Student Outcomes Assessment Methodology for ABET Accreditation: A Case Study of Computer Science and Computer Information Systems Programs

Abstract

Acquiring academic accreditation for degree programs is a top priority for universities across the world. This is understandable because accreditation not only leads to better content and delivery of these programs but also allows these institutes to acquire good quality students and faculty members. One respectable body that has the mandate to accredit computing programs is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). In this paper, we provide the details of our assessment and evaluation strategies for ABET-defined student outcomes (SOs) of computer science and computer information systems programs. The assessment is mainly carried out through a range of direct and indirect assessment methods, including summative data analysis, formative data analysis, exit exam, faculty survey, and alumni survey. Then, data gathered from these sources is aggregated and analyzed to quantify the attainment of SOs. This also forms the basis of the continuous improvement process activities that are the cornerstone of any accreditation-related activity. While presenting this, this paper provides details on the challenges that were faced during the process. The most important contribution includes strategies that were adopted to tackle these issues. A unique aspect of our institute is the academic environment that consists of segregated male and female students and faculty members in order to respect the cultural norms of the society. Another contribution of this paper is that it acts as a guide for institutes and their management that plan to embark upon the journey of accrediting their computing programs.

Implementing Fuzzy AHP and FUCOM to evaluate critical success factors for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation

“…For instance, at the Department of Engineering Technology, Texas Tech University, 12 different methods of assessments are used in program assessment portfolio: “alumni survey, capstone project report, employer surveys, fundamental review exam, graduate questionnaire, internship report, competitions performance, focus group exit interview, organization participation, seminar attendance, computer skills self-evaluation, pre/post course assessment” [ 52 ]. Similarly, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, mentions “summative data analysis, formative data analysis, exit exam, faculty survey, and alumni survey” as assessment approaches [ 53 ]. The study also identified 7 challenges for designing assessments namely “exhaustive vs. lightweight, top down or bottom up, fair/unbiased, involves faculty members, requires management support, easy to verify, and supportive of continuous improvement activities”.…”

Fostering Sustainable Quality Assurance Practices in Outcome-Based Education: Lessons Learned from ABET Accreditation Process of Computing Programs

“…Bachnak et al have highlighted the need for updating assessment plans for ABET accreditation aspiring programs, so that the ABET visit could yield positive results [36]. Shafi et al have presented the assessment methodology based on their experiences of ABET accreditation process of computer science and computer information systems undergraduate programs [37]. Zambrano has presented a two-tier continuous improvement model for ABET accreditation, where first tier focuses on curriculum improvement whereas the second tier focuses on improvement in the measurement process of learning outcomes [38].…”

“…A poor assessment strategy will not reflect the weaknesses and as a result the problems will persist despite all the quality assurance efforts. A robust assessment should be comprehensive as well as lightweight so that there should not be extra load on faculty [37]. In order to identify early warning signs there should be a formative assessment in place, rather than only summative assessments towards the end of the academic program.…”

“…This group should develop curriculum mapping with program outcomes/performance indicators and develop an assessment strategy. Shafi et al highlighted that an effective assessment is essential to accurately measure the attainment of student outcomes [37]. Therefore, we recommend that the assessment plan should be prepared in advance and based on assessment strategy, assessment data should be collected and analyzed.…”

Outcome-Based Engineering Education: A Global Report of International OBE Accreditation and Assessment Practices

“…Student Outcomes-Mandatory outcomes (a) through (k) are listed-With Their Analogues Among Mandatory Washington Accord Graduate Attributes. (1) through(7). The new SOs and their mapping to the old 11 SOs are documented in TableVIII.…”