Nancy Nelson presented on tracking graduate attributes through project-based learning. She outlined key engineering knowledge and practice attributes and described a process to 1) validate engineering projects, 2) map projects to curriculum, 3) map projects to attributes, and 4) track attribute development. This process provides a way to assess individual students, cohorts, and specific attributes and supports continuous improvement of engineering education.

1. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
Tracking Graduate Attributes
through Projects
NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
Nancy Nelson – Conestoga ITAL
Electronic Systems Engineering
nnelson@conestogac.on.ca

2. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
ENGINEERING
KNOWLEDGE
Communication
Interpersonal &
Professional
Skills
Teamwork
Solving
Open-ended
Problems
Engineering
Education
Atman, et. al. Enabling
Engineering Student Success: The
Final Report for the Center for the
Advancement of Engineering
Education 2010
ENGINEERING
PRACTICE

3. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
Individual
& Team
Work
Life-long
Learning
Knowledge
Base
Problem
Analysis
Impact on
Society
Profess’n-
alism
Communic’n
Skills
Investigat’n Design
Economics
& Project
Mgmt
Ethics &
Equality
Tools
Graduate Attributes

4. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
Our Experience

5. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014

6. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
Significant Content
Complex
Open Ended
Explorative
Project
Based
Learning
(PBL)
Buck Institute of Education,
“Project Design Rubric”, Project
Based Learning
ENGINEERING
KNOWLEDGE
ENGINEERING
PRACTICE

7. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
3
Map to Graduate Attributes
1
Validate Project
2
Map to Curriculum
4
Track Graduate Attributes
Continuous Improvement Process …

8. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
1
Validate Project

9. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
2
•Map to Curriculum

10. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
3
Map to Graduate Attributes

11. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
4
Track Graduate Attributes

12. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
4
Track Graduate Attributes

13. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
4
Track Graduate Attributes

14. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
5
•Next Step – Reports
 individual student
 cohort
 specific graduate attribute

15. N. Nelson – NCDEAS Conference – November 2014
ENGINEERING
KNOWLEDGE
Communication
Interpersonal &
Professional
Skills
Teamwork
Solving
Open-ended
Problems
Achieving
Graduate
Attributes
through
Projects
ENGINEERING
PRACTICE