Designing a Semi-Automated System for Curricular Assessment, Evaluation, and Improvement*
Don McEachron, Fred Allen, Elisabeth Papazoglou, Mustafa Sualp, Drexel University & Untra Corporation

In this interactive Workshop, faculty and IT professionals from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems at Drexel University and UNTRA Corporation will analyze the assessment and improvement process for curricula in light of the engineering design paradigm. Use of this paradigm provides a common frame of reference for engineering faculty, allowing development of a multivariate assessment and feedback methodology which maps performance criteria in such a manner as to allow timely intervention at the level of individual student as well as program. We will review our techniques of decomposing student learning outcomes into performance criteria at a resolution focused on intervention as the primary goal of assessment. Finally, we will demonstrate a Web-based knowledge management system called AEFIS (Academic Evaluation, Feedback and Intervention System) which manages the data in such a way as to maximize the ability to provide continuous quality improvement while minimizing additional faculty labor.

Learning outcomes: Workshop participants will develop the following: 1) ability to apply engineering design to curricular assessment thus focusing on intervention and increasing faculty involvement; 2) understanding of how the focus on intervention helps to determine the correct resolution and mapping of performance criteria; 3) understanding of how information systems and technology can be used to facilitate continuous quality improvement while simultaneously minimizing any additional faculty workload.