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Session 1149

Internship and Program Outcomes

Fredrick A. Nitterright, David E. Roth, Kenneth J. Fisher

The Pennsylvania State University, The Behrend College

Abstract

Many educators have attended workshops on preparing their school’s Engineering Technology programs to meet the proposed General criteria for Accrediting Engineering Technology Programs, Technology 2004-2005 Criteria. These workshops typically focus on the “how-to” of setting program goals, assessing them, evaluating the results, and using this process to establish continuous quality improvement (CQI) within the program. This paper provides a concrete example of implementing the ABET outcomes based process defined within the ABET Criteria using an internship course. This course is offered in a Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program. Discussion is directed at how the course is linked to its course outcomes, the MET program outcomes, and the MET program objectives. The paper demonstrates how an existing curricular element can be reviewed and modified within the context of program objectives and outcomes. It also explains how the ABET outcome based process has enhanced the MET program through just this course. Finally, the paper describes the added value of using the internship experience to further the delivery and assessment of program outcomes.

Introduction

Faculty within the MET program has spent considerable time preparing for the ABET outcomes based assessment. During this time, efforts were directed at identifying program constituents, involving constituents in the development of program objectives, and determining program outcomes that deliver to the program objectives. Additional effort was spent on identifying the following: • Individual courses where each program outcome was being delivered. • The methods to be used for assessing each outcome. First, this included gathering selected student examples of how they were acquiring the knowledge or skills expected by the outcome. Also, this included gathering the information necessary for other specified methods that shows proof that the students were acquiring the knowledge or skills expected by the outcome. The school’s goal was to have at least three methods for assessing each outcome and each program objective. • The performance measures that were to be employed during the evaluation of assessment data. • The monitoring of needed improvements.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Roth, D. (2004, June), Internships And Program Objectives Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--14031