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Development and Utilization of a Process for Incorporating Constituent Feedback Into Curriculum Improvement

Barbara D. Gannod, Gerald C. Gannod / and Mark R. Henderson Division of Computing Studies / Dept. of Industrial Engineering Arizona State University – East / Arizona State University – Tempe Mesa, AZ 85212 / Tempe, AZ 85287 bgannod@asu.edu, gannod@asu.edu, Mark.Henderson@asu.edu

Abstract The ABET accreditation criteria require that programs follow a process for defining and refining program outcomes and objectives. The process is a continuous one in which feedback is used to periodically evaluate and modify objectives based on the ever-changing needs of program constituents. Most programs agree that students, faculty, and industry professional are members of their constituencies. However, the processes for soliciting feedback from constituents, as well as the processes for incorporating feedback into curriculum (and program) improvements vary widely. This paper describes a portion of the process used at Arizona State University (ASU) to provide feedback about the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) in Computer Systems Engineering (CSE). The Consortium for Embedded Systems (CES), a partnership between Intel, Motorola, and ASU, sponsors a structured, for-credit internship program for students in the BSE program. During the late Spring and early Summer of 2004, a committee of ASU Faculty developed and utilized a process for obtaining feedback from students involved in the CES internship program, industry mentors, and faculty that contribute to BSE curriculum. The information gathered during that process was used to assess how well the BSE program is currently meeting the needs of student and industry constituents. This paper describes a continuous curriculum improvement process, SAGE, that is based on an engineering design process and experiences in applying the process to the BSE program. First, we describe the SAGE process and focus on the portion of the process used to solicit feedback from student interns, industry mentors and faculty. Next, we provide examples of the results from analyzing the feedback obtained. We then provide observations about factors that contributed to the quality of the information gathered as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the process. In particular, we describe which types of activities led to the most valuable feedback and which activities resulted in less useful outcomes. Finally, we discuss future directions including how this process can be modified for future use both at ASU and in other programs as well. 1 Introduction In 2000, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) changed its evaluation process from assessment of curriculum content to assessment of program outcomes, primarily student outcomes, which is more difficult. This shift in the target has turned out to be a huge adjustment for program administrators. What had been a de rigueur process for the past 50 years now presents a challenge of obtaining and evaluating information never before formally considered by most universities. ABET specifies that a successful engineering program will

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Henderson, M., & Gannod, G., & Gannod, B. (2005, June), Development And Utilization Of A Process For Incorporating Constituent Feedback Into Curriculum Improvement Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14763