SCALABILITY OF A GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES ASSESSMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS

Abstract

The recent Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) requirements mandating a graduate attributes (GA) assessment and continuous improvement process present a potentially huge burden for assessment, analysis and data management. Designing a robust GA management system and scaling to a large multi-program engineering faculty represents a significant challenge. This paper presents a hierarchical approach developed at the University of Alberta to address these challenges for one of the largest programs in Canada. A set of specific overarching principles has allowed us to significantly reduce the overall task. Key aspects include the exploitation of common indicators and measures where possible. The system currently employs 451 measures and 93,240 individual student assessments vs potentially about 1000 measures and 106 student assessments for a similar, but naïve, approach. A multiyear strategy is described to monitor progress and demonstrate a continuous improvement system.