Improving How We Develop and Assess Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes for ABET Accreditation

Abstract

Developing program educational objectives (PEOs) and assessing student outcomes (SOs) to support continuous program improvement and to meet accreditation criteria can be challenging for engineering departments and programs. Departments must navigate a wide range of acceptable approaches as many accrediting agencies, including ABET, continue to update their expectations. However, as programs mature, they will typically gain a deeper understanding of and a better appreciation for outcomes-based assessment. In this paper, we present methods of developing and assessing PEOs and SOs that we believe to be clear, logical, practical, and impactful. As we will discuss, we have also used them within our own departments and to mentor faculty in other engineering departments. We conclude this paper with a discussion of several case studies as well as some lessons we have learned from recent continuous improvement activities and ABET visits.