MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COVER SHEET - GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES MEASUREMENT REPORT
Course
Code
ME
Course Title
3B03
Academic
Year
2012-2013
Instructor
Mech eng Prof
List of Indicators Measured
A) Knowledge base for engineering
1) Competence in Engineering fundamentals
B) Problem Analysis
1) Ability to identify the essential characteristics of a technical problem including scope.
2) Ability to decompose and organize a problem into manageable subproblems

Checklist of Report Contents
x rubrics used for measurement

corresponding exams, tests, or assignments used in the assessment
x
x bar charts of distributions
x identified areas for continuous improvement
x actions to take for implementation of continuous improvement
 samples of student work pertaining to the measurement
x
(have one sample of work in each of the four categories, below expectations, marginal, meets, exceeds)
Summary of Actions to be Taken for Continuous Improvement for Next Academic Year
Emphasize the significance of attending the lecture even during the exam week
Reemphasize those topics 3,4 for competence in engineering assessment in later lectures
Provide more online quizzes on this topic to stress the importance
Add an additional lecture in the 3rd week to specifically work through exercises on identifying the characteristics of a
steady state and transient heat transfer problem
Emphasize throughout the course the importance of identifying problem type and categorization of problems by their
type and scope
Provide practise examples online of exercises
Use a different set of topics for the next year to identify if other concepts are also well understood as this set in the case
of problem analysis – ability to decompose problems into sub problems attribute.
Date:
21/3/2013
Signature:
A)
Knowledge base for engineering
1)
Competence in Engineering fundamentals
Learning Outcome
Area or
Topic
(exam questions
used)
Below
Expectations
Marginal
Meets
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations
Demonstrate
understanding of
conduction
phenomenon
Cannot
demonstrate
that
conduction is
due to
temperature
gradient across
a material
Qualitatively
understands that
conduction is due to
temperature
gradient, but cannot
identify that the
mathematical
relationship
Identifies the
mathematical
relationship
between heat flux
and thermal
gradient and also
has a physical
understanding of
the phenomenon
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also has a
molecular level
understanding of
the phenomena
and can relate
thermal
conduction to
phonons
Does not
demonstrate
that the
moment of
inertia is
related to the
spatial
distribution of
mass
Qualitatively
understands that
moment of inertia is
related to the spatial
distribution of mass
but cannot identify a
mathematical
relationship. Cannot
deconstruct a
complex object into
simpler forms whose
moment of inertia are
known.
Identifies the
mathematical
relationship to
compute moment
of inertia of a
complex object by
deconstructing it
into simpler objects
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also can
compute the
moment of
inertia using the
integral version
of the equation
apart from using
the parallel axis
theorem.
Does not
demonstrate
Qualitative
understanding
Provides
mathematical
relationships and
solves the problem
Has a
fundamental
understanding of
the
phenomenon
Does not
demonstrate
Qualitative
understanding
Provides
mathematical
relationships and
solves the problem
Has a
fundamental
understanding of
the
phenomenon
(Question 2a
mid term 1)
Demonstrate
understanding of
moment of inertia
and to calculate it
for a complex object
(Question 5
Assignment 4)
Topic 3
(Question 2
Tutorial 7)
Topic 4
(Question 8
Online quiz 6)
A) Knowledge base for engineering
Competence in Engineering fundamentals
Summary of the measurements:
Four topics were assessed for this indicator. It is clear that the topics 1,2 have been well
understood by the students. However, topics 3 and 4 have not been. This may have been because
these topics were taught during weeks when the students had other midterms and therefore the
attendance was low.
Action:
1. Emphasize the significance of attending the lecture even during the exam week by
illustrating this as an example of consequence of missing classes.
2. Reemphasize those topics in later lectures.
3. Provide more online quizzes on this topic to stress the importance.
B)
Problem Analysis
1)
Ability to identify the essential characteristics of a technical problem including scope .
Learning Outcome
Area or
Topic
(exam questions
used)
Below
Expectations
Marginal
Meets
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations
Is able to identify
between problems
that involve steady
state and transient
conduction
Does not
identify that
the conditions
in question 2a
are steady
state and those
in question 2b
is transient
Understands and
demonstrates that
the conditions in
question 2a is steady
state but cannot
identify that the
conditions in
question 2b are
transient.
Identifies correctly
the conditions in
questions 2a and 2b
to correspond to
steady state and
transient
conduction
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also
demonstrates
the special
situations in
which transient
analysis can be
simplified
Does not
identify
essential
characteristics
Qualitative
understanding of the
essential
characteristics but
cannot define the
scope
Provides
mathematical
relationships and
solves the problem.
Correctly identifies
the scope
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also
demonstrates
special
conditions for
simplification
Does not
identify
essential
characteristics
Qualitative
understanding of the
essential
characteristics but
cannot define the
scope
Provides
mathematical
relationships and
solves the problem.
Correctly identifies
the scope
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also
demonstrates
special
conditions for
simplification
(Question 2a, 2b
mid term 1)
Topic 2
(Question 5
Tutorial 4)
Topic 3
(Question 7
In class exercise 5 –
using clicker)
Topic 4
B)
Problem Analysis
Ability to identify the essential characteristics of a technical problem including scope
Summary:
Four topics were assessed for this indicator. In the case of topic 1, it is clear that the students are
not able to clearly identify the characteristics of the problem and categorize it. They are also not
able to define the scope of the problem. However, in topics 2,3 a majority of the students were
able to clearly identify the problem. In the case of topic 4, it is clear that a substantial portion of
the students have understood the underlying concept and are doing well in identifying the
essential characteristics and categorizing the problem. This suggests that the slightly lesser
amount of time can be spent on topic 4 and that time can be allocated to reiterating the concepts
in topic 1 specifically in the area of identifying problem types and scope.
Action:
1) Add an additional lecture in the 3rd week to specifically work through exercises on
identifying the characteristics of a steady state and transient heat transfer problem.
2) Emphasize throughout the course the importance of identifying problem type and
categorization of problems by their type and scope
3) Provide practise examples online of exercises on identyfying problem types from the
material at the back of the textbook.
C)
Problem Analysis
2)
Ability to decompose and organize a problem into manageable subproblems
Learning Outcome
Area or
Topic
(Questions used)
Below
Expectations
Marginal
Meets
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations
Demonstrate
understanding that
moment of inertia
for a complex object
can be calculated as
an aggregate of
moments of inertia
of simpler forms
using the parallel
axis theorem.
Does not
demonstrate
and
understanding
of the parallel
axis theorem
and its use.
Qualitatively
understands can be
used in this situation.
Cannot deconstruct a
complex object into
simpler forms whose
moment of inertia is
known. Does not
know the use of
parallel axis theorem
to compute the
combined moment of
inertia.
Identifies the
mathematical
relationship to
compute moment
of inertia of a
complex object by
deconstructing it
into simpler objects
and using parallel
axis theorem
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also can
compute the
moment of
inertia using the
integral version
of the equation
apart from using
the parallel axis
theorem.
Does not
consider
deconstruction
of the problem
Has an understanding
that the problem
needs to be
deconstructed to
solve but cannot
identify the process
to do it
Can identify the
process and the
mathematical
equations for it.
Solves the problem
using the necessary
simplifications
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also
demonstrates
alternate
approaches that
can be applied.
Does not
consider
deconstruction
of the problem
Has an understanding
that the problem
needs to be
deconstructed to
solve but cannot
identify the process
to do it
Can identify the
process and the
mathematical
equations for it.
Solves the problem
using the necessary
simplifications
Demonstrates all
the attributes in
“Meets
expectation” and
also
demonstrates
alternate
approaches that
can be applied.
(Question 5
Assignment 4)
Topic 2
(Question 5
Tutorial 4)
Topic 3
C)
Problem Analysis
Ability to decompose and organize a problem into manageable subproblems
Summary:
Three topics were assessed for this indicator. In all these cases the students performed quite well
and meet expectations. This indicator shows that for this particular set of topics the material of
this course is sufficient for this specific indicator for problem analysis.
Action:
1) Use a different set of topics for the next year to identify if other concepts are also well
understood as this set.
Attachments:
1) Examples of student work that constitutes below, marginal, meets and exceeds
expectation category
2) Exams, tests, assignements, tutorial questions and online quizzes used in the assessment.