Outcome-Based%20Approach%20to%20Engineering%20Education

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Outcome-Based Approach to Engineering Education
B.Eng. (Hons) Electronics majoring in
Computer Dr. Ian Chai, Program Coordinator Ling
Huo Chong, Assistant Program Coordinator
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OUTCOMES OF THIS PRESENTATION

• After this presentation, the participants shall
• be more aware of what EAC is looking for during
  an accreditation exercise/visit
• be more aware of his/her roles and contributions
  in OBE

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OUTLINE OF THIS PRESENTATION

• EAC
• Accreditation
• OBE
• Programme Educational Objectives
• Programme Outcomes
• Example Subject Objective Outcomes

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What Is EAC?
Engineering Accreditation Council

• Formed in 2000

Previous accreditation for engineering programs
PSD (1957) ? IEM (1959) ? BEM (1967) ? LAN(1996)
/ MQA(2007)
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What Is EAC?
Engineering Accreditation Council

• Formulates and updates accreditation policies and
  criteria

• Approves guidelines and operating procedures

• Oversees operational arrangements and appoints
  evaluation panel

• Receives evaluation reports and decides on
  accreditation

• Responds to complaints, appeals or any proposals
  for change

• Oversees development and operation of
  accreditation and mutual recognition agreement
  with other countries

• Fosters the dissemination of developments and
  best practices in engineering education

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Why Need Accreditation?
Governed by the REGISTRATION OF ENGINEERS ACT
1967 (Revised 2002)

• No person is allowed to practice unless he is a
  professional engineer
• Professional engineer may use Ir before his
  name OR PEng after his name

• Graduate engineers to register before taking up
  employment as an engineer

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Why Need Accreditation?
Those who has successfully completed an
accredited engineering programme
Professional Engineer - a graduate engineer who
has obtained the prescribed practical experience,
passed the Professional Assessment Examination,
and satisfied all other requirements of the Board
of Engineers (BEM)
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Why Need Accreditation?
International Mobility (Washington Accord)

• The Washington Accord (WA) Agreement that
  establishes equivalence of other countries
  accredited professional engineering programs.

• Accredited Engineering Graduates are recognized
  by other signatory countries - Possible
  employment as engineers in those countries
  without further examinations.

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Why Need Accreditation?
International Mobility (Washington Accord)

• Established in 1989, as of 2007, the following
  countries are full members of WA Australia,
  Canada, the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong,
  Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa,
  South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and the USA.

• The following countries are provisional members
  of the WA and may become a full member in the
  future Germany, India, Malaysia (since 2003),
  Russia, Sri Lanka.

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Why Need Accreditation?
Our last accreditation was in 2003 for 5-years
Next accreditation visit will be in July 2009
- for intakes of 2005 onwards
Our programme has been accredited before, so
whats the big deal?
Programmes to be accredited in 2009 will have to
be based on OBE!
NO OBE NO ACCREDITATION
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EAC Accreditation Criteria

• Academic Curriculum
• Students
• Academic and Supporting Staff
• Facilities
• Quality Management System

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EAC Accreditation Criteria

• Academic Staff
• Academic qualifications
• Professional qualification, experience
  development
• Research/publication/consultancy
• Industrial involvement
• Teaching load/contact hours
• Motivation and enthusiasm
• Use of lecturers from industry/public bodies
• Aware and practice of OBE

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Deficiencies of Traditional Education

• Provides students with a learning environment
  with little attention to whether or not students
  ever learn the material.
• Students are given grades and rankings compared
  to each other students become exam oriented or
  CGPA driven.
• Graduates are not completely prepared for the
  workforce.
• Lack of emphasis on soft skills needed in jobs
  e.g. communication skills, interpersonal skills,
  analytical skills, etc.

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What Is Outcome Based Engineering Education?
ITS NOT WHAT WE TEACH, ITS WHAT YOU LEARN
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Introducing OBE

• OBE is an educational process.
• Directed/focussed at achieving certain specified
  outcomes in terms of individual student learning.
• Outcomes - key things students should understand
  and be able to do or the qualities they should
  develop.
• Both structures and curricula are designed to
  achieve those capabilities or qualities.
• Educational structures and curriculum are
  regarded as means not ends. If they do not do the
  job they are rethought (Continuous Quality
  Improvement (CQI)).

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Outcome-Based Education
Employers Rating of Skills/Qualities 2002

• Communication (verbal written) 4.69
• Honesty/Integrity 4.59
• Teamwork skills 4.54
• Interpersonal skills 4.50
• Strong work ethics 4.46
• Motivation initiative 4.42
• Flexibility/adaptability 4.41
• Analytical skills 4.36
• Computer skills 4.21
• Organisational skills 4.05
• Detail oriented 4.00
• Leadership skills 3.97
• Self confidence 3.95
• Friendly/outgoing personality 3.85
• Well mannered / polite 3.82
• Tactfulness 3.75
• GPA (3.0 or better) 3.68
• Creativity 3.59
• Sense of humour 3.25

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Outcome Based Education

• Shifting from measuring input and process to
  include measuring the output (outcome)

Input
Process
Output
From a Resource- or Input-Based or Process-Based
Approach to an Outcome-Based Approach
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Outcome Based Education (OBE)

• OBE is a process that involves the restructuring
  of curriculum, assessment and reporting practices
  in education to reflect the achievement of high
  order learning and mastery rather than
  accumulation of course credits.
• Amongst Expected Changes
• Curriculum Restructuring/Revision
• Innovative/Flexible Delivery Method
• Variety of Assessment Evaluation Methods
• Collection of Evidences
• Continuous Quality Improvement (Closing the Loop)

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Outcome Based Education (OBE)

• OBE addresses the following key questions
• What do you want the students to have or able to
  do?
• How can you best help students achieve it?
• How will you know whether they have achieved it?
• How do you close the loop?

