Initial Look at Life-Long Learning Assessment in Engineering Education

Teaching students to become life-long learners is generally taken to be one of the major outcomes of any university-level education. This is usually reflected in university-level mission or similarly labeled statements. In engineering education in the US this is formalized in the latest ABET update of their student outcomes. Life-long learning is specifically listed as outcome “7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.” This has meant that any electrical, computer, or other engineering programs under ABET accreditation now must demonstrate that students are attaining this outcome. However, assessment tools and techniques for this outcome are not well developed. We present several examples for both direct and indirect assessments as well as our experiences in their implementation. Presented methods and instruments can be applied in different curricular settings and courses.