History and Foundation

MATEC curriculum development and instructional design was founded on the standards of quality education and training, principles of educational psychology, and established methods of job-skills training. Competency-based instruction was chosen as the most appropriate instructional platform because it is effective for both education and job training, and it enables students to use core science/math knowledge to develop high-technology skills.

MATEC’s primary educational products are instructional modules that are tailored to the goals of the NSF Advanced Technology Education program. MATEC modules blend key elements of core curriculum (e.g., physics, math, and chemistry) from secondary and post secondary programs with specific knowledge/skills that technicians need in the high-tech industries. This integrated curriculum enables students to further refine their general knowledge while acquiring industry-relevant abilities that prepare them for a desirable career.

MATEC’s primary goal was to help educate and train the workforce for semiconductor manufacturing as described in its Year 1 Report (5.1 Mb PDF Document). In achieving that goal, MATEC has helped start new educational programs, facilitated the improvement of existing programs, and assisted industry in identifying skill standards (224 kb PDF sample PDF only - entire document for sale at MATEC) that represent important technical abilities sought by leading employers. MATEC is now expanding its curriculum, instructional materials and methods, and services to its college and industry partners and customers.

MATEC Today

MATEC’s design and development is now focusing on some new goals while continuing to maintain and update instructional modules. These goals are associated with the design and development of student materials as well as new performance support materials for instructors. MATEC is also in the process of designing new tools and methods for knowledge engineering—the process of eliciting knowledge and technical information from subject matter experts to produce quality instruction and guidance for teaching technical topics.

MATEC’s curriculum is now being extended to include microcomputer architecture, automated manufacturing, and other high-tech skill domains.

More on Curriculum Design and Development

Design of MATEC Modules

Graphics, Animation, and Simulation

Development and Validation of Instruction

MATEC Electronic Performance Support System 

Opportunities to work with MATEC

How does the MATEC Curriculum relate to the SEMATECH Curriculum?

The Skill Standards that form the basis of the curriculum