Facilities, equipment, technology and materials is one of 12 elements of high-quality CTE, defined in ACTE’s comprehensive, research-based Quality CTE Program of Study Framework. This element addresses the alignment, appropriateness and safety of the physical/material components of the program of study, including laboratories, classrooms, computers, industry-specific equipment, and tools and supplies that support learning. The following reports, articles, guides and toolkits can help you develop and maintain high-quality CTE facilities and equipment and support student safety.

Facilities, Equipment and Tools

Students at the START campus at West-MEC have the opportunity to network with industry representatives and gain real-world experience with the offer of 3D printing services.

The author describes how to deliver project-based learning in a fabrication or fab lab setting.

Teachers in Florida’s St. Lucie Public Schools are using zSpace, which combines elements of virtual reality and augmented reality, to create interactive experiences for a diverse group of CTE students.

Health care educators are using simulators and other high-tech tools to engage new generations of students.

The Mobile Technical Education Center offers an interactive exhibit to inspire youth to pursue careers in STEM.

The authors give diverse examples of makerspaces and fab labs in Pennsylvania.

This article details the Awesome Toy Trains project, which illustrates the effectiveness of creating a teaching/learning environment that embodies the Maker Movement.

Telepresence robots can engage homebound or hospitalized students more effectively than stationary video conferencing units.

This paper explores the potential benefits of simulated work-based learning for CTE students. Researchers evaluated CTE programs at nine sites within three models: 1) those using simulation tools to teach occupationally specific skills; 2) simulated workplaces, intended to replicate jobsite conditions; and 3) school-based enterprises, operated as student-run businesses that produce and sell products or services.