This paper describes a unique international collaboration among four universities to reform engineering education. The collaborators agreed to a statement of goals, which include descriptions of knowledge, skills and attitudes vital to an effective education, and codifies proficiency levels expected of graduates. We developed and utilized unique stakeholder surveys to both validate our prototype and determine desired proficiency levels. The collaboration resulted in the CDIO Syllabus, A Statement of Goals for Undergraduate Engineering Education.
The Syllabus is both a template and a process that can be used to customize the syllabus to others’ programs. It can define new educational initiatives, and be employed as the basis for rigorous assessment. This paper details how, with the input of industry, academia and others, the collaborators employed an engineering problem solving paradigm to effect redesign. It outlines the Syllabus and the unique process employed to create it.
This paper was published in the European Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 28 No. 3 (2003) and is posted here by permission.
Conceive
Design
Implement
Operate
