The
National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) has
been established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with responsibility to determine
standards and criteria for academic accreditation and assessment. The
Commission is committed to the quality assurance processes of post secondary institutions.
It is to ensure the quality and management of educational institutions so as
to bring them at par with the highest international standards recognized both
within the Kingdom and elsewhere in the world.
The domains used in the higher education component of the
National Qualifications Framework for Saudi Arabia are:
·
Knowledge- the
ability to recall and present information
·
Cognitive
Skills- the ability to apply concepts and principles in thinking and
problem solving
·
Interpersonal
Skills and Responsibility- the ability to work
effectively in groups, exercise leadership, and take responsibility for their
own independent learning, and the ethical and moral development that is
associated with these abilities
·
Communication
Information Technology and Numerical Skills–that includs
basic mathematical and communication skills and ability to use communications
technology
·
Psychomotor
skills - are important in some fields of study and are considered as
an additional domain where relevant to the program concerned.
Engineering
programs in the Faculty provide the students with a learning experience that
permits them to build up the skills and abilities according to ABET requirements. Student outcomes a to k
and additional outcomes that may be articulated by the program must foster
attainment of program educational objectives. The educational administration in
the Faculty of Engineering develops an assessment and evaluation process that
periodically documents and demonstrates the degree to which student outcomes
are attained. As compared to the 5 domains of learning stipulated by the
National Commission
for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA),
we notice the following:
1.
NCAAA Psychomotor
domain is not applicable for Engineering programs
2.
All ABET outcomes
require a level of learning in the engineering subjects that is higher than
knowledge. A minimum level of learning
of application (level 3) in the 6 levels of the cognitive domain of Bloom’s
taxonomy is required.
3.
Only basic math and
science courses are limited to a knowledge level of learning.
4.
Knowledge of discipline-related
industrial practices is also required and is normally satisfied through the
summer training activity.
As a result of this
discussion the four NCAAA domains of learning are mapped in the outcomes of
Engineering Programs as follows:
i. Knowledge
Outcome (1): Knowledge of facts, concepts and
theories of Math and basic sciences.
Outcome (2): Knowledge of discipline-related
industrial practices and procedures.
ii. Cognitive Skills
Outcome (b): an ability to design and conduct
experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
Outcome (c): an ability to design a system,
component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints
Outcome (e): an ability to identify, formulate,
and solve engineering problems
Outcome (h): the broad education necessary to
understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic,
environmental, and societal context.
Outcome (j): a knowledge of contemporary issues
iii. Interpersonal
Skills and Responsibility
Outcome (d): an ability to function on
multidisciplinary teams
Outcome (f): an
understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
Outcome (i): a recognition of the need for and
an ability to engage in life-long learning.
iv. Communication,
IT, and Numerical Skills
Outcome (a): an ability to apply knowledge of
mathematics, science, and engineering
Outcome (g): an ability to communicate
effectively
Outcome (k): an ability to use the techniques,
skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
To sum up the contribution of each course to the
satisfaction of program learning outcomes is expressed using a table in the
following format:
NCAAA
Domains of Learning
|
knowledge
|
Cognitive Skills
|
Interpersonal
Skills and Responsibility
|
Communication, IT, and Numerical Skills
|
ABET
and Additional Program Outcomes
|
1
|
2
|
b
|
c
|
e
|
h
|
j
|
d
|
f
|
i
|
a
|
g
|
k
|
Maximum
Attainable Level of Learning*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*1: Low level (Remembering
Understanding), 2: Medium (Applying Analyzing), 3: High (Producing&
Evaluating)
|