A proposed doctoral assessment procedure and rubric for science and engineering

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Abstract

Learning outcomes assessment has been ascendant throughout higher education, but little has been developed at the doctoral level. An assessment procedure for the doctoral studies is proposed that has two parts: (1) an evaluation of publication rates within two years after completion of the degree, and (2) an assessment of the dissertation and the defense using a number of criteria. The criteria were based on a review of the online literature plus additional criteria developed ourselves. Common criteria include originality, advancing of the state of the art, and demonstration of a high degree of mastery. The additional criteria include: demonstration of mastery of the literature; the work has academic or practical utility; the work uses advanced or novel techniques; the work has elements of both theory and experiment. Several other criteria are linked to our institution's mission, including: The work may lead to marketable technology; the candidate demonstrates ability to communicate orally and in writing at a high level. Note that not all these criteria are requirements for success; some are intended to be used to evaluate the program, and not the candidate. A detailed rubric for the evaluation of the doctoral dissertation and the oral defense was developed. A rubric makes evaluation of the criteria less subjective, and can serve as a guide for both the dissertation committee as well as for the doctoral candidate. The rubric was pilot-tested with several engineering doctoral defenses in engineering programs. The results validated the rubric against concerns that dissertation committees would be reluctant to rate a dissertation that the committee passed with anything less than top scores. The results also were revealing of the actual standards used by doctoral dissertation committees in evaluating the dissertation and defense.

Original languageEnglish
JournalASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
StatePublished - 2010
Event2010 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition - Louisville, KY, United States
Duration: 20 Jun 201023 Jun 2010

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