Panel - measuring the impacts of project-based service learning in engineering education

Project-based service learning (PBSL) has become an emergent opportunity for engineering education. There are a number of national programs that provide opportunities to incorporate PBSL in engineering. The problem - there are scant findings on the impacts of these programs on engineering education. However, preliminary findings suggest that PBSL 1) retains students; 2) increases female representation; and 3) offers an opportunity to fulfill a variety of ABET learning outcomes including students' preparation to practice engineering design. A Summit was held in early 2009 to gather, summarize, and leverage the expertise of participants to identify desired outcome metrics, quality assessment methods, and key next steps needed in understanding the impacts of PBSL. The goal of this paper, as well as the upcoming panel, is to review both curricular and extracurricular community service activities related to engineering. The panel hopes to continue and expand the discussion initiated in the recent Summit; specifically acquiring the views of non-Summit participants to augment Summit findings.