Accreditation of Engineering Degree Programmes ‘ current requirements and future challenges’

1. Accreditation of Engineering Degree Programmes‘current requirements and future challenges’ Rob Best Pro Dean - Dept Engineering Science & Built Environment, LSBU ECUK Conference IMarEST, 14th October

2. A Professional Engineering Institution Viewpoint CURRENT REQUIREMENTS • Role of IChemE • Need for Standards of ‘academic formation’ • Need for Rigour • The Learning Outcome Assessment challenge • Benefits to the Profession • Imparting value – our philosophy

3. Accreditation - the Role of IChemE “To promote, foster and develop the general advancement of the science of chemical engineering in all its branches ... To uphold the status of the Institution by requiring standards of knowledge and experience approved by IChemE” CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

4. IChemE Accreditation Award • Master Level • Recognising degrees of the highest international standards that provide • advanced chemical engineering knowledge and skills • Bachelor Level • Recognising mainstream Bachelor degrees that provide solid academic • foundation in chemical engineering knowledge and skills Quality Academic Formation CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

5. Chemical Engineering Knowledge and Understanding Critical Components: CORE DEPTH BREADTH DESIGN CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

6. DESIGN B DEPTH R E A D CORE T H Chemical Engineering Knowledge and Understanding Critical Components: CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

7. CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy Benchmark Thresholds Accreditation Threshold Level (Learning Outcome) Second Cycle First Cycle Foundation Breadth ‘Foundation’ Bachelors Depth Master

9. Learning Outcomes Required from a Chemical Engineering Degree Programme CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

10. Accreditation Levels: Minimum Credit Allocation Guidance Credit Basis = European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

11. Learning Outcomes Required from a Chemical Engineering Degree Programme Embedded Learning (Sustainability & SHE & Ethics) Knowledge and ability to handle a variety of societal, ethical and commercial aspects of chemical engineering: - include health and process safety; sustainable development; commercial planning; process plant economics; ethics; standards Material is built upon and reinforced throughout the degree CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

12. Rigour - General Considerations…. • Are the entry qualifications profiles of students satisfactory? • Are learning outcomes clearly defined and appropriate? • Is programme structure and content appropriate ? • Are the resources in place to deliver the learning outcomes? • Are learning outcomes achieved to appropriate standards? • Are there significant changes happening that impact programme delivery? CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

13. Learning Outcomes Specific information regarding Learning Outcomes in: • Underpinning Science & Maths; • Core Chemical Engineering; • Advanced Chemical Engineering; • Engineering Practice; • Design Practice; • etc are found in IChemE’s published Accreditation Guidance www.icheme.org/accreditation CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

14. The Challenges of Learning Outcome Assessment • Bloom’s Taxonomy proposes that Knowing is composed of 6 successive hierarchical levels • How do we as accreditors recognise a Master level or Bachelor set of outcomes? • Valuable guidance on assessing outcomes in engineering is available from the Engineering Subject Centre CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

15. Benefits to the Profession • Recognition • Accreditation process adds value to everyone - to students, graduates, to host departments, to faculty, and to international profession including employers • International benchmarking • Our Testimony: > 160 Chemical Engineering degrees at > 40 Chemical engineering education providers in 14 Countries CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

16. Imparting Value – Our Philosophy • To assure discipline specific standards of academic formation are attained • To enrich review of the discipline against high and consistent standards • To share and disseminate educational best practice • To develop a network of educational professionals CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy

17. Accreditation of Engineering Degree Programmes‘current requirements and future challenges’ Neil Atkinson Director - Qualifications and International Development, IChemE ECUK Conference IMarEST, 14th October

18. A Professional Engineering Institution Viewpoint FUTURE CHALLENGES • Massification of education • Mobility • PBL & Student Centred Learning • Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning • Inconsistent definitions of Academic Formation • Supporting Employers with the talent pipeline • Costs

19. Massification of Education FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • Impacts of changes to the range, character and content of • secondary education provision eg introduction of Diplomas • Impact of the need for increased provision of foundation • learning (numeracy & scientific) • Clarity re when higher level engineering education begins • (entry standards start point) • Impact of increasingly delayed choice within degrees re • selection of major engineering discipline • The disappearance of disciplines within Schools! • The disappearance of industrial practitioners!

20. Mobility FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • How should accreditors deal with ECTS credits and • mobility? • how do we ensure that the sum of the parts • always meet the demands required of the whole • for exemplifying academic formation standards? • and ‘Conversion’ degrees? • How should accreditors deal with 1st cycle degrees or • their worldwide equivalents that don’t contain sufficient • design? eg Melbourne model Bachelors? • The issue of the (arguably discordant) Washington Accord • until such time as graduate standards harmonise on • Master level academic formation

21. Problem Based LearningStudent Centred Learning FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • SCL is driving institutions to develop 21st C approaches to • learning, a strategy for broadening participation and has • clear tangible benefits.... • But how should educators and accreditors respond?

22. Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • LLL has become a necessity for our economies • (the knowledge explosion) • A rapidly expanding provision of diverse routes to • professional qualification offers opportunities for • accreditors to further aid employers and their • engineer/technician employees • This routes create new demands on accreditors and • requires development of new skills eg unpicking the • increasingly blended academic formation and vocational • training in relation to work based programmes leading to • professional status • What is the best role of accreditors for such programmes?

23. Inconsistent Definitions of Academic Formation for Professional Engineers FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • The international dimension and the issue of the • (arguably discordant) Washington Accord..... • until such time as graduate standards harmonise on • Master level academic formation • How should accreditors/PEIs best deal with this? • ......especially when employers who rightly demand • consistent standards are often multinational

24. Supporting Employers - Qualified Talent Pipeline • Securing and retaining enough engineers of the right quality is a top issue facing companies. Our key role is to ensure the talent pipeline is working – in the short, medium and long term • Accreditation activities will continue to be necessary to • help employers make sense of the qualifications maze: • Distance learning • Vocational learning • CPD • Position qualifications/combinations of qualifications • Approved company training (eg WBFL to Master level) etc FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs 14-18 Under 15 15-18 18-22 22-30

25. Charged Costs (& Realised Value) FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs Value to Stakeholders Future Today Charged Costs

26. Some Conclusions FUTURE CHALLENGES Massification of education Mobility PBL & Student Centred Learning Qualifications Proliferation & Life Long Learning Inconsistent definitions-Academic Formation Supporting Employers-Talent Pipeline Costs • Accreditation by PEIs provide clear benefits to engineers • and hence their employers - through clear definition of • discipline specific output standards • The process of accreditation is valuable to educators • particularly for sharing of best practice • Recognition of academic formation issues do lie ahead as • international educational structures evolve • The key challenges of ‘massification of education’ and the • ‘growth of the knowledge economy’ (with consequential • rapid introduction of new LLL and work based ‘educational • formats’) requires a response from engineering accreditors • in order to best aid employers seeking to address skills • pipeline issues CURRENT REQUIREMENTS Role of IChemE Standards of ‘academic formation’ Rigour Learning Outcome assessment Benefits to the Profession Imparting value – our philosophy