An Assessment Analysis Methodology and Its Application to an Advanced Engineering Communications Program
An assessment of a discipline‐specific advanced engineering communications program initiated over a decade ago and those assessment strategies that best measure the success of the program are described. Novel ideas for the visualization and interpretation of the data are presented. These techniques...
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| Published in | Journal of engineering education (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 93; no. 3; pp. 233 - 242 |
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| Main Authors | , , , |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
Oxford, UK
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
01.07.2004
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| Subjects | |
| Online Access | Get full text |
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| Summary: | An assessment of a discipline‐specific advanced engineering communications program initiated over a decade ago and those assessment strategies that best measure the success of the program are described. Novel ideas for the visualization and interpretation of the data are presented. These techniques are conducive to an “assess‐revise‐assess” strategy for curriculum improvement since they can efficiently assist in defining an appropriate and rapid response to program needs and constituency expectations. Based in part on the assessment results, additions and extensions to the original program have been made. These include instruction in interpersonal communications, teamwork, engineering research and professional ethics, management and professional development skills, critical and creative thinking, and engineering design and are described briefly to place the current program in proper context for assessment. Positive correlations show that the program continues to be highly regarded by students, faculty, the college administration, alumni, and industry. |
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| Bibliography: | istex:AF453E64F61FD9136C303BA2DA94DBC14F0F4610 ark:/67375/WNG-F7VQRC6M-B ArticleID:JEE810 Eric C. Pappas is an associate professor in the Integrated Science and Technology Department at James Madison University. He was director (and co‐founder with Professor Robert Hendricks) of the Advanced Engineering Writing and Communications Program in the College of Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) from 1993–2003. Dr. Pappas earned a B.S. in Economic Theory from Wagner College in 1972, an M.A. in English in 1987 and an Ed.D. in English Education in 1990 from Virginia Tech. He was on the faculty of Virginia Tech from 1987–2003 and taught classes in technical writing, creative writing, American literature, interpersonal communications and public speaking, critical and creative thinking, leadership, engineering design, management skills, gender issues, and professional ethics. Ronald G. Kander is Department Head of Integrated Science & Technology (ISAT) at James Madison University, where he teaches and conducts research in the area of polymer processing, manufacturability, and rapid prototyping/tooling technologies. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie‐Mellon University in 1980, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1987. Before joining JMU, Professor Kander was a faculty member in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Virginia Tech for eleven years. While at Virginia Tech, he was also Director of the College of Engineering's “Green Engineering” program for 3 years. He was earlier employed for 5 years by E. I. DuPont as a Senior Engineer in the Advanced Composites Division of the Fibers Department and in the Polymer Physics Group of the Central Research Department. Stephen L. Kampe is an associate professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech. He presently coordinates the MSE department's ongoing curriculum assessment and continuous improvement efforts. Dr. Kampe teaches courses in Materials Selection and Design, Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Composite Materials, and introductory Materials Engineering for Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. He conducts research in the areas of advanced processing and synthesis of metals and metal matrix composites. Prior to his appointment to Virginia Tech in 1992, Dr. Kampe was a Senior Scientist in the Advanced Materials Directorate at Martin Marietta Laboratories in Baltimore, Maryland. He received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1981, 1983, and 1987, respectively. Robert W. Hendricks is a professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. He received his B.Met.E. (1959) and his Ph.D. (1964) from Cornell University and his MBA (1985) from the University of Tennessee. From 1998 until 2003, he was the Director of Virginia Tech's Center for Microelectronics, Optoelectronics, and Nanotechnology (MicrON) and is the developer of the University's new, multidisciplinary minor in Microelectronics Engineering. Prior to joining Virginia Tech's MSE Department in 1986, Dr. Hendricks was associated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1964–1981) and Technology for Energy Corporation (1981–1986). He has published over 150 papers and is the co‐developer of four patents. Dr. Hendricks is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Physical Society. |
| ISSN: | 1069-4730 2168-9830 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00810.x |