Presentation about the relevance of the CDIO Initiative for achieving the EUR-ACE Quality Seal, January 2014 in Gothemburg, Sweden.

1. The Importance of Practising CDIO for
Achieving EUR-ACE Certification
ANTÓNIO COSTA
ÂNGELO MARTINS
CDIO European Meeting, Gothenburg, 2014

2. Outline
1. School
2. Context (IE)
3. Goals (IE)
4. Accreditation in Europe
5. EUR-ACE Experience (IE)
6. Worldwide Accreditation
7. Conclusion

3. School
• A 160 years old public engineering school
– Located in Porto, Portugal
– Students: 6600, teachers: 400, staff: 130
– Accepted as CDIO collaborator in 2008
– In 2013-2014 lectures
• 11 first cycle engineering 3-year programs (bachelor)
• 12 second cycle engineering 2-year programs (master)
– In 2014
• 4 masters and one 1st
cycle already accredited by EUR-ACE
• 6 more programs are being submitted or waiting for results

4. Context (IE)
• Broadband
bachelor
program
• Specialized
master
program
with major,
minors or
electives

5. Goals (IE)
• Accreditation and certification
– National accreditation required for public funding
– EUR-ACE® Quality Seal by ENAEE
• 2nd
cycle Informatics Engineering achieved EUR-ACE in 2012
• 1st
cycle Informatics Engineering achieved EUR-ACE in 2013

6. Accreditation in Europe
• “Expected outcomes” based accreditation
– High-level frameworks
• European Qualification Framework (EQF)
• Bologna Process (adopted the Dublin Descriptors)
• Most National/European accreditation agencies
– Engineering frameworks
• CDIO: 12 Standards, Syllabus template
• EUR-ACE: 5 Guidelines, 6 Outcomes, 14 Criteria
• ABET: 8 Criteria, 11 Outcomes
– Area specific frameworks
• ACM Computing Curricula for “Computing”, etc

7. EUR-ACE Experience (IE)
• EUR-ACE process
– Program management writes a self-evaluation report
– Audit team visits the school and program
– Audit team produces an audit report → decision
– How CDIO Standards cover EUR-ACE Guidelines?*
* View of ISEP

8. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes
• Program outcomes
– CDIO Syllabus proposes a structured set of outcomes
– EUR-ACE only defines 6 areas for outcomes
• Knowledge and Understanding; Engineering Analysis; Engineering
Design; Research; Engineering Practice; Transferable Skills
• The courses' syllabi should describe contributions to the areas
Bloom
scale
example

9. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 1. Needs, Objectives and Outcomes
• CDIO Standards
– 1 CDIO As Context ++
– 2 CDIO Syllabus Outcomes ++
– 4 Introduction to Engineering +
• EUR-ACE Requisites
–  1.1 Needs of the Interested Parties
–  1.2 Educational Objectives
–  1.3 Program Outcomes

10. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 2. Educational Process
• CDIO Standards
– 3 Integrated Curriculum ++
– 5 Design-Build Experiences ++
– 7 Integrated Learning Experiences ++
– 8 Active Learning +
– 11 CDIO Skills Assessment ++
• EUR-ACE Requisites
–  2.1 Planning
–  2.2 Delivery
–  2.3 Learning Assessment

11. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 3. Resources and Partnerships
• CDIO Standards
– 6 CDIO Workspaces +
– 9 Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills ++
– 10 Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills ++
• EUR-ACE Requisites
–  3.1 Academic and Support Staff
–  3.2 Facilities
–  3.3 Financial Resources
–  3.4 Partnerships

12. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 4. Assessment of Educational Process
• CDIO Standards
– 12 CDIO Program Evaluation ++
• EUR-ACE Requisites
–  4.1 Students
–  4.2 Graduates

13. CDIO x EUR-ACE – 5. Management System
• CDIO Standards
– 12 CDIO Program Evaluation ++
• EUR-ACE Requisites
–  5.1 Organization and decision-making processes
–  5.2 Quality Assurance System

14. Worldwide Accreditation
• ABET process
– ABET accreditation process is much more demanding
– How CDIO Standards cover ABET General Criteria?*
* View of ISEP

15. Conclusion
• Program Assessment and Review

16. Conclusion
• Present - changes after CDIO adoption in 2006

17. Conclusion
• Future
– Improve Std 9 (Enhancement of Faculty CDIO Skills)
• Enhance faculty professional engineering practice by means of
more industry involvement, consultancy, R&D projects, etc
– Improve Std 10 (Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills)
• Introduce and disseminate “Pedagogical Patterns” to enhance
faculty competence in teaching, learning and assessing students
(Joseph Bergin, http://jbergin.com/)
– Threats and risks in south of Europe
• Shortage of students due to demographic problems
• Depletion of engineering graduates due to emigration

18. The Importance of Practising CDIO for
Achieving EUR-ACE Certification
ANTÓNIO COSTA
ÂNGELO MARTINS
CDIO European Meeting, Gothenburg, 2014