scholarly journals RUBRICS AS A VEHICLE TO DEFINE THE TWELVE CEAB GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES, DETERMINE GRADUATE COMPETENCIES, AND DEVELOP A COMMON LANGUAGE FOR ENGINEERING STAKEHOLDERS

Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Sandra Ingram ◽  
Nariman Sepehri ◽  
J.P. Burak ◽  
Paul Labossiere ◽  
...  

This paper discusses the evolution of a set ofrubrics for the 12 CEAB graduate attributes in theFaculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Therubrics are intended as a pedagogical assessment tool forinstructors of individual courses as applicable, and forassessment at the program level. Individuals from faculty,industry and the University of Manitoba Centre for theAdvancement of Teaching and Learning have beeninvolved in the process of evaluating and revising boththe content and wording of the rubrics in order that theymeet the following criteria: (i) the foci and indicatorsadequately communicate the knowledge, skills, attitudes,values and behaviours that our engineering stakeholdersagree do define each attribute; (ii) the competency levelfor each indicator is representative of what engineeringeducators and stakeholders agree defines proficiency;and (iii) the language in the rubrics is consistent andagreeable to all engineering stakeholders. These rubricsare expected to accomplish a number of outcomes-basedpedagogical and accreditation goals, including: dividingthe attributes into teachable and measurable foci andindicators; defining competency levels; and becoming avehicle for the development of a common language forfaculty, students and industry when they discuss, teach,assess and acquire the knowledge, skills and behavioursof the CEAB graduate attributes. This paper reports onthe evolution of these rubrics, and outlines plans for theircontinued development and use within the faculty.

Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Sandra Ingram ◽  
Nariman Sepehri

This paper describes the third year of a studyat the University of Manitoba aimed at exploring how theCanadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)graduate attributes are manifested and measured in theFaculty of Engineering’s curriculum. Instructors from theDepartments of Biosystems, Civil, Electrical andComputer, and Mechanical Engineering were asked toconsider the presence of four attributes and theirsubsequent indicators in one engineering course taught inthe 2013-14 academic year. The attributes were: AKnowledge Base for Engineering, Individual and TeamWork, Impact of Engineering on Society and theEnvironment, and Economics and Project Management.Data were gathered using a self-administered checklist,which was introduced to instructors in a workshopsetting. The checklist has evolved over the three years inan effort to define student attribute competency levels andto create an assessment tool that meets the needs of boththe researchers and the instructors, as we work togetherto examine the graduate attributes in our courses andimplement an outcomes-based assessment protocol. Thedata from this third year give us the ability to report onhow the remaining four CEAB graduate attributes arepresently manifest and measured in our engineeringfaculty, to look for evidence of outcomes-basedassessment, to evaluate the checklist as an assessmenttool, and to reflect on the overall process.


Author(s):  
Asako Yoshida

In this exploratory study, a subject librarian and a writing instructor investigated the potential of designing blended learning around research paper assignments in the context of two foundational courses in the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. The objective was to explore alternative, more embedded learning support for undergraduate students. The significance of blended learning support was situated in the broader literature of the teaching and learning practices in higher education. In this case study, descriptions of blended learning support for facilitating student learning, and of the main barrier to its implementation are provided. Based on what was learned in the exploratory study, the chapter provides working guidelines for designing and developing blended learning support, mainly drawing from Butler and Cartier’s (2004) research on academic engagement.


Author(s):  
Donald S. Petkau

At the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba research has been undertaken to determine the level of student competency in the graduate attributes as set forth by the CEAB accreditation process. This study takes an alternative view and seeks to understand the current industry requirements for a new graduate employee based on the graduate attributes. It consisted of a questionnaire completed by two groups of engineers working in a major energy corporation in the Province of Manitoba. One group consisted of senior engineers with a minimum of 15 years experience while the other was of new graduates with at minimum 18 months of service. The groups were asked to complete a questionnaire on the level of competency they felt was required for new graduates entering the workplace. This paper describes the process and the analysis of the information. Results were compared with an assessment of a new graduate’s competency levels. The information shows that while a student’s competency levels at graduation may be lower than expected they still generally meet the requirements of the workplace. Information also shows that areas of concern are not in the technical areas but rather in the professional skills.


Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Sandra Ingram ◽  
Nariman Sepehri

This paper describes the findings from athree-year longitudinal study at the University ofManitoba designed to explore how the CanadianEngineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) graduateattributes are manifested and measured in the Faculty ofEngineering’s curriculum. Instructors from theDepartments of Biosystems, Civil, Mechanical, andElectrical and Computer Engineering were asked toconsider the presence of four of the 12 CEAB attributesand their subsequent indicators in one engineering coursetaught in one academic year. Each year, four differentattributes were targeted, chosen to reflect both thetraditional/technical and the professional/workplacecompetencies. Data were collected using a selfadministeredchecklist, which evolved over the three yearsof the study in an effort to more clearly define studentattribute competency levels, and to develop a commonlanguage and understanding in regards to the graduateattributes and the process of outcomes-based assessment.This final phase of the study enables us to understand howall 12 of the CEAB graduate attributes are manifest andmeasured across our engineering curricula, to discussour findings within the context of outcomes-basedassessment and accreditation protocols, and to strategizeways to close the loop.


