Workshop — Using IDEALS to demonstrate development of professional skills in project courses

Professional skills are vital to preparing engineers for their careers, but how well do we teach and assess them in our professional programs? Many design faculty are unclear about the required skills, how to develop them, and how to assess them. In response to this need, the Integrated Design Engineering Assessment and Learning System (IDEALS) promotes professional skills in a semi-authentic community of practice found in team-based design project classes. This workshop outlines practical learning outcomes for professional skills, team-based active learning materials, and aligned assessment instruments for measuring growth in professional development. The IDEALS learning model is derived from learning and motivation theories and seeks to elevate student learning through reflective practice. This session will alternate between short presentations, opportunities to score student work, and group discussion. Participants will also examine how to report classwide results for ABET within IDEALS. This workshop is intended for faculty who teach project courses across all disciplines and for ABET coordinators from a broad spectrum of engineering programs.