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Session 2793

“We’re good, and we can be better!” Linking ABET EC2000 to Engineering Education Excellence

Sherry E. Woods, Neal E. Armstrong, Kathy J. Schmidt College of Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

Like many engineering institutions, the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin has experienced faculty resistance to implementing ABET EC2000 guidelines. To combat this resistance, the College is marketing ABET EC2000 with the slogan, “We’re good, and we can be better!” By capitalizing on both the College’s historical commitment to teaching quality and the current national agendas to promote engineering education excellence and continuous improvement, UT Austin is linking ABET EC2000 expectations with faculty development efforts to promote learner-centered engineering education.

Program Outcomes in ABET’s EC2000 guidelines focus attention on what skills, knowledge and abilities students will gain. A learner-centered, outcome-based approach forces engineering programs to pay more attention not only to what is taught, but also how it is taught and what students learn. At UT Austin, this emphasis is generating interest in the teaching/learning process, and ABET EC2000 is serving as a catalyst for this discussion.

This paper illustrates how we are linking ABET EC2000 to our instructional development programs and initiatives. Particular attention will be paid to the College’s faculty development programs, including a new, five-day orientation for new engineering faculty, and the Faculty Innovation Center (FIC). The advantages as well as challenges in using ABET EC2000 as a catalyst for improving the overall learning experience also will be addressed.

Promoting Engineering Education Excellence

As one of the top engineering programs in this country, the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has a history of promoting excellence. Over 30 years ago the College established a small teaching effectiveness program led by Dr. James Stice, nationally recognized for his pedagogical scholarship and currently a chemical engineering professor emeritus at UT Austin. This program has grown over the years, and in 1982, the College began offering teaching effectiveness seminars each spring to provide faculty with instructional tools to enhance student learning. These have expanded to twice a year and complement other teaching oriented initiatives which the College has instituted, including annual teaching recognition awards and academic development grants.

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Armstrong, N., & Woods, S., & Schmidt, K. (2003, June), “We’re Good, And We Can Be Better!” Linking Abet Ec2000 To Engineering Education Excellence Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12015