Using Integrated Programme Descriptions to Support a CDIO Programme Design Process

The Conceive - Design - Implement - Operate (CDIO) Syllabus provides a generic platform for writing programme goal statements. Specifically, it provides support for statements of the intended learning outcomes for personal and professional skills and attitudes, such as communication, teamwork and ethics. However, a complete programme goal statement must also include goals for disciplinary knowledge. Moreover, while a pure goal statement may be suitable for, and support discussions with, external stakeholders, such as industry leaders who are not involved in the programme design as such, deliberations with internal stakeholders like faculty and students often need to address both the goals for the programme and the way in which they are realised - the programme design. In response to these needs, the authors present a framework that brings together the goals and the design of the programme. This framework is called integrated programme descriptions (IPDs). In the article, the authors discuss the contents of these components and the process of implementing them at Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden, and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.