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ABET Outcome Assessment and Improvement through the Capstone Design Course in an Industrial Engineering Curriculum

Leslie Potter, Shantha Daniel, Devna Popejoy-Sheriff, and K. Jo Min

Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department, Iowa State University

Abstract In this paper, for the capstone design course, we first show how we demonstrate that our IE majors attain the ABET outcome items (c) and (h) where (c) is an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability and (h) is the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context. To achieve this, we utilize rubrics that are primarily filled out by the instructors and surveys that are filled out by graduating seniors, Year 1 alumni, and Year 3 alumni. Each rubric is for the assessment of one outcome item, and consists of three subcriteria. Each of these assessment efforts is independent of the other efforts, and the results from each effort are crosschecked with the results from the other efforts. Based on the outcome assessment, we show how we improve the outcome items in the capstone design course by guiding students to consider diverse sets of perspectives and consequences without teaching additional discipline or technique. Finally, we will discuss the lessons learned and challenges experienced, and comment on future endeavors.

1. Background In recent years, the Industrial Engineering (IE) Program in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering (IMSE) at Iowa State University (ISU) has been actively involved in objective evaluation and outcome assessment of its IE majors. The evaluation and assessment activities are highly important for its accreditation as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) requires that the graduates of accredited engineering programs attain certain outcome items to foster achievement of the programs’ long-term educational objectives (see e.g., [1]).

Specifically, in response to this requirement, IMSE Department has developed and implemented the continuous improvement process for its objectives and outcomes that is depicted in Figure 1.

The Industrial Engineering Program Outcomes shown in on the top of the lower loop in Figure 1 consists of sixteen items, eleven of which are mandated by ABET [1] and five of which are additionally required by the department [2]. Employing the process outlined in Figure 1, various continuous improvement efforts are being made for the outcome items. For example, to improve outcome item (o) [the ability to have a global enterprise

“Proceedings of the 2006 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright ASEE 2006, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Daniel, S., & Popejoy-Sheriff, D., & Min, K. J., & Potter, L. (2006, June), Abet Outcome Assessment And Improvement Through The Capstone Design Course In An Industrial Engineering Curriculum Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1082