About Program Educational Objectives (PEOs), Student Outcomes (SOs) and Institutional Mission: A Comparison
| Authors | Ermer, Gayle E. |
|---|---|
| Date | 2019 |
| Proceedings | Proceedings of the 2019 Christian Engineering Conference |
| Place | Dordt University, Sioux Center, Iowa |
| Vol / Pages | pp. 1u201314 |
| URL | https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pIXDMo7HD3g34FlSWsw9WDUXRi5TSOcE/view |
Type: Conference Paper
Tags: Christian Engineering
Abstract
The Christian Engineering Conference has a strong history of stimulating reflection on the impact of Christian perspectives on professional engineering work and technology development. This reflection has resulted in the articulation of general concepts that would typically be included in a distinctively Christian approach to engineering (e.g. service focus, ethical framework, and normativity). Less consideration, however, has been given to studying how these foundational principles are implemented in various engineering curricula and how the distinctiveness of a Christian approach is communicated to various audiences. This presentation will summarize the results of a research project focused on the following questions: What is distinctive about the engineering programs offered at Christian colleges or universities (compared to those at secular institutions) and what aspects of Christian faith are emphasized in different programs? The methods used for this study included qualitative analysis of program educational objectives (PEOs) and student outcomes (SOs) for a variety of engineering programs. The engineering programs reviewed included Christian institutions, as well as a sample of secular institutions. Because all accredited engineering programs are required to make public a list of PEOs and SOs, these statements provide an accessible and concise reservoir of data for evaluation. Several coding and analysis techniques were used to identify common themes among programs, as well as those that differed between programs. The results of this investigation provide a framework for Christian engineering educators as they endeavor to more effectively integrate Christian worldview concepts into their own programs and to emphasize the distinctiveness of a faithbased approach to accreditors and prospective students.