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The Relevancy of OBE

• Rating/Accreditation requirements
• Quality Assurance Audit by the Ministry of Higher
  Education Malaysian Qualifications Framework
  (MQF) emphasis on learning outcomes.
• Accreditation Requirement for Engineering
  Programme by the Engineering Accreditation
  Council (EAC) The New Accreditation Manual
  emphasizes learning outcomes Related to the
  Washington Accord - A Global Dimension.

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Some Real Benefits of OBE

• Anticipation of real benefits
• More directed coherent curriculum
• Graduates will be more relevant to industry
  other stakeholders (more well rounded graduates)
• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is an
  inevitable consequence

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Continuous Improvement
Say what you do
Do what you say
Improve it
Prove it
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Programme Educational Objectives (PEO)

• Programme Objectives are specific goals
  describing expected achievements of graduates in
  their career and professional life after
  graduation, and shall be
• consistent with the mission and vision of the
  IHL, and
• responsive to the expressed interest of various
  groups of programme stakeholders

Long term outcomes (5 years or more from the time
of graduation)
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Programme Objectives (PEO) for Computer
Engineeringhttp//foe.mmu.edu.my/main/undergrad/b
eng_comp.html

• To develop highly competent computer engineers
  who are able to spearhead related ICT industries
• To produce computer engineers who are able to
  continually equip themselves with the latest
  technologies

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Programme Outcomes (PO) http//foe.mmu.edu.my/main
/undergrad/beng_comp.html
Programme Outcomes are statements describing what
students are expected to know and be able to
perform or attain by the time of graduation, and
shall. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and
behaviours that student acquire through the
programme, and are linked to the Programme
Objectives
Short term outcomes (at the point of graduation)
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Programme Outcomes (PO) for Computer
Engineeringhttp//foe.mmu.edu.my/main/undergrad/b
eng_comp.html

1. Ability to acquire and apply fundamental
   principles of science and engineering.
2. Capability to communicate effectively.
3. Acquisition of technical competence in
   specialised areas of engineering discipline.
4. Ability to identify, formulate and model problems
   and find engineering solutions based on a system
   approach.
5. Ability to conduct investigation and research on
   engineering problems in a chosen field of study.
6. Understanding of the importance of sustainability
   and cost-effectiveness in design and development
   of engineering solutions.

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Programme Outcomes (PO) for Computer
Engineeringhttp//foe.mmu.edu.my/main/undergrad/b
eng_comp.html

1. Understanding and commitment to professional and
   ethical responsibilities.
2. Ability to work effectively as an individual, and
   as a member/leader in a team.
3. Ability to be a multi-skilled engineer with good
   technical knowledge, management, leadership and
   entrepreneurial skills.
4. Awareness of the social, cultural, global and
   environmental responsibilities as an engineer.
5. Capability and enthusiasm for self-improvement
   through continuous professional development and
   life-long learning.

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Example Subject Objective from ECP4236Taken from
the syllabus see the syllabi of other
subjectsto find their respective ones.

• The objective of the subject is to provide the
  knowledge and basic applications of parallel
  processing concepts, parallel environments and
  architectures, parallel algorithms and parallel
  programming.

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Example Subject Learning Outcomes from
ECP4236Taken from the syllabus see the syllabi
of other subjectsto find their respective ones.

• At the completion of the subject, students should
  be able to
• describe different types of parallelism, their
  principles and structures
• design, develop and analyse parallel algorithms
  for distributed and shared memory parallel systems

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Example Programme Outcomes from ECP4236Taken
from the syllabus see the syllabi of other
subjectsto find their respective ones.

• Ability to acquire and apply fundamental
  principles of science and engineering.
• Capability to communicate effectively.
• Acquisition of technical competence in
  specialised areas of engineering discipline.
• Ability to identify, formulate and model problems
  and find engineering solutions based on a system
  approach.
• Ability to conduct investigation and research on
  engineering problems in a chosen field of study.
• Understanding of the importance of sustainability
  and cost-effectiveness in design and development
  of engineering solutions.
• Understanding and commitment to professional and
  ethical responsibilities.
• Ability to work effectively as an individual, and
  as a member/leader in a team.
• Capability and enthusiasm for self-improvement
  through continuous professional development and
  life-long learning.

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The End Thank you for your kind attention ?
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Acknowledgement
The materials contained in this presentation are
extracted from EAC Training Workshop 2006 2009
Modules Prof. Dr. Wan Hamidon (UKM) Assoc.
Prof. Ir. Megat Johari (UPM) Prof. Dr. Shahrin
Mohamad (UTM) Prof. Dr. Jailani Mohd. Noor
(UKM) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd. Saleh Jaafar (UPM)