Assessment of the teaching-learning effectiveness of a freshman design course

The A.J. Clark School of Engineering is expecting an ABET EC2000 site visit in the fall 1999. The accreditation process will focus on evaluating the outcomes of the teaching and learning process as engineering programs prepare graduates for the practice of engineering at a professional level. Although the ABET review is department-based assessment of the learning outcomes of the students during their freshman and sophomore years is critical for demonstrating an integrated approach for a four year education in engineering. This paper presents an effort to conduct a systematic assessment of the learning outcomes from freshman students who participate in an introductory engineering design course. The assessment starts by defining the expected educational outcomes, the metrics to measure the learning outcomes and integrates the evaluation process to the teaching/learning process. Results obtained from 560 students who rook the course in the fall 1998 semester are presented. Data analysis and interpretation indicate that the introductory engineering design course provides the participating students with a solid background in what future engineers will have to deal with in important aspects of their engineering careers.