Quantifying ABET Assessment of Outcomes

The essence of the relatively new ABET EC 2000 assessment criteria is a requirement that Programs under evaluation by the accreditation board clearly demonstrate that, at the very least, 11 separate learning objectives (outcomes) are being achieved. Such evidence can only be provided by a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of instruction related to these outcomes. Methods of assessment of outcomes have been widely discussed by academics in recent times. Several of the more high-profile approaches, (student grades, retention rates, FE exam results, graduate school admissions, employment statistics, etc.), seem to us to be somewhat limited in their usefulness. The approach advocated here is founded on the belief that one key to better measurement of outcomes as well as to a better process for the achievement of learning objectives lies primarily with student feedback. This paper discusses how student-based outcomes assessment can be used to quantify the achievement of learning objectives, and, thereby, the quality of instruction, in a meaningful way.