Continuous monitoring of curriculum via student communications components

Developing and maintaining a responsive curriculum along with an aim toward continuous improvement of both the student and the curriculum is a task that must be addressed not only by all engineering programs but by many other programs of study as well. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has developed a process that helps provide the feedback necessary to address these curriculum issues; specifically in terms of written and oral communications, team functioning, and design methodology. The use of an electronic "portfolio" as the repository for student submissions is the starting point for the process. The procedure is designed to allow both a horizontal review (through a particular course) and a vertical review (Sophomore through Senior). The monitoring program focuses on the departmental design sequence involving a one quarter course in each of the Sophomore and Junior years, and a three quarter course in the Senior year. The student teams in each course submit material (in electronic format), material such as: meeting agendas and minutes, memos, interim reports, oral presentation slides (PowerPoint), and final reports. All the material is submitted as part of their regular course requirements. The submitted material is stored and organized to allow any component (team agendas for example) to be reviewed easily both horizontally and vertically using the rubric developed as part of the process. The system is designed to be used by internal or external reviewers. The paper gives a discussion of the process that was developed and the underlying rationalization. Specific examples are presented as well.