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Session 2222

Development and Implementation of an ABET-Compliant Course Profile & Assessment Model

Heidi A. Diefes, Kamyar Haghighi Purdue University

Abstract

As part of the ABET assessment process, each course in an accredited program must be evaluated for ABET compliance by the teaching faculty. By establishing an ABET compliant course profile and assessment model, program deficiencies between expected program outcomes and actual course level outcomes can be identified. The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Purdue University has developed a three-step model. First, the assessment process, program outcomes and performance criteria are developed and adopted by the faculty. Second, each teaching faculty member evaluates his/her own course(s) by reducing course syllabi down to course learning objectives and a list of major topic areas and practices. The level to which the course addresses each performance criteria is estimated using a Bloom’s Taxonomy scale. Third, all course profiles are compiled and analyzed to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in particular performance criteria or outcomes. This paper will highlight the ABET- compliant course profile development and implementation and a model for program deficiency analysis.

Introduction

One can look at the conference proceeding for any engineering professional society and see that much thought, discussion, and effort has gone into interpreting what ABET means by assessment process, program educational objectives, and program outcomes. However, the details of how to conduct an assessment and evaluate the vast amount of data generated by students, faculty, employers, and alumni are much more difficult to cull from the literature. A case-in-point is how should a program’s courses be evaluated for ABET compliance using the instructors’ perspectives?

Before delving into the details of the ABET-compliant course profile and assessment model developed by the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) at Purdue University, the terminology and assessment process being adopted by ABE need to be introduced. The terminology defined in Table 1 and assessment process delineated in Figure 1 are being used in two ABET accredited programs, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) and Food Process Engineering (FPE). The two looped educational assessment process mirrors the two loops of EC2000 [1]. In the outer 3-5 year loop, the process allows constituents to provide input to and feedback on each ABE program. The faculty integrates this information into the ABE mission and vision statements, educational objectives, program outcomes (PO), performance criteria (PC), and, ultimately, the curriculum. The inner loop of the process focuses on course level evaluations and analysis of student and graduate performance followed by an assessment of gaps between the expected and actual student achievement levels. The loop is

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Haghighi, K., & Diefes, H. A. (2000, June), Development And Implementation Of An Abet Compliant Course Profile & Assessment Model Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8289