Triangulation Data for Assessing Curricula

TitleTriangulation Data for Assessing Curricula
Faculty/College/UnitApplied Science
StatusCompleted
Duration3 Years
Initiation04/01/2010
Funding Details
Year 1: Project TitlePiloting the Assessment of Program Level Learning Outcomes in Civil Engineering via Course Design
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2010/2011
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorThomas Froese
Year 1: Funded Amount38,170
Year 1: Team Members

Thomas Froese, Professor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Susan Nesbit, Senior Instructor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Barbara Lence, Professor / Associate Head (Undergraduate), Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Jonathan Fannin, Professor / Associate Head (Graduate), Civil Engineering , Faculty of Applied Science

Year 1: Summary

As part of a major curriculum renewal effort, UBC Civil Engineering has developed comprehensive program level learning outcomes. This proposal seeks to develop our ability to assess these learning outcomes across the curriculum, focusing on piloting the assessment process as part of the course design for a new Integrated Project course. The hypothesis is that a curriculum that re-enforces cognition by integrative, psycho-motor, and attitudinal activities results in measurably higher levels of learning. To test this hypothesis, an integrative, action-based course will be introduced to a sub-set of the full 130 student cohort, and the learning of these students will be compared to the larger cohort. An assessment system will be developed to measure the student achievement toward the program level learning outcomes, for both the control and pilot group of students. The requested funds will be used to develop and deliver both the pilot course and the assessment system.

Year 2: Project TitleAssessing and Visualizing Engineering Curricula
Year 2: Project YearYear 2
Year 2: Funding Year2011/2012
Year 2: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 2: Principal InvestigatorThomas Froese
Year 2: Funded Amount29,600
Year 2: Team Members

Thomas Froese, Professor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Andre Ivanov, Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Reza Vaziri, Head, Civil Engineering
Susan Nesbit, Senior Instructor, Civil Engineering

Year 2: Summary

This project is the 2nd stage of a TLEF-supported investigation into the hypothesis that curriculum design informed by foundational concepts of teaching and learning scholarship results in measurably higher levels of student learning. The pilot-scale curriculum assessment process developed and applied to a sub-set of both the Civil (CIVL) and the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) undergraduate programs during the previous TLEF period (i.e., Jan.- March 2011) will be tested, improved, and then used to test the hypothesis. Results of the test will be analyzed and reported to the SoTL and engineering education communities. A robust curriculum visualization tool will be developed and used to engage the CIVL and ECE learning communities in curricular improvements. All the activities proposed for this project augment and enhance significant investments in curriculum redevelopment being made in the Electrical, Computer, and Civil Engineering undergraduate programs.

Year 3: Project YearYear 3
Year 3: Funding Year2013/2014
Year 3: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 3: Principal InvestigatorSusan Nesbit
Year 3: Funded Amount29,840
Year 3: Team Members

Susan Nesbit, Senior Instructor, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Jim Sibley, Director, Centre for Instructional Support, Faculty of Applied Science
Andre Ivanov, Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Reza Vaziri, Head, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Steve Wilton, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Year 3: Summary

Both the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Civil Engineering (CIVL) have developed Program Learning Goals (a.k.a. PLOs) for the professional programs they offer to students. With TLEF support (2010-2011, 2011-2012), both departments have also developed frameworks for curriculum assessment and both have developed a pilot protocol that has successfully tested the frameworks. The successful completion of this previous work has enabled the departments to assess the curriculum from the faculty perspective. The project proposed here will augment this previous work with data collected from both students and professional engineering practitioners. Collecting and synthesizing these data sets will provide an assessment of the engineering curricula from three essential perspectives. This triangulated assessment will inform subsequent curriculum renewal decisions.