Developing Global Citizens: The Effects of Semester Study Abroad on Roger Williams University Students

Study abroad at Roger Williams University allows students to travel to new locations and pursue personal and intercultural development opportunities. This thesis describes a research study that investigated: How does the study abroad experience influence students’ academic, intercultural, and personal development? 28 RWU participants answered survey questions about their semester abroad experiences. Results suggest that a study abroad semester has many positive influences on a college student’s personal life and intercultural development

Effective Assessment of Workplace Problem-Solving in Higher Education.

© 2020 Informing Science Institute. Aim/Purpose Within higher education, graduating students who are able to solve ill-structured, complex, open-ended, and collaborative, workplace problems is rec-ognized as paramount. Because of this, there is a need to assess this skill across the curriculum. Background This paper addresses this issue by assessing problem-solving across a computing curriculum using an assessment instrument shown to be reliable and valid. Methodology The method is based upon the implementation of the assessment instrument that uses a scenario-based asynchronous discussion board measuring the ability of student groups to solve workplace problems. The sample are computing stu-dents from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, and master\u27s levels at a UAE university. Contribution This paper shows the problem-solving skills of students over four years of study across a computing curriculum and demonstrates the effectiveness of the instrument. Findings There was a general increase in student problem-solving performance from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, and master\u27s levels, but students often failed to meet the ex-pected level of performance for their year of study. In addition, the instrument was effective in assessing problem-solving. Recommendations for Practitioners This assessment instrument, or one similar, that uses a scenario-based asyn-chronous discussion board can be used to measure the ability of student groups to solve workplace problems. Impact on Society Students must be prepared to solve workplace problems to meet the needs of 21st century employment. Future Research Further research should be conducted with this assessment instrument, or one similar, outside of this fairly unique UAE-based context

Effective Assessment of Workplace Problem-Solving in Higher Education

© 2020 Informing Science Institute. Aim/Purpose Within higher education, graduating students who are able to solve ill-structured, complex, open-ended, and collaborative, workplace problems is rec-ognized as paramount. Because of this, there is a need to assess this skill across the curriculum. Background This paper addresses this issue by assessing problem-solving across a computing curriculum using an assessment instrument shown to be reliable and valid. Methodology The method is based upon the implementation of the assessment instrument that uses a scenario-based asynchronous discussion board measuring the ability of student groups to solve workplace problems. The sample are computing stu-dents from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, and master\u27s levels at a UAE university. Contribution This paper shows the problem-solving skills of students over four years of study across a computing curriculum and demonstrates the effectiveness of the instrument. Findings There was a general increase in student problem-solving performance from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th year, and master\u27s levels, but students often failed to meet the ex-pected level of performance for their year of study. In addition, the instrument was effective in assessing problem-solving. Recommendations for Practitioners This assessment instrument, or one similar, that uses a scenario-based asyn-chronous discussion board can be used to measure the ability of student groups to solve workplace problems. Impact on Society Students must be prepared to solve workplace problems to meet the needs of 21st century employment. Future Research Further research should be conducted with this assessment instrument, or one similar, outside of this fairly unique UAE-based context

An innovative approach to assessing professional skills learning outcomes: a UAE pilot study

This paper describes a pilot project in a computing college at a UAE university that was conducted to determine the feasibility of adapting a US-developed innovative approach to program level assessment of generic skills, 21st century, or general education learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are thought to comprise critical thinking, problem solving, global perspective, teamwork, and communication- ones that cross all disciplinary boundaries. The method of assessment utilized was an online discussion forum built around an open-ended computing scenario. Results indicated that this approach proved to be a success and demonstrated very clearly where the students\u27 strengths and weaknesses resided. Suggestions for further enhancements and implementations are provided

Reliability and validity of the computing professional skills assessment

© WIETE 2019 The computing professional skills assessment (CPSA) is a way to assess the non-technical student learning outcomes for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in the discipline of computing. These outcomes, also known as 21st Century, transferable or general education learning outcomes are recognised as essential for employment, but they have proven a challenge to assess in a direct and integrated manner. The CPSA overcomes this challenge with its scenario-based, small group, on-line discussion, where faculty raters assess the discussion transcripts according to the criteria presented in the six-part CPSA rubric. The method has been used with more than 600 computing students over a five-year period. Here, the authors present results on the reliability and validity of the instrument. Reliability was examined through evidence-based rater discussions and analysis of interrater reliability. Validity was examined through construct, content, criterion related and concurrent forms of validity. The results provide evidence that the instrument is reliable and valid

Effective alignment of disciplinary and institutional accreditation and assessment: A UAE computing case study

