ABET Accreditation During and After COVID19 - