1 Proposal for Direct Assessment of Program Outcomes (For Faculty Meeting, Nov. 28, ’05)

2 Program Outcomes: –Knowledge and skills that students possess by the time of graduation. Criterion 3 Outcomes: –Set of 11 required outcomes: (3.a) an ability to apply knowledge of math, science and engineering; (3.g) an ability to communicate effectively; (3.j) knowledge of contemporary issues; –Three groups: Technical; “soft skills”; gen. ed.-related. Terminology

3 Additional outcomes (if any): As specified by program: –(II.i) an understanding of differential and integral calculus, and of statistics. –(IV.ii) an ability to communicate effectively. Terminology (contd.)

4 Program must assess degree of student achievement of outcomes. Recent “interpretation”: –Must include “direct” assessments. Direct assessment: Based on actual student work, not opinion surveys and the like. Criterion Requirement

5 Accreditation team reported a weakness with respect to this requirement. Main criticism: Lack of direct assessment. What other programs have done: Collect samples of student work from several courses; have a committee “assess” them against their program’s outcomes. Problem

6 ABET does not precisely specify what it expects. Seems to vary with evaluator/team/... Conjecture: –Direct assessment must be done by a committee; –Must be properly documented (over several years?); Problem (contd.)

7 1. Based on samples of student work from courses: –Identify specific courses (560, 601, 625,...?); –Require instructors to collect samples of student work from each; –Have a committee(s) assess these against the outcomes (and propose needed changes); –Maintain records of this activity. Possible Approaches

8 2. An easily-administered exam that all BS-CSE majors must take near graduation: –Multiple-choice (GRE-CS-like) exam based on higher-level required courses (560, 601, 625, 655, 660, 670, 675, 680); –Tailor questions so they map to the “technical” Criterion 3 outcomes (including social/ethical issues in computing-outcome); –Offered once a quarter; Possible Approaches (contd.)

9 2. (Exam option – contd.): –UGSC will evaluate results (once a year). –Noteworthy results concerning each area will be brought to attention of appropriate faculty; –Any resulting changes will be made via standard curriculum processes; Possible Approaches (contd.)

10 Four skills: Oral comm.; written comm.; team-working; lifelong learning. Rely on capstone courses for these: –Identify rubrics for oral comm., team-work; –All capstone courses will use these and report results to UGSC; Soft Skills-Outcomes

11 Written communication, Lifelong learning: –Introduce, in all capstone courses, a requirement of a 3-4 page paper dealing with a new tool or technology or process, etc. –Students will be required to research the item on their own and report findings in their paper. –A common rubric will be used in all the capstone courses to evaluate this paper, with respect to written communication and lifelong learning skills. –Results will be reported to UGSC. Soft Skills-Outcomes (contd.)

12 Introduce a multiple-choice exam that all BS-CSE majors will be required to take near graduation. Topics: CSE 560, 601, 625, 655, 660, 670, 675, 680. Questions: Tailored to correspond to Outcomes 3.a, 3.b, 3.e, 3.f, 3.k. Results: Discussed once a year by UGSC. Proposal (part 1)

13 Revise capstone courses to use a common rubric to evaluate oral communication; and a common rubric to evaluate team-work. Revise capstone courses to require a paper on a new tool. technology, etc; use a common rubric to evaluate it with respect to lifelong learning and written communication skills. Report results to UGSC (to be discussed once a year). Proposal (part 2)