Author(s):  
Asako Yoshida

In this exploratory study, a subject librarian and a writing instructor investigated the potential of designing blended learning around research paper assignments in the context of two foundational courses in the Faculty of Human Ecology at the University of Manitoba, Canada. The objective was to explore alternative, more embedded learning support for undergraduate students. The significance of blended learning support was situated in the broader literature of the teaching and learning practices in higher education. In this case study, descriptions of blended learning support for facilitating student learning, and of the main barrier to its implementation are provided. Based on what was learned in the exploratory study, the chapter provides working guidelines for designing and developing blended learning support, mainly drawing from Butler and Cartier's (2004) research on academic engagement.


Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Sandra Ingram ◽  
Nariman Sepehri

This paper describes the process in the second year of a three year study at the University of Manitoba that looks at how the 12 CEAB graduate attributes are manifested and measured in the engineering curriculum. The four attributes chosen for this year’s study were Problem Analysis, Use of Engineering Tools, Communication Skills, and Ethics and Equity. Nine instructors from each of the Departments of Biosystems, Civil, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical Engineering were asked to consider the presence of these attributes in one of their engineering courses taught in Fall 2012. The checklist for this study was revised based on the results of the pilot study conducted in 2011-12, and in an effort to begin to define student attribute competency levels and demonstrate outcomes-based assessment. Similar to last year, this study found that the hard skills in engineering were assessed more frequently than the soft skills, and inparticular, there was little assessment evidence of Ethics and Equity. The majority of instructors reported using assignments and reports as evaluation tools, and communicating evaluations to students using numerical marks and written comments. Competency levels were defined in a variety of ways, highlighting the need to establish a common language for assessment. Finally, this paper reports on the challenges observed in the construction and administration of the survey and outlines next steps.


Author(s):  
Danny D Mann ◽  
Jason Morrison

With the approach of the accreditation visit by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, it falls to the faculties and departments to interpret, understand and transition into use the latest accreditation criterion on graduate attributes. Over the past two years Biosystems has utilized our small size to perform several preparatory exercises to understand graduate attributes and how they relate to classes offered by our department. This has included several iterations of assessing the level of competency expected from students, an explanation of how attributes are developed by each course, development of learning outcomes, an integration of these ideas into course outlines and a preliminary investigation into how to report these items in a summative and informative manner. This work presents the process followed, observations on how it could be shortened and a brief discussion of the difficulties aligning course-based assessments to curriculum wide needs.


Author(s):  
Sandra Ingram ◽  
Richard Hechter ◽  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Douglas Ruth

Engineering education is a recognized field of research and inquiry that draws on a number of established disciplines to enhance the practice and teaching of engineering. Within the last ten years, some universities in the U.S. and abroad have developed engineering education graduate programs with an emphasis on drawing from the education discipline in particular. These programs range in scope from those in which graduate students maintain a technical area of expertise alongside a focus on pedagogy to more interdisciplinary collaborations with education faculties. In Canada, such programs are still in development and the more recent movement towards outcomes-based assessment in engineering schools to satisfy changing accreditation requirements, has further mobilized an institutional interest in teaching and learning processes. This paper reports on the evolution of such a program, combining the expertise of both engineering and education faculties at the University of Manitoba to achieve this synergy.


Author(s):  
Jillian Seniuk Cicek ◽  
Afua Mante ◽  
Marcia Friesen ◽  
Randy Herrmann

In the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba, we are committed to creating belonging for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and faculty by fostering shared values and developing a shared approach to engineering education. In the spirit of this commitment, a team of four from the Faculty of Engineering has been funded to design a series of seven engineering specific faculty workshops to help build good relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous engineering students, faculty, and staff. Our goal is to enrich engineering education by learning how engineering is relevant to Indigenous Peoples from Indigenous perspectives, with the ultimate objective to integrate Indigenous values, knowledges, perspectives, and design principles into engineering teaching and learning in relevant, genuine, and good ways. This Engineering Education Practice Paper presents the design of the seven workshops, and briefly introduces the conceptual framework that guides the team’s approach.  


Author(s):  
Janet F. Buchan ◽  
Michael Swann

<span>The in house development of an online assessment tool, OASIS, has provided a unique opportunity to research the use of online assessment in teaching and learning across the university. The developing relationship between IT staff, educational designers and academics serves as a model for integrated and evolving management systems which demonstrate how academic research is informing improvements in applying educational technology. A framework, the</span><em>Bridge Support Framework for Online Learning,</em><span> is proposed for the support and implementation of online learning systems. A case study in online assessment in a microeconomics subject describes the development of this framework in response to a 'systems' failure when using the online assessment software tool during a major assessment event for a large external student cohort. As the university moves towards an open source learning management system for 2008, the range of online assessment methods will increase. It is here that our case study and the proposed </span><em>Bridge Support Framework</em><span> have potential value in learning from history to improve processes and procedures for the future.</span>


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