Mapping the Relationship Between the CDIO Syllabus and the CEAB Graduate Attributes

Abstract

The recently introduced Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) requirements for Graduate Attributes require demonstrated learning outcomes for the first time. The Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (CDIO) approach includes a set of outcomes in the form of the CDIO Syllabus. The Syllabus also provides guidance on how to document outcomes in order to meet the requirements of the CEAB Graduate Attributes. This article provides a framework for Canadian engineering programs to satisfy the CEAB requirement to demonstrate learning outcomes through a mapping of the CDIO Syllabus topics to the CEAB Attributes, and verification of the completeness of that list. An engineering program can meet all of the CEAB Graduate Attribute requirements by addressing a subset of the CDIO syllabus; however, a CEAB accredited program may not meet all of the CDIO standards.

CELBEST Project: Design and Implementation of the First Engineering Education-specific Assessment Tool for Professional Communicative Competence

“…Case in point, the literature on 'graduate attributes' in general, and 'professional skills', including 'communication skills', in particular, has burgeoned in recent years [e.g. 34,[35][36][37][38][39][40]. To date, however, no comprehensive and viable solution has been identified to the problem of inadequate communication skills in students' pre-graduation employment.…”

Towards a scale and tool for the appraisal of CEAB attributes - Progress report on a field test

“…One reason could stem from the CDIO order 2 topics not having a one to one match with CEAB attributes (see [8]). The lumping of various order 2 and order 3 topics into single attributes would make the latter indistinctive.…”

“…The Syllabus has successfully satisfied outcomes-based conditions set by ABET (see [5]). A topical correlation shows the Syllabus spans the CEAB graduate attributes [8].…”

Double Tutor System with Project Based Teaching Mode and Creative Talents Cultivation

“…The overall quality and ability of the students can be improved in Project Based Teaching Mode. Constructivism was firstly proposed by the famous Swiss psychologist named J. Piaget [3,4]. In the theory, the learners obtain knowledge by the meaning construction with the help of the others and the necessary learning data in the certain social background instead of the tutors' teaching.…”