Accreditation Board For Engineering And Technology Accreditation Research Articles

SUNFIT: A Machine Learning-Based Sustainable University Field Training Framework for Higher Education

With the rapid advances in Information Technology (IT), the focus on engaging computing students to gain practical experience in the IT industry before graduation is becoming increasingly complex without incorporating pedagogical strategies of success in curricula. The goal is to enable computing major students to gain in-depth knowledge and practical understanding of the IT working environment before graduating through essential industry-driven practical skills based on international standards and best practices. Unfortunately, tracking and analyzing students’ practical skills performance during their IT field training programs, which are conducted primarily off-campus at various public and private organizations, before, during, and after the training period, is a daunting task for both the college instructors and the industry trainers. To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a Sustainable University Field Training (SUNFIT) framework, which is a pedagogical approach towards mining the educational data using machine learning to integrate and measure the field training programs against the internationally recognized accreditation standards such as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The study employs machine learning models aimed at continuously measuring and monitoring international ABET accreditation requirements on computing major courses’ academic data, elucidating student performance across various semesters, integrating best practices, and producing an evidence-based rationale approach for evaluating weak learning outcomes (LOs) with minimal manual intervention, as well as preventing faculty-specific portfolio errors. The proposed approach could be easily developed by academics, researchers, or even students, and for a variety of purposes, including enhancing poor student outcomes (SOs). In addition, various data mining and machine learning approaches have been investigated over field training assessment data for successful prediction in subsequent cycles. The results are promising, with Naïve Bayes obtaining the highest accuracy of 90.54% followed by J48 and PART algorithms at 87.83%.

Information Systems Outcomes based Assessment at Jouf University for ABET Accreditation

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Criteria for Computing Accreditation Commission Programs are based upon knowledge, presentation skills, communication skills, team work and leadership skills that the students gain through the curriculum in a program. The student outcomes (SOs) are the procured skills and knowledge which the student accomplishes through the curriculum. Each program needs to have its own SOs and to evaluate it as per defined assessment cycle, just as to accomplish program educational objectives (PEOs). The continuous improvement plan depended on assessment and evaluation of the program SOs and PEOs. In this paper, an advancement cycle for continuous improvement, for Information systems (IS) program at College of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS), Jouf University, Sakaka, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia, to accomplish the accreditation is discussed. The proposed cycle is appropriate to get the accreditation for bachelor program in information systems discipline and to fulfill the ABET criteria. In result, we will show how the SOs and PEOs were surveyed and assessed through curriculum accordingly. Based on these processes, ABET team has visited CIS college, which had accomplished extraordinary achievement and all of the programs have completely accredited on August 2018 and the next visit to the computing and engineering programs will be on 2026.

Implementing Fuzzy AHP and FUCOM to evaluate critical success factors for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits the tertiary education programs in the areas of applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET offers accreditation in the United States and other regions in the world that lack such entities such as Gulf Cooperative Counties (GCC). Though ABET accreditation is voluntary, graduates of the ABET-accredited programs are considered equivalent in knowledge, behaviors, and attitude with global standards. The process of ABET accreditation takes months or years depending upon the gap with readiness and resources. The objective of this study is to compile and prioritize the list of critical success factors (CSFs) to commit resources optimally for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The triangulation research designed has been employed. Firstly, the observation of the ABET accreditation process of multiple programs at King Khalid University (KKU) helped in identifying 11 CSFs in three categories namely Program design and execution, Quality culture and excellence, and Institutional infrastructure and support. Further, these CSFs have been explored in the literature in the area of ABET accreditation. Finally, the research employs a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP) and full consistency method (FUCOM) to rank the relative importance of these CSFs and their dimensions for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The incorporation of these CSFs will help institutions in the GCC and other regions to get their academic programs ABET-accredited in an optimal manner.

Student Outcomes Assessment Methodology for ABET Accreditation: A Case Study of Computer Science and Computer Information Systems Programs

Acquiring academic accreditation for degree programs is a top priority for universities across the world. This is understandable because accreditation not only leads to better content and delivery of these programs but also allows these institutes to acquire good quality students and faculty members. One respectable body that has the mandate to accredit computing programs is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). In this paper, we provide the details of our assessment and evaluation strategies for ABET-defined student outcomes (SOs) of computer science and computer information systems programs. The assessment is mainly carried out through a range of direct and indirect assessment methods, including summative data analysis, formative data analysis, exit exam, faculty survey, and alumni survey. Then, data gathered from these sources is aggregated and analyzed to quantify the attainment of SOs. This also forms the basis of the continuous improvement process activities that are the cornerstone of any accreditation-related activity. While presenting this, this paper provides details on the challenges that were faced during the process. The most important contribution includes strategies that were adopted to tackle these issues. A unique aspect of our institute is the academic environment that consists of segregated male and female students and faculty members in order to respect the cultural norms of the society. Another contribution of this paper is that it acts as a guide for institutes and their management that plan to embark upon the journey of accrediting their computing programs.

ABET Accreditation: An Engineering Experience from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits college and university programs in engineering under the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). The process follows Engineering Criteria (EC) 2000, which focuses on outcomes (what is learned) rather than what is taught. This paper presents an overview of the processes developed by the civil engineering (CE) program at Sultan Qaboos University to satisfy ABET Criteria 2, 3, and 4. The program had a successful accreditation visit in November 2013. Program educational objectives (PEOs) were developed. A review and revision process for PEOs was also developed. ABET student outcomes (SOs) were adopted by the CE program. SOs were broken to outcome elements. Key performance indicators were developed for each outcome element, according to the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy for cognitive domain. The process used direct indicators from student work as well indirect survey instruments. The program has developed a detailed and systematic approach for assessment of SOs with feedback and follow-up on implementation of actions for continuous improvement. Planning for the next accreditation cycle of SO assessment proved valuable, as the new accreditation committee started executing an already laid out work plan.

An Analysis of IS Programs Accredited by ABET

As of April 2008 there were 30 Information Systems (IS) programs at 23 universities accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This paper compares these ABET accredited IS programs to a sample of 20 IS programs randomly chosen from 251 IS programs in the United States listed by ISWorld. The data was collected by visiting the web pages of the selected IS programs. This paper includes a study of the required IS courses, elective IS courses, required programming courses, required business courses, the title of the IS program (IS/MIS/CIS), the department and college where the IS program was located and the year of ABET accreditation. It is interesting to notice that only two of the ABET accredited IS degrees are BBA degrees. This study points out several significant differences between the ABET accredited IS programs and the typical BBA IS programs at the sample universities.

A Sustainable Process for Continuous Program Improvement towards Accreditation

ABET accreditations assure the relevant professional community and to the world at large, that a program meets the quality standards set by a technical profession. Although ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is primarily focused on the US programs; on invitation, it may extends it services to programs outside the US. Programs at the College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, were among the first to be accredited by ABET (2006-08) in the Arabia Gulf. The preparation for such accreditation started in earnest in 2001. Such preparation is in-progress to get ready for another one coming up in Fall 2013. In this presentation, we attempt to share our experiences in developing necessary steps for suitable Continuous Quality Improvement toward the accreditation. ABET accreditation is based on eight general criteria. Here, the discussion focuses on criteria (iii) Student Outcomes and (iv) Continuous Improvement. It describes how the Student Outcomes were subdivided into sub-outcomes to make it easier for direct measurement, assessment and evaluation. We will use Chemical Engineering Program at the College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University as a case to highlight the importance of Faculty Corporation, curriculum alignment, students’ awareness and record/feedback towards effective quality improvement for the program.

Program Educational Objectives Definition and Assessment for Accreditation Purposes

<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><strong>Academic accreditation of degree programs is becoming an important mean for many institutions to improve the quality of their degree programs. Many programs, in particular computing and engineering, offered by many schools have engaged in the accreditation process with different accreditation bodies. The most known accreditation body in the Unites States of America for engineering, computing, technology, and applied science programs is ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). A key problem towards the satisfaction of ABET accreditation criteria is the appropriate definition and assessment of program educational objectives for a specific degree program. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Program Educational Objectives are important as they represent the ultimate mean to judge the quality of a program. They related directly to student outcomes and curriculum of a degree program. We propose a set of guidelines to help understand how program educational objectives can be defined and assessed. We relate and use examples from our practical experience acquired while working on the ABET accreditation of a Software Engineering progra</strong></span>

Generic competences in engineering field: a comparative study between Latin America and European Union

In this work, a comparison between the competences codes in the CDIÓs* curriculum, the ones defined for the Tunning Project and the International Project Management Association (IPMA) is made. The goal is to define the most appropriate competences codes for the engineering education in Latin America. The CDIO code is obtained from the engineering practice, and responds to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) standards of accreditation. The Tuning competences are the ones defined for Latin America and the IPMÁs are international competences for project management. It is the first time that the competences defined in ABET accreditation standards in the engineering field are compared with the international competences according to IPMÁs model. The results give evidence that, in first place, there is a need to apply holistic models in the definition of an engineering curriculum. Second, the pertinence of these models in the definition of engineering programs in Latin America.

Curriculum assessment as a direct tool in ABET outcomes assessment in a chemical engineering programme

The chemical engineering programme at the United Arab Emirates University is designed to fulfil the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (A–K) EC2000 criteria. The Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering has established a well-defined process for outcomes assessment for the chemical engineering programme in order to ensure that its graduates achieve the programme educational objectives. Different direct and indirect tools are implemented in the assessment process. Among these tools, the greatest weight in the assessment process has been given to the curriculum (30%). The course and curriculum assessment usually plays an important role in improving the course content and quality; as it should provide considerable information on the effectiveness of an academic programme. This paper aims to discuss the methods used to assess the courses/curriculum of the chemical engineering programme as an important direct tool in the assessment process for ABET accreditation. Application of the curriculum assessment results in the continuous improvement of chemical engineering programmes is also addressed.

World class quality in engineering education via ABET accreditation: an implementation study in an Indian engineering educational institution

During recent years, there has been a realisation that a modern Engineering Educational Institution (EEI) accrediting its programmes with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) will be able to sell its product, namely, engineers throughout the world. Yet, only a few countries other than the USA in the world have so far accredited the programmes offered by EEIs with ABET accreditation board. In this context, this article has reported the efforts made to carry out an implementation study on accrediting an Indian EEI with ABET. The sample supplemental materials developed under the nine criteria of ABET stipulations are presented and briefly described. The hurdles faced by the EEIs situated in developing countries for accrediting their programmes are appraised. The experiences of conducting this implementation study indicated that ABET-based accreditation process can be successfully implemented in the EEIs situated in the countries other than the USA as well.

A Curriculum Model Based on the SIGITE Guidelines

Introduction This paper describes a process for developing an outcome based objectives model (Helps, Lunt, & Anthony, 2005) for implementing an undergraduate computer information technology (CIT) curriculum. Outcome based objectives are an integral part of the ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation guidelines. The literature supporting information technology education (Aasheim, Lee, & Reichgelt, 2005; Dark, Ekstrom, & Lunt, 2005; Hazem et al., 2004; Said et al., 2004; Stockman, Chaytor, et al., 2004; Stockman, Christopherson, Said, & Nyland, 2004) and supporting using outcome based objectives (Abernethy, Treu, Piegari, & Reichgelt, 2005; Longenecker Jr. & Feinstein, 2005) to define the graduating student, then the specific requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) of the student's primary focus area. A graduate of the program should have specific sets of KSA's spread across the curricula. Utilization of this process model allows the specific academic unit (department, school, discipline) to easily identify and address accreditation goals. We first decide skills the students will need for a given program, which, in turn, defines the specialization for the discipline. Courses are developed within the specialization to teach the specific skills. The implementation is a matter of selecting the appropriate courses within the specialization that teach the desired skill set for the discipline. Designing a program is the last step in the process since the idea is to provide a flexible framework around which an individually tailored student major can be customized. The Special Interest Group for Information Technology Education (SIGITE) is an accreditation development group comprised of academics, professionals, and industry within the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) who are responsible for creating the guidelines and requirements contained in the Information Technology Education volume. For those readers who are aware of CC2001 (Computing curricula 2001, 2001) and previous volumes of the Computer Science education accreditation guidelines this is a similar effort on the part of SIGITE. The process of creating the SIGITE guidelines are integral to a larger effort to update all of the volumes of engineering and technology education (Shackelford et al., 2004). When completed these guidelines will be accepted and utilized by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) for accrediting programs. The concept behind an outcome based objectives curriculum model is analogous to reading a story backwards. You end up defining the conclusion before constructing the plot. Based on the requirements of what must be accomplished we define must be taught. Stepping sequentially through the process, a story of a student needs as KSA's emerges. The Curriculum Development Process The process (see Figure 1) of creating the curriculum included meeting with specific industry subject matter experts, and reviewing the needs assessment of those industry experts and hiring agencies. Specific requirements for hiring graduates of the program were assessed by the industry panelists and cross referenced with the SIGITE knowledge areas. These diverse groups became the stake holders for the curriculum project. These knowledge areas were then adopted and incorporated into the curricula (Lawson, Lidtke, & Price, 2004). Where appropriate current courses were adapted, or modified to create a seamless adoption of the curriculum. However, where required, new courses were created to satisfy the needs of the stake holders. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Each of the outcome based learning objectives of the courses was processed for level of skill based on the Bloom Taxonomy (Anderson, Krathwohl, & Bloom, 2001; Bloom, Krathwohl, Masia, & Emgelhart, 1956) for education. The objectives were then looked at for areas of expertise as applied to the individual curricula guidelines. …

Guidelines and suggestions for ABET accreditation

Accreditation from a professional organization bestows an intangible credibility on a program, its faculty, curriculum and resources. Colleges and universities that can boast of accredited programs have a distinct edge in marketing themselves as quality institutions and can thereby attract talented faculty and students. Although the advantages of accreditation are numerous, some institutions are reluctant to pursue it because of the enormous workload involved, particularly in the area of assessment, and the uncertainties surrounding the outcome. This panel discussion will focus on the accreditation processes that ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) requires for CS (Computer Science) and IS (Information Systems) programs. Panelists from accredited institutions will discuss their experiences and offer suggestions to facilitate the process. A third panelist will present the accreditation process from the point of view of the evaluators and shed some light on how institutions can make the system work to their advantage. Sufficient time will be allocated at the end to take questions and to hear the accreditation experiences of other institutions.

Accreditation Processes in Turkish Higher Education

There has been considerable interest in national quality assurance process in Turkey following the pilot accreditation project of the Engineering College of the Middle East Technical University (METU) by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), in 2000. ABET accreditation of the Engineering Colleges of Bosphorus and Bilkent Universities followed that of METU. These universities use their accreditation by ABET to attract the best students in the country. Newly founded private universities, in particular, are trying to use the accreditation of their programmes by international accreditation agencies for marketing purposes. The Higher Educational Council [Yuksek Ogretim Kurumu (YOK)], which governs all the universities in Turkey, is currently promoting accreditation studies to improve the quality of higher education in the universities. This is a report on accreditation processes in higher education in Turkey.

A capstone design project to meet the needs of the changing power systems industry and satisfy new accreditation standards

Currently, two motivators are effecting change in power systems education. First, the industry's transition to a more competitive environment is requiring changes in the content and pedagogy of power systems education. Second, engineering education as a whole is seeking to modify its curriculum to reflect a better balance between science and education in order to better meet the needs of industry. These curricular changes are largely a result of revised Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation requirements. In response to these changes, new curriculum and analysis tools were developed for a power systems capstone design course. The project integrates market economics and socio-political considerations with transient stability analysis and transmission planning. A power systems analysis package and an economic analysis tool were developed for use with this project. Student evaluations of the course in which the project was implemented indicate that the curriculum successfully addresses a broad range of ABET accreditation criteria.

Outcomes Assessment of Engineering Writing at the University of Washington

AbstractEffective writing skills are crucial for engineers, and engineering programs have always struggled with how to prepare their students for the writing they will do as professionals. Now, programs must also show the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) that they have clear educational outcomes for engineering communication and have a process for assessing student performance on those outcomes. At the University of Washington, we have spent the last five years developing an outcomes‐based assessment program for engineering writing. In spring 2001, the first round of writing assessment was completed. The assessment indicated that most of our students are competent in the outcomes we have developed. It also uncovered several weak areas, particularly in regard to working with sources and to adequately stating and supporting the purpose of the writing. We will be addressing these areas with additional instruction in the stand‐alone technical writing courses taken by engineering students. The process described in this paper could be helpful for other engineering programs preparing for ABET accreditation visits.

Engineering Perceptions of ABET Accreditation Criteria

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has recommended a revised set of accreditation criteria that is designed to assure that graduates of accredited programs are prepared t...

ABET Accreditation for Engineering Management Programs

Accreditation guidelines for all engineering management programs have been proposed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). These guidelines have been published by ABET for the purpose of receiving comments from interested parties. Comments will be addressed by ABET at its November 10, 1989, meeting. Suggestions for changes have been submitted by the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) and by the Engineering Management Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). These changes have not yet been in corporated into the guidelines. This article describes the process by which ABET develops guidelines. It also contains the proposed guidelines and the suggested changes.

Petroleum Engineering Education in the Year 2000

Petroleum engineering education is tied directly to the needs of the drilling and production sectors of the petroleum industry. The demand for petroleum engineering graduates has experienced the same boom-and-bust cycles as the petroleum industry. Since 1956, undergraduate petroleum engineering enrollments have been as low as 1,000 and as high as 10,000. These extreme fluctuations in enrollment have caused severe problems for petroleum educational programs. The article describes undergraduate petroleum engineering programs, effects of new technology and new areas of emphasis in the petroleum engineering curricula.