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Session 2266

DACUM…A Tool for Documenting Industrial Involvement in Curriculum Design

Deborah J. Hochstein and John I. Hochstein The University of Memphis

Abstract

The DACUM process is a formal procedure for identifying the competencies, skills, and attributes required of employees in an occupation and organizing that information into a form useful for the design of educational programs to prepare individuals for entry into, and advancement within, that occupation. A brief definition of the DACUM process, and the historical context within which it has evolved, is presented with an emphasis on how this process may be of use in the design of an undergraduate engineering curriculum. As an example, a detailed description of a DACUM workshop recently conducted for a Department of Mechanical Engineering seeking information to help redesign an undergraduate program to better prepare its graduates for entry into a manufacturing environment is presented.

Introduction and Motivation

Engineering programs are continually striving to produce graduates well prepared to enter the job market. The dilemma educators face is one of determining what knowledge base, skill set, and personal traits are currently required to be successful in a particular industrial environment. This information is typically acquired from industrial advisory committees, alumni surveys, and employer surveys. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Memphis has decided to use the DACUM (Designing A CurriculUM) process as one of the major sources of industrial input to modification of the undergraduate program to better prepare graduates for immediate entry into a manufacturing environment. The DACUM process captures this information and documents it in a structured format called a DACUM chart. DACUM is an innovative approach to occupational analysis. It is an effective method of determining the competencies needed for tasks that must be performed by persons employed in a given occupational area that is based on the following premises:

• Expert workers are able to describe/define their job better than anyone else. • Any job can be effectively and sufficiently described in terms of the tasks that successful workers in that occupation perform. • All tasks have direct implications for the knowledge and attitudes that workers must possess to perform the tasks correctly.

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Hochstein, J. I., & Hochstein, D. (2000, June), Dacum…A Tool For Documenting Industrial Involvement In Curriculum Design Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8257