1st Edition
Engineering Education Accreditation & Graduate Global Mobility
This book details the key concepts, objectives and processes relating to the professional accreditation of engineering bachelor (honours) degrees. The contemporary context of accreditation is examined in terms of the globalised nature of both the engineering profession and higher education. Examples of the processes relating to single and dual accreditation are provided, with examination of the Washington Accord and the requirements of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education. Details are also provided as to how learning outcomes can be structured to demonstrate compliance with accreditation criteria. The final chapters deal briefly with quality assurance processes used in education and the current international quality ranking systems which exist.
This book will provide the reader with a detailed examination of outcome based education within the context of Bachelor of Engineering (honours) degrees. A key feature of this book is the side-by-side comparison of different accreditation criteria and a thorough discussion of the relatively new phenomenon of dual accreditation.
The book seeks to provide a very clear explanation and exploration of accreditation within the context of engineering education and will benefit those practitioners involved in the accreditation process.
1 Engineering education, economic development and global mobility
1.1 Transnational nature of engineering
1.2 Global movement of engineers
1.3 Transnational nature of higher education
1.4 Social and economic impact of transnational nature of higher education
1.5 Need for international recognition of equivalency
1.6 Challenges to international recognition: are there global competencies for engineers?
2 Outcome-based education
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Advantages of outcome-based education
2.3 Challenges of outcome-based education
2.4 Use of learning outcomes to design program(s)
3 International accreditation framework
3.1 European network for accreditation of engineering education
3.2 The Washington Accord (International Engineering Alliance)
3.3 The Washington Accord and ENAEE
3.4 Case study of EA Accreditation processes
4 Cross-border higher education quality assurance and dual accreditation
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Dual accreditation and its importance
4.3 Stakeholders of dual accreditation
4.4 Examples of multiple accreditations: Australia and the USA
4.5 Example of dual accreditation: the Washington Accord
4.6 The way forward
5 Education qualifications frameworks
5.1 Background
5.2 Qualification framework: definition, operating environment and advantages
5.3 Aims of qualifications frameworks
5.4 Comparative timelines of selected qualifications frameworks
5.5 Qualifications frameworks: basis and components
5.6 Comparisons between the AQF and Engineers Australia’s stage 1 accreditation criteria
5.7 Alignment of national qualification framework with international qualifications framework
6 International quality rankings of higher education institutions
6.1 Background
6.2 Global higher education institution ranking systems
6.3 Historical context
6.4 Ranking criteria
6.5 Comparative weighting for all four ranking systems
6.6 Emerging nation higher education institutions ranking
6.7 UN Sustainable development goals and global institution ranking
6.8 State-sponsored pursuit for global institutions league table
6.9 Collaboration between developed and developing countries’ higher education institutions
6.10 Ranking systems for public good
7 Academic (internal) quality assurance
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Institutional (internal) quality assurance
7.3 National academic quality assurance
7.4 International academic quality assurance
Appendix A: Sample program guide for B.Eng. (Mechanical Engineering)
Appendix B: Example of a typical course/unit/subject/module guides
Appendix C: Sample submission table of contents for bachelor of engineering program accreditation
Appendix D: Sample dual accreditation program submission table of contents to the host country’s accreditation organisation
References
Biography
Dr. Firoz Alam is a Professor and Program Director in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at RMIT University. He completed his PhD from RMIT in 2000. He completed his Master’s degree combined with Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Riga Civil Aviation Engineers Institute, Latvia in 1991. Prof. Alam’s research interest includes aerodynamics of road vehicles, aircraft and trains, sports aerodynamics, energy and power generation, noise and vibration. He has strong research track record in continuous improvement of engineering education pedagogy, quality assurance, accreditation and transnational education. He was the recipient of RMIT University Teaching Award. Prof. Alam is actively involved in delivering and managing engineering programs both onshore and offshore. He has over 200 peer reviewed publications that include scholarly book, book chapters, journal articles and conference papers. His publications on engineering education include transnational education, program quality assurance and accreditation, dual accreditations, technology enabled engineering pedagogy and education design, outcome-based and problem-based learning, intensive mode teaching and postgraduate supervision.
Dr. Alexandra Kootsookos is Senior Lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. She received her PhD in Materials Engineering at the University of Queensland, Australia in 1995. Thereafter, she worked with the Cooperative Research Centre for Polymer Blends, where she was involved in a number of projects relating to the durability of composite materials. Since joining RMIT University in 1999, she has been heavily involved in the teaching instruction of undergraduate students within the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. She has used a blended learning environment within this context since 2000. From 2004-2009 she was the Program Director for the Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics program and subsequently she has been the Year Coordinator with a particular focus on transitional issues and program structure, quality assurance and accreditation of engineering degrees. Dr. Kootsookos published over half dozen research papers and book chapters on engineering program accreditation, dual accreditation and transnational education.
