that students graduated with the current cur-
riculum should attain a good understanding of the overall
mining operation (6.11 ± 0.41). However, this expectation
had not been met as the responses suggested (4.21 ± 0.55),
marked in orange in Figure 2. In terms of the communica-
tion skills, the responses suggest that the industry in general
was satisfied with the current curriculum (5.04 ± 0.60).
Graduate Awareness of Challenges Faced by Industry
The survey also asked the industry to comment whether
the graduates aware of the challenges faced by the mining
(1) areas which include any missing qualifications of the
current graduates, (2) the required knowledge and skills in
the next five years, (3) any challenges that currently cannot
be tackled but will be by new technologies in the future, (4)
the preferred software packages for training and operation,
and (5) recommendations for universities to improve their
mining education.
Data Analysis
To analyze data from the Likert-type questions, the mean
score of each question along with its 95% confidence
interval (CI) were calculated. For a question related to
knowledge, skills, and qualifications of mining engineering
graduates, we deemed an attention is required when the
lower limit of the 95% CI was below 4 (i.e., neither agree
nor disagree). For the rest of questions (e.g., the applica-
tion of artificial intelligence/virtual reality can be used to
enhance mining teaching and learning experience), we con-
sidered the participants agree if the lower limit of the 95%
CI was higher than 4.
Because participants’ responses may relate to the nature
of their companies, we divided the nature of participants’
companies into two groups (i.e., affiliated with or not affili-
ated with a mining/metallurgical operation company) and
examined if there were significant differences between the
two groups on their responses to general qualifications of
graduates. There were 15 participants who were affiliated
with a mining/metallurgical operation company and 13
participants who were not affiliated with a mining/metal-
lurgical operation company. Therefore, if the population
effect size of d is at least 1.2, we met the minimum sample
size requirement to achieve a statistical power of 0.8. The
questions related to general qualifications of graduates were
derived from the overall curriculums. The four questions
that the survey asked in this area include: “Current gradu-
ates have demonstrated a reasonable grasp on the connec-
tion between theory and practice.” “Current graduates
have sufficient communication skills for their first profes-
sional careers.” “Mining/metallurgical engineering students
should have a good understanding of the overall mining
operation, e.g., the mine-to-mill approach.” “Current min-
ing/metallurgical engineering graduates have demonstrated
sufficient understanding of the overall mining operation.”
For open-ended questions, we matched the survey
responses with seven criteria designed for evaluating the
student leaning outcome. The number of times that survey
responses can be matched with each of the seven student
outcomes was counted. One respondent’s response can
only be counted once for one student outcome. Yet one
respondent’s response may be matched to multiple out-
comes, depended on the fit of the response to the outcomes.
A higher number implies that participants perceived a need
to strengthen that specific outcome. For the responses that
cannot be matched with any of the areas, we listed those
separately. When participants from multiple types of min-
ing companies all mentioned something related to a specific
student outcome/area, it also indicates a need to strengthen
that specific outcome/area, regardless of participants affili-
ated companies. Therefore, we color coded the responses by
participants’ companies.
RESULTS
Results from Likert-Type Questions
Knowledge of Mining Engineering Upon First
Employment
Figure 1 shows the survey responses to the qualifications of
mining engineering graduates upon their first professional
employment. The results indicate that the participants
generally agreed that the mining engineering graduates are
equipped with qualifications in the areas of mining meth-
ods (4.86 ± 0.55, error bar stands for the 95% CI) and
mine design in both underground and surface mines (4.79
± 0.49). For engineering underlying sciences (4.50 ± 0.57),
mining design experience (4.29 ± 0.54), and mining fea-
sibility study (4.25 ± 0.56), the results reflect a somewhat
neutral viewpoint and the lower limits of the three were
below 4. We consider these three areas can be improved and
marked them in orange in Figure 1.
General Qualifications of Graduates Derived from the
Overall Curriculum
Responses related to the qualifications of graduates derived
from the overall curriculums are presented in Figure 2.
Participants did not agree that the current curriculum pre-
pare students to bridge the gap between theory and real-
world practice, i.e., 4.11 ± 0.61. It is marked in orange
in Figure 2. The responses indicate the expectation of the
industry that students graduated with the current cur-
riculum should attain a good understanding of the overall
mining operation (6.11 ± 0.41). However, this expectation
had not been met as the responses suggested (4.21 ± 0.55),
marked in orange in Figure 2. In terms of the communica-
tion skills, the responses suggest that the industry in general
was satisfied with the current curriculum (5.04 ± 0.60).
Graduate Awareness of Challenges Faced by Industry
The survey also asked the industry to comment whether
the graduates aware of the challenges faced by the mining