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Outcomes Assessment Embedded into an ECE Course Project Leonard J. Bohmann and Bruce A. Mork Michigan Tech

Abstract

In an effort to reduce the overhead associated with outcomes assessment, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Michigan Tech has developed tools which extract assessment data from information collected for normal departmental operations. The ECE department has developed one such tool to assess the writing skills of students in their Junior year. A conceptual design project is assigned in a required course (the most recent project was an off-the-grid power system for a remote cabin) with students completing a written report describing their results. A grading rubric has been developed assessing both the quality of the technical result and the quality of the writing. The rubric scores for the writing are extracted and reported as part of our annual assessment efforts. This process is being expanded to include assessment of life-long learning skills.

Introduction

Assessment is not only required by ABET but, more importantly, it is central to the continuous improvement of educational programs. Given the time constraints of faculty, the assessment process needs to be as efficient as possible. The need for efficiency is made further evident when one realizes that an effective assessment program must rely on multiple measures and demonstrate the abilities of all students. This has lead to the conclusion that embedding assessment processes into existing faculty duties, such as grading, is not only prudent but necessary in order to have a sustainable assessment program.

The Project

In the required course, EE 3120 – Introduction to Energy Systems, the students are required to write a paper describing a design project. The particular design project changes from semester to semester, with a recent example being the preliminary design of an electrical power system for an off-the-grid residence. Past projects have included the use of either a wind turbine or photovoltaic panels as the energy source.

Using the off-the-grid- project as an example, the student’s first step is determining the geographic location for the residence. They are given a limited area from which to choose, typically a list of several states. The location will determine the energy resource available, either the solar insolation or the average annual wind speed. The students are given the URLs for websites maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy which contain this data1, 2.

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Mork, B., & Bohmann, L. (2005, June), Outcomes Assessment Embedded Into An Ece Course Project Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14700