Taking the unique approach of addressing ABET criteria (a-k) as workplace competencies, Iowa State University College of Engineering partnered with Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global provider of competency-based performance management tools and services, to develop the processes and products to support this approach. Using "critical incident" based data gathering, the College and DDI brought together approximately one hundred constituents, representing ISU faculty, partnering international faculty, coop and intern students, employers, parents and alumni to provide input to the design of the measurements of ABET (a-k). From the analysis of the "critical incidents" fourteen unique competencies, that are necessary and sufficient to measure ABET Outcomes (a-k) were identified. Each competency was clearly defined, independent of all the others. The fourteen competencies were then mapped to ABET (a-k). For each competency an independent set of observable and measurable key actions, which students may take to demonstrate their development, were defined. An appropriate measurement approach was identified for the key actions. Validation of the development process by the contributing constituents is presented in this paper. Also, curricular implementation is discussed.
Workplace competencies describe the skills, knowledge and behaviors students will need to be successful as engineers. Experiential education (co-ops and internships) is critical to the preparation of engineering students as practicing professionals. The experiential workplace is one of the best places for students to develop and demonstrate workplace competencies. At Iowa State University, we have been assessing the workplace competencies of engineering students in the experiential workplace for the past four years. This paper discusses the process by which we identified the most important workplace competencies in partnership with our constituents (employers, faculty, experiential education students, and parents), the assessment tools used, the results across from the last four years, and the implications of these results for engineering education at Iowa State, outcomes assessment and continuous improvement in our curricula.
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