Unit Outcomes Assessment Plan

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

March 1999

 

 

Process Used in Developing the Plan

Development of the Unit Outcomes Assessment Plan for the NCA-CIHE Accreditation is coordinated by N. Narayana Rao, Associate Head for Instructional and Graduate Affairs, and Chair of the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) Evaluation Committee of the Department, simultaneously with preparation for the ABET Evaluation visit in Fall 2001. For instructional purposes, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is divided into seven areas, with each area represented by an area committee. The areas and their present strengths in terms of faculty (in parentheses) are as follows:

The membership of the ABET Evaluation Committee consists of:

With this structure, all business is transacted pyramidically from the administration to the faculty via the area chairs and back up in reverse, thereby involving the entire faculty in the process. The Committee was constituted in Summer 1998 and has been meeting routinely since Fall 1998. For the previous six-year ABET evaluation cycles, this committee was constituted on an ad hoc basis two to three years prior to an ABET evaluation visit. From now on, it will be a permanent departmental committee, with the membership as stated above, for the purpose of continuous assessment of outcomes, and coordinating the preparation for evaluation visits.

 

Desired Learning Objectives

The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to serve society through excellence in education, research, scholarship and public service. We aspire to provide our students an education in electrical and computer engineering and instill in them the attitudes, values and vision that will prepare them for lifetimes of continued leaming and leadership in their chosen careers. The Department also strives to generate new knowledge and technology for the benefit of the State of Illinois and beyond. The complete mission statement adopted by the faculty, subject to minor modifications, at their meeting on March 2, 1999 is included as Attachment 1.

To fulfill the mission, the desired leaming objectives for undergraduates in the department are the following:

a. Apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering

b. Design and conduct experiments, analyze and interpret data

c. Design systems, components, or processes to meet desired needs d. Function on teams with members from different disciplines e. Identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems f. Understand professional and ethical responsibility g. Conununicate effectively

h. Understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context i. Engage in continuing education and professional development after graduation j. Gain familiarity with contemporary issues beyond engineering

k. Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice

For graduate students, the desired learning objectives are all of the above in their undergraduate preparation, plus the following:

1. Carry out independent research

m. Function effectively in leadership roles in their chosen professional careers

n. For Ph.D. graduates entering academia, function effectively as instructors, in addition to the above.

To facilitate the achievement of the desired learning objectives each area was asked to prepare a statement that summarizes how the courses in that area satisfy the overall mission of the department, and course directors of undergraduate courses were asked to identify the course goals and instructional objectives for their courses. Examples of Course Goals and Instructional Objectives material prepared by the course directors, with the involvement of other faculty, are included as Attachments 11 (for a 200-tevel theory course) and III (for a 300-level laboratory course). The letters in parentheses following each item in the lists of instructional objectives pertain to the learning objectives (a) through (k) above. These materials are also being made available to the students, along with their course syllabi and/or through the course web pages.

 

Measurement Instruments/Techniques

We propose to use a number of Measurement Instruments/Techniques in the outcomes assessment process. These are listed below:

1. Student Surveys

2. Student Portfolios

3. Alumni Surveys

4. Employer Surveys

5. Placement Data

6. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores

7. Graduate College Program Evaluation Data

8. National Surveys and Rankings

Many of these instruments have been used in one form or another for various purposes at different times, and there are standard techniques associated with them. We plan to use some of these with only minor modifications. For example, placement data serve to illustrate how much the graduates are in demand, as shown in Attachment IV for the M.S. and Ph.D. graduates of our department for one year (1995-96). However, such data do not show how well the graduates are prepared to function in their respective jobs, thereby creating a need to design measuring instruments and employ techniques specific to our desired learning objectives, listed in 11.

We have started a process in this regard and as a first step, we have designed a two-page Undergraduate Survey Questionnaire for learning more about how the students assess the department's performance of its educational mission.

This Survey Questionnaire is included as Attachment V. Note that the items 1 through 11 correspond to the learning objectives (a) through (k) in 11. We have recently administered this Survey in two of our senior design classes (one in electrical engineering and the other in computer engineering) on a test basis. Based on the results, we are now in the process of making changes to the survey prior to administering it on a large scale, and are proceeding further in a similar manner with regard to other measuring instruments.

 

Process for Using the Results

As stated in 1, the ABET Evaluation Committee is charged with the outcomes assessment process. As Chair of the Committee, the Associate Head for Instructional and Graduate Affairs, with the help of the Associate Head for Undergraduate Affairs and the Editor, Publications, will be primarily responsible for ensuring that the process is carried out in an organized and timely manner. The results of the assessment will be reviewed by the ABET Evaluation Committee for feedback to the Curriculum and Graduate Committees to implement revisions in courses and curricula, as dictated by the nature of the results. This will be an ongoing process, in accordance with the mission of the department.

Timetable for Implementation

Although outcomes assessment is an ongoing process, we plan to implement the initial cycle under this plan in time to be of use in preparation for the next ABET evaluation visit to take place in Fall 2001, under the new outcomes-assessment based Engineering Criteria (EC) 2000. This means that the bulk of the assessment will be performed during the academic year 1999-2000, for the results to be used in Fall 2000, and the report for the ABET visit prepared thereafter.

 

Support Needs

We do not anticipate any significant additional support from external sources, other than what is normally available from units such as the College of Engineering Offices and the Campus Center for Teaching Excellence.

 

Concluding Remarks

Accreditation based on outcomes assessment is a new challenge, although unknowingly the process of educating students has always been based on continuous feedback and improvement. We believe we have in place an organizational structure for this process that involves full participation by the faculty. We have already made good progress in this regard in a short span of time, and we hope our plan will serve as a model for other departments like ours not only at UIUC but also at other schools.

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment I

ECE Mission Statement ECE Long Range Planning Committee February 25, 1999

The mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to serve society through excellence in education, research, scholarship and public service. We aspire to provide for our students an education in electrical and computer engineering and instill in them the attitudes, values and vision that win prepare them for lifetimes of continued learning and leadership in their chosen careers. The Department also strives to generate new knowledge and technology for the benefit of the State of Illinois, the nation and beyond.

The mission of the ECE Department continues a tradition of excellence in the above areas by honoring and continuously renewing our four interconnected commitments:

 

To students:

To faculty:

 

To the State of Illinois:

To alumni: