ABET Improvement Perspectives

1
ABET Improvement Perspectives

• Duane Boning
• Associate Head, EECS, MIT
• Prof. David StaelinMIT EECS 2007-2008 ABET
  Review Coordinator
• March 2009

2
Outline/Overview

• What works well what works less well
• One view on historical evolution of ABET goals
• Content focus, shifted to
• Improvement process (truth in advertising),
  could shift to
• Best practices focus
• Efficiency as an important (neglected) parameter
• in the review process
• in the departmental continuous improvement
  process
• Example best practices

3
What works well

• Forces periodic holistic self-examination and
  reflection
• Motivates record-keeping of critical parameters
• Forces establishment of metrics assessment
  process
• Forces remedy of well identified weaknesses
• Promotes truth in advertising Departmental
  programs

4
What works less well

• Inefficient responses to ABET can distract
  faculty
• During and between reports
• Best practices (reporting and departmental)
  unclear
• ABET requirements may trump optimal tradeoffs
• Visible deficiencies can preempt less visible
  ones
• Best tradeoff practices unclear
• Sometimes unnecessary angst in report preparation
• Best practices again unclear

5
One view Historical evolution of ABET

• Initially Certification process
• Are community standards met?
• Certification requirements promoted
  improvement
• Recognition that institutional goals were
  diverse
• Transition to truth in advertising model
• Certification of process too
• Learning process, still underway
• Next? adding best practices dissemination
  model
• Improve department process efficiency
• Improve curricula and administration

6
Efficiency as an important parameter

• Efficiency Ratio (faculty time)/(student
  learning)
• Resources
• Scarce faculty time and enthusiasm
• Less scarce administrative support, student time
• How to optimally balance?
• Inefficiency saps resources
• Best Practices process improvement and
  curriculum
• Must be tailored to situation
• Hard to discover
• Very rewarding pedagogically
• Directly improved by efficiency
• ABET could be clearing house of best practices
• As determined by departments, not ABET

7
Best Practices Examples

• Curriculum planning (e.g., repetition of key
  ideas) (versus every class an independent
  fiefdom)
• Team teaching of large core subjects -- benefits
• Use of teaching assistants for instant feedback
• Student-run feedback mechanism, with discretion
• Administratively managed feedback from seniors,
  alumni (how to maximize responses and utility)
• How to analyze feedback and advise
  department continuous process may use and train
  students
• Effective use of alumni, local experts
  resources
• Faculty development
• ABET compliance, how best to manage, report?

8
Why ABET, and How?

• ABET becomes the issue re ABET reporting process
• ABET links ALL ECE/EECS programs with power
• A best-practices website would help ECE/EECS
  departments and ABET
• ABET could distribute without comment ECE/EECS
  self-identified best-practice ABET reports
  (self-redacted for distribution) and associated
  papers and recommendations authored by
  departments
• A comment section on such an ABET website would
  permit ECE/EECS departments and ABET participants
  and staff to offer further information and advice
• Departments could cite ABET website references
  for validation of their process decisions in
  their reports

9
E.g., Feedback Mechanisms at MIT EECS

• Traditional
• Extensive informal discussions weekly Department
  Area lunches
• Advisors
• UG Office
• Team teaching
• Evaluation of faculty, important in promotion
  cases
• Underground Guide to Course VI
• Alumni surveys (http//hkn.mit.edu/alumni/)
• Institute surveys (students, alumni)
• No separate ABET compliance effort except one
  editor for review
• One staff member for ABET in Deans office (400
  faculty)
• ABET feedback prompted loophole closing and
  professional subject
• Mentoring and advising
• Freshmen seminars
• Associate advisors
• Active students groups GSA, GW6, HKN, IEEE/ACM
• Graduate advising seminars
• REFS system