1. Completing course evaluations: How you can help with ABET accreditation of the Environmental Engineering undergraduate degree
A quick orientation

2. The Two Loops of ABET Accreditation Determine educational
objectives
Determine
outcomes required
to achieve
objectives
Self-examination “outer loop”
Course evaluations and other surveys
Determine how
outcomes will be
achieved
Program evaluation (“inner loop”)
Evaluate/Assess
Determine how
outcomes will be
assessed
Input from
constituencies
Formal instruction
student activities
Establish indicators
that objectives are
being achieved

3. To rate how much you have learned, you need to know about “Bloom’s Taxonomy”
Developed by Benjamin Bloom (1956)
A classification of educational goals
Defines six levels of learning

4. Bloom’s Cognitive Levels
Beginning
Advanced
1: Knowledge
2: Comprehension
3: Application
4: Analysis
5: Synthesis
6: Evaluation
Levels of Learning

5. Bloom’s Cognitive Levels
1: Knowledge - remember facts, concepts, definitions
2: Comprehension - understand, explain, interpret
3: Application - apply concept to a new situation
4: Analysis - divide into parts to see interrelationships
5: Synthesis - produce something new from components
6: Evaluation - make a judgment based on criteria

6. Level 1: Knowledge Memory; Recall of factual information Examples:
What does “BOD” stand for?
What is the definition of pH?
What is the equation for the Reynolds number in a circular pipe?
Name the six levels of learning as defined by Benjamin Bloom.

7. Level 2: Comprehension
Understanding; interpretation. Translate an idea into everyday terms.
Examples:
Describe fluid flow when Re <1.
Give an example of biomagnification.
Knowing the size and density of a spherical particle, how fast will it sink in water (with the equation available)?
Where are you likely to use Bloom’s levels of learning?

8. Level 3: Application
Apply learning to a new situation; generalize an idea. Apply the concept/formula to solve a problem.
Examples:
Teach your friend the difference between different Bloom’s levels of learning.
Improve the performance of chlorine disinfection by changing pH.
Determine whether tap water or compressed air would create a greater vacuum for a lab experiment.

9. Level 4: Analysis Examples:
Break down material and distinguish parts, relation to whole. Distinguish facts from unsupported assumptions; identify relevant issues in a problem.
Examples:
Analyze a failed treatment process and suggest possible cause(s) of the failure.
Grade a student lab report and point out its strengths and weaknesses.
Lead a project team and evaluate conflicting suggestions from different team members.

10. Level 5: Synthesis Put together elements to form a new whole.
Examples:
Develop a mathematical model to explain unusual pipe corrosion.
Generate a project plan for remediation of a given aquifer contaminated with, say, MTBE.
Review studies on use of fluoride in drinking water and participate in a public debate on the practice.
Note: we don’t usually expect this level to be attained in undergraduate courses, although it is included in evaluations

11. Level 6: Evaluation
Critique; evaluate; judge. Provide an authoritative assessment of a theory, project, or proposal.
Examples:
Critically review a scientific paper for a journal.
Serve as an expert witness in a patent trial.
Provide a responsible selection for a novel full-scale remediation process based on competing pilot-scale results, practicality, and economic considerations.
Note: we don’t expect this level to be attained in undergraduate courses, so only five levels are included in evaluations

12. You will be asked to estimate a class’s level of learning in specific program outcomes.
There are twelve outcomes stated for Environmental Engineering courses
Examples:
Outcome 1: ability to apply knowledge of mathematics and natural science to engineering
Outcome 5: understanding the function of natural and engineered environmental systems, and ability to design their components and processes to meet the desired needs of society
Outcome 12: ability to communicate effectively
Each course has several of these outcomes, but none has all twelve

13. Thank you for your thoughtful assistance with the evaluation process for ABET accreditation. You are truly the key to our success!
Appreciatively,
The faculty in Environmental & Water Resources Engineering
Dom Di Toro C.P. Huang Paul Imhoff Bill Ritter
Herb Allen Dan Cha Pei Chiu Steve Dentel