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016. Within higher education, quality assurance is often realized through accreditation and the accompanying focus on the assessment of learning outcomes. Both of these processes require institutional resources which, if not well managed, can lead to duplicity, overlap, and burden rather than being aligned, sustainable, and effective as they should. This chapter outlines the quality assurance structures and processes established at Zayed University for the purposes of accreditation and assessment of learning outcomes. These mechanisms have provided an effective system that has enabled the institution to achieve Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation for the College of Technological Innovation. With an ethos towards continuous improvement, it further proposes an improved model designed to accommodate assessment and accreditation needs simultaneously. The two main aspects of the model are (1) the establishment of an Office of Institutional and Educational Effectiveness to institute, organize, and coordinate all activities within the university that provides support for best practices for administration and teaching and learning and (2) the creation of a regularly updated database containing all of the relevant information that is required for various accreditation bodies

Are students in graduate programmes adequately attaining professional skills?

© 2017 WIETE. A method known as the computing professional skills assessment (CPSA), developed by this team, assesses the professional skills identified by ABET as essential for computing graduates. The method allows simultaneous evaluation of six skills: problem solving, teamwork, professional and ethical considerations, communication, local and global impacts, engagement in further research and learning. The range of the measurement scale is from a skill level of zero up to entry career. The instrument has been tested and validated with undergraduate students. As the top end of the scale corresponds to the attainment level for professionals in entry level positions, here the authors trialled it with a class of 16 postgraduate students who were expected to achieve at that level. The authors found that the students performed near to the target level. As the method is also well suited to teaching the skills, they conducted a survey of the students\u27 perceptions of its benefits. The results showed the students were very positive about the method and felt it was very beneficial for developing their professional skills

A new approach for assessing ABET\u27s professional skills in computing

© 2016 WIETE. In the fields of engineering and computing, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) education places much emphasis on professional skills, such as the ability to engage in lifelong learning and to function successfully on a multi-disciplinary team. The recently developed engineering professional skills assessment (EPSA) simultaneously measures ABET\u27s non-technical skills for programme and course level assessment. The EPSA is a discussion-based performance task designed to elicit students\u27 knowledge and application of professional skills. A research project is underway to adapt the method to the field of computing and develop the computing professional skills assessment (CPSA). The CPSA consists essentially of a scenario, a student discussion of the scenario and a rubric to grade the discussion. This article describes the work completed during the first year of the project and the results of the first complete iteration. The results demonstrate that the CPSA can successfully measure the professional skills

An Effective Rubric Norming Process

Within higher education, rubric use is expanding. Whereas some years ago the topic of rubrics may have been of interest only to faculty in colleges of education, in recent years the focus on teaching and learning and the emphasis from accrediting bodies has elevated the importance of rubrics across disciplines and different types of assessment. One of the key aspects to successful implementation of a shared rubric is the process known as norming, calibrating, or moderating rubrics, an oft-neglected area in rubric literature. Norming should be a collaborative process built around knowledge of the rubric and meaningful discussion leading to evidence-driven consensus, but actual examples of norming are rarely available to university faculty. This paper describes the steps involved in a successful consensus-driven norming process in higher education using one particular rubric, the Computing Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). The steps are: 1) document preparation; 2) rubric review; 3) initial reading and scoring of one learning outcome; 4) initial sharing/recording of results; 5) initial consensus development and adjusting of results; 6) initial reading and scoring of remaining learning outcomes; 7) reading and scoring of remaining transcripts; 8) sharing/recording results; 9) development of consensus and adjusting of results. This norming process, though used for the CPSA, is transferable to other rubrics where faculty have come together to collaborate on grading a shared assignment. It is most appropriate for higher education where, more often than not, faculty independence requires consensus over directive. Accessed 1,689 times on https://pareonline.net from September 12, 2018 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

A direct method for teaching and measuring engineering professional skills for global workplace competency: Adaptations to computing at a University in the United Arab Emirates

© 2014 IEEE. The Engineering Professional Skills Assessment (EPSA) is the first and only direct method and measurement tool in the literature that can be used to teach and simultaneously measure the ABET non-technical skills for use at both course and program levels. The American Society for Engineering Education award-winning EPSA is a discussion-based performance activity designed to elicit students\u27 knowledge and application of engineering professional skills. A partnership with Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was formed in 2014 to adapt the EPSA to the field of computing, as well as to the UAE context. The final deliverable of the project will be the Computing Professional Skills Assessment, which will be made freely available to the computing and IT communities worldwide. This paper describes the initial stages of the project, the development of one scenario and two dimensions of the CPS Rubric