Increasing%20the%20Achievement%20of%20Engineering-Related%20Professional%20Practice%20Skills%20Curriculum%20Objectives%20through%20Faculty%20Development%20and%20Student%20Awareness%20%20Presented%20by%20Joan%20A.%20Burtner

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Increasing the Achievement of Engineering-Related
Professional Practice Skills Curriculum
Objectives through Faculty Development and
Student Awareness Presented by Joan A. Burtner
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Problem

• Statement The problem to be solved in this
  dissertation is that students do not demonstrate
  success in soft skills curriculum objectives.
• Rationale
• Changing accreditation standards EC2000
• Technical and non-technical (soft skills)
  competency expected

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Problem Analysis

• High-incidence skills
• Teamwork, communication, project management
• Develop appropriate measures
• Low incidence skills
• Lifelong learning, global awareness, ethical and
  professional behaviors
• Develop relevant curricula
• Develop appropriate measures

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Implementation Methodology

• One-on-one consultations with engineering faculty
  
• Creation of soft-skills curricula
• Common assessment instruments
• Centralized assessment information
• Involvement of student organizations
• Assessment newsletter

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Products 1

• Engineering-Related Professional Practice Skills
  Web Site
• Contemporary case study How did Firestone and
  Ford handle allegations of product defects?
• Ethics, communication, teamwork, project
  management, life-long learning, social
  implications of engineering, global awareness
• Two courses AY 2000-01
• Four courses AY 2001-02

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Products 2

• Common assessment instruments
• Teamwork survey used by seven faculty
• Communication rubrics used by six faculty
• New interdisciplinary teamwork project
• WebCT
• Team members from two different sections of same
  course
• Soft skills topics
• Project management component

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Products 3

• Searchable database of articles related to soft
  skills curriculum objectives
• Web-based
• Requires Microsoft Access software
• Continuing project
• Engineering-Related Professional Practice Skills
  Newsletter
• Students accomplishments
• School's assessment process
• Hard copy and electronic versions

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Outcomes 1

• Students self-ratings of competence in three
  soft skills increased.
• Contemporary issues
• Ethical and professional behaviors
• Life long learning
• Faculty increased soft-skills course content
• 22/27 faculty modified two or more lessons

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Outcomes 2

• Faculty increased use of assessment technology
• 19/27 faculty used two or more technologies to
  implement assessment procedures
• Web-based assessment forms and scoring proposed,
  but not implemented
• Five faculty wrote assessment-related
  professional papers

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Unanticipated Consequences

• Contemporary case study related to several
  engineering courses
• statistics, manufacturing, materials, engineering
  design, statistical quality control, statics, and
  dynamics
• Educational Research Reports
• WebCT
• Faculty workload

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Lessons Learned

• Curricular change slow evolving process
• Little room for large content changes
• Small changes to curriculum easier to achieve
• Students eager for recognition
• Administrative mandates necessary, but not
  sufficient

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Further Information
Burtnerj_at_mindspring.com