Introducing communication skills as an assessment tool in a course

Implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) has become essential to ensure the quality of Graduates from a program. The accreditation norms emphasize the need to: (i) develop the ability to apply knowledge of sciences and engineering to solve, design, develop, implement, test, analyze systems/sub-systems related to the engineering domain, (ii) develop the ability to perform in diverse teams through effective communication, and (iii) demonstrate professional behavior through concern for society, environment, safety and health. One the important attributes required to be developed is communication skills. In this work, we commence with the importance of communication skills, and suggest methods of including this competency in the curriculum. We conclude with some examples implemented in the program. The suggested methods can be included in any of the courses and when successfully implemented in most courses, leads to significant improvement in the ability to communicate by the graduating engineer.