To

To: BME design instructors

From: Paul H. King

Subject: Design outcomes and evaluation

Date: November 11, 2003

I am interested in developing a position paper on “best practices” in the outcomes and assessment of our senior design courses. To that end, I would appreciate your responses to the following questionnaire regarding your practices in senior design. A summary response to this request will be shared with all on my design education web site: http://vubme.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/King/design_education.htm as soon as is feasible.

1. How many credit hours and how many terms are required for your design course?

2. Which of the following output measures do you require of all students, or require only of some fraction of your class?

	Topic	Required	As needed
1	Final written paper
2	Final poster presentation
3	Periodic written reports
4	Periodic oral reports
5	Final oral presentation
6	Societal impact
7	Market/economic analysis
8	Relevant standards cited
9	Ethical Concerns
10	Design History File
11	Prototype
12	Manufacturability
13	Political considerations
14	Sustainability
15	Order of magnitude calculations
16	Health and Safety analysis
17	Environmental impact
18	Patent application
19	Project notebook
20	Grant proposal/SBIR/STTR
21	other

3. In order that a consensus document can be generated for your responses, please attach your grading schemes for the items you require from the list above (especially requested for items 1-4).

4. Suppose an ABET inspector were to ONLY use senior design project reports as a measure of your curriculum’s outcomes. What other parameters would you add to the list in question 2?

Please feel free to elaborate on any of the above questions and/or ask for further information. Please email responses to: paul.h.king@vanderbilt.edu or send by snail mail to Paul H King/VU Station B351631/Nashville TN 37235-1631. Thank you in advance!