Development and Implementation of a Longitudinal Design Assessment

摘要

An assessment tool has been developed to measure and track student design skills longitudinally through the curriculum. The rubric assesses competencies in system design, implementation, project management and documentation. Each competency is evaluated on a 1 to 5 scale, representing skill levels associated with a Pre-Engineer, Trainee, Intern, Entry-Level Engineer and Professional, respectively. The competencies were assessed using freshman, sophomore and senior capstone design courses in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Idaho. The data show that the scores improved consistently from freshman to senior years, with the largest increase in system design skills, followed by implementation, project management, and then documentation. The data provide an overview of the changes in design skills through the curriculum, helping to identify weaknesses within the design courses that can be improved. While the tool was used in mechanical engineering courses, it is designed to be used in courses within any engineering discipline.