CDIO is a new initiative for education, a system of methods and ways of collecting knowledge, skills in training students in order to respond requirements of business and society. CDIO (C – Conceive, D – Design, I – Implement, O - Operate) is a solution that improves the quality of training to satisfy the requirements of society on determination output standard for designing the program and method of training on science processing.  Setting up the training program on approaching CDIO in order to train students develop completely both knowledge, skills, manners, abilities of the reality (CDIO) and sense of responsibility to society.

Nowadays, many prestigious universities have been setting up training program according to CDIO model. In fact, training pilot shows that “integration” faces many obstacles. However, the Thu Dau Mot University is determined to carry out this model in whole school with different levels so that it is suitable for every field, every profession, and every subject. The school invited experts to train CDIO for all lecturers. After the training course, departments and subjects will focus on setting up the program for suiting to their fields and their subjects. Particularly, departments have to check whole program, rebuild the output standard for majors and subjects. From these output standards, departments will redesign the training program that appropriates to the system of education goals including 12 standards of CDIO mention to philosophy of the program, output standard, integrated training program, learning space, evaluating learning, etc. This program will be assessed as a topic of science research at level in school. Moreover, this is a breakthrough of setting up training program as well as changing teaching method and improving lecturers’ teaching ability.

Dr. Ngo Hong Diep – Head of Training Department said, “Knowledge does not change so much, but students will learn more about skills, manners. These two subjects add many skills for students such as editing administrative documents, searching information on internet, speaking in public, reading comprehension and resolving problems. Also, students talk about honesty, following the rules, engaging when accepting job, etc. in order to satisfy 8 conditions of a training program follows the approach CDIO and achieve 3 goals of CDIO offered. In addition, setting, developing, and improving the training program have to solve two principle questions: Which knowledge, skills, and manners do students need to achieve after graduating? Which teaching and learning method do we need to have to ensure that students can learn from them?”

The first question focuses on what we teach and what students learn (What?). In other words, which knowledge and which skill do students need to achieve after they graduate?. To answer this question, we must set up output standards according to approaching CDIO (also called CDIO Syllabus) through investigative processing related groups.

The second question focuses on how we teach and how students learn (How?). In order to answer this question, we need to design the framework of the program according to approaching CDIO, implement and evaluate the program based on applying the 12 CDIO Standards.

The process of answering those two questions is the process of setting and developing the training program according to approaching CDIO. Maybe, its essence is that three products: output standard, framework of program, and set of standard. These three products have to be built and developed on CDIO background. This means that students are encouraged in developing four abilities C-D-I-O in an environment.

According to approaching CDIO, we have to follow the process closely from setting up output standard, designing and submitting framework of program in realty to appreciating the study results of student as well as the whole program. Furthermore, approaching on CDIO method will bring many benefits such as:

• Training according to approaching CDIO associates with employers’ need. That helps reducing the gap between the school’s training and requests of human resources employers.
• Training according to approaching CDIO will help learners develop completely with hard skills and soft skills to adapt quickly to work environment that always change.
• Training according to approaching CDIO will help training programs to be built and designed on a standard processing. Besides, steps of the process of training will be interconnected and inherent closely.
• Way of approaching CDIO is the way of approach development. It connect developing program with submitting and evaluating the result of higher education, contribute to enhance quality of higher education to a new level.

The students in the training program following CDIO need to achieve four main abilities when they graduate including knowledge and profession argument, skills and personality virtues about career, skills and social virtues, ability to apply knowledge to the reality in the context ofsociety and business.

From the reality of ahead school shows that lecturers teach following CDIO program are enthusiastic in teaching and good teaching skills. Moreover, students are guided and arranged working in-group well, students’ questions are answered clearly, subjects of CDIO help students increase their initiative in learning.

Talk to us about difficulties when implementing CDIO program Dr. Nguyen Van Hiep – Rector of the Thu Dau Mot University said, “Obstacles in the process of carrying out CDIO were recognized by the leaders of the school. Namely, lecturers are under a big pressure about time for preparing and teaching follow new method while lecturers and staffs have not a lot of experiences with training requests of the program. On the other hand, expenditure for investing material facilities when applying CDIO is quiet high. Nevertheless, we determine applying a new model at any field that needs to have time, especially improving study model in order to create a drastic change about the quality of higher education at present. We do not take shortcuts but we accept solid steps, but it is effective based on inheriting achievement of preceded schools. We are determined to design, deploy CDIO model although we will face a lot difficulties and challenges”.