Evaluation of the second group of program/Criterion 3 outcomes

Outcomes in the group: The outcomes in the second group are:

4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams;
   
7. an ability to communicate effectively;
   
9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning;

Evaluation of outcomes: Each of the capstone courses (each BS-CSE student is required to take at least one of these) requires students to work on a suitable team project; to make one or more oral presentations; and to learn about, on their own, new tools and techniques and write a suitable paper on the topic. We have developed suitable rubrics for evaluating each of these activities:

• Rubric for evaluating teamwork;
• Rubric for evaluating oral communication skills;
• Rubric for evaluating oral presentations by teams;
• Rubric for evaluating effectivenes of written communication as well as lifelong learning..

Every capstone course instructor uses these rubrics to evaluate the students' degree of achievement of the corresponding outcomes. The results are reported to the Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGSC); and are discussed by UGSC on a regular basis.

CSE 601 is another course that helps develop students' communication skills. The second rubric above is used in that course to evaluate students' oral presentations. Since the writing activity in that course is of a different nature from the one in the capstone courses, with the focus being on societal, ethical and professional issues rather than lifelong learning, a different rubric is used to evaluate that activity.

Resources

1. Effective oral presentations (also google, "effective oral presentations").
2. Effective team work (also google, "effective team work").
3. The group presentation. (Also google, "effective team presentations").
   (see also: Team presentation; a book chapter on team presentations.)
4. An interesting "project rubric".