Assessing and Developing Program Outcomes through Workplace Competencies
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Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
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1905–present
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- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
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- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
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Abstract
The College of Engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) partnered with constituents and assessment professionals to identify and validate 14 observable and measurable competencies necessary and sufficient to measure program outcomes. Constituents identified the engineering and experiential workplaces as settings most likely to develop and demonstrate the competencies, and the traditional classroom as least likely. Engineering students in the experiential workplace are assessed on the competencies by their supervisors, providing feedback for curricular change. These results confirm that we must re-examine how we use the classroom to educate engineers and our belief that experiential education is critical to students' success.
Comments
This article is from International Journal of Engineering Education, 22, no. 1 (2006): 123–129. Used by permission.