Ensuring Comparable Output Standards in University-based Engineering Courses: A Comprehensive Review

1. How we ensure comparable output standards Setting standards for university-based courses and employee learning Rob Best

2. Overview • Qualification routes to CEng • Setting university standards • Approval of programmes • Review processes • Work-based qualification routes • Discussion points Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

3. Qualification routes to CEng Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

4. Setting university standards Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

5. University qualifications Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

6. Quality review cycles Initial concept QAA Audit(5 years) University validation cycle (4-6 years) Review of concept Professional accreditation(3-5 years) Programme withdrawn Annual review Detail design Teaching Programme approval Typically 1-2 years Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

7. Quality review cycles Initial concept QAA Audit(5 years) University validation cycle (4-6 years) Review of concept Professional accreditation(3-5 years) Programme withdrawn Annual review Detail design Teaching Programme approval Typically 1-2 years Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

8. Approval event (typically ½ to 1-day) Panel of experts from outside and inside university External references: ECUK UK-SPEC QAA Subject benchmarks QAA FHEQ Professional institution guidelines and standards Programme approval Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

9. Annual review Independent internal scrutiny of: • Student evaluations • External examiner reports • Progression and award statistics • Evaluative reports  Annual action plan Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

10. Professional accreditation • (3 to) 5-yearly, 2-day event • Independent panel of 3-5 industrialists and academics • Audit with reference to • UKSPEC • Specialist subject standards • Educational standards • In-depth review of • Assessments, Student work, External examiner reports, etc • Approval of educational requirements, wholly or partially, for IEng or CEng Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

11. Setting university standardsSummary • University standards are maintained by a well-established, thorough and extensive process: • Programme approval and review (initial, then 4-6 yearly) • Annual review • Professional accreditation 3-5 yearly (NB: Professional institutions have 5-yearly audit by ECUK) • QAA audit 5-yearly • Standards are externally referenced • Quality is assured Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

12. Work-based qualifications Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

13. Work-based qualification routes Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

14. Work-based further learning to Masters level (WBFLML) Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

15. WBFLML As pioneered by IChemE: • Candidates demonstrate MSc-level ‘Further Learning’ through work experience. • Based on an Industrial Project Report • on a project or group of linked projects from work • showing development of breadth and depth of skills equivalent to that of an accredited degree at Masters level (i.e an MSc or the M-level part of an MEng). Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

16. IChemE WBFLML requirements • Candidate must show how their work matches academic accreditation requirements for MSc • Depth, Breadth, Additional Project Work, Industry and Applications • Report must include • New knowledge not part of their undergraduate degree • A significant technical project • Broad-based team work • Typically candidate will have been employed for a period of 18 months Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

17. IChemE WBFLML process • Synopsis stage • proposed project report from candidate. • reviewed by one academic and one industrialist (both CEng). • Feedback given and advice on whether ready for full report. • Full report stage • industrial project report (5000 words). • reviewed by two CEng (as above) and feedback given. • Interview by two CEng. • Certificate and written confirmation of completion of requirements Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

18. Professional Masters Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

19. Professional Masters • DIUS/ECUK “Gateways to the Profession” initiative • Operating at • Kingston (pioneered it), Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Northumbria Universities … • Increasing numbers of PEIs involved • IET, IMechE, CIBSE, IChemE etc • See http://www.engineeringgateways.co.uk/ Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

20. Professional Masters (continued) • Referenced to • QAA-FHEQ and • UK-SPEC • Customised learning contract based on Professional Development Audit (PDA) • Qualification obtained through project reports and viva examination Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

21. Other work-based routes Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

22. ECUK specially authorised routes • Particular to the armed forces and a small number of PEIs (IET, RAeS, IMarEST) • Highly-structured training & development • Linked to promotion structures • Mapped to UK-SPEC learning outcomes • Potentially extendable to other highly structured work-based programmes – but are there any others on this scale??? Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

23. Work-based career appraisal • Operated by most CEng-licensed PEIs • Route to CEng based purely on work experience - no university involvement • Based on a report and interview • Candidate must demonstrate how s/he has acquired through work the knowledge and understanding equivalent to an accredited degree Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

24. Work-based career appraisal (continued) • Highly individual, no common structure but referenced to UK-SPEC and PEI guidelines • Assessed by CEng engineers • Increasing numbers of candidates • But, the challenge remains, as the title of this talk! “How do we ensure comparable output standards?” Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

25. Summary of qualification routes to CEng Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York

26. Discussion points • University educational standards are assured through a mature system of educational and professional review. • Documented curricula and written assessment records allow comparisons with other programmes and professional standards • How do we link work-based programmes into a comparable system to assure professional standards? • Flexibility means that comparisons are difficult • (How) Can or should HE quality processes be applied to employee learning in the workplace? Engineering Subject Centre - The Future for Higher Level Engineering Education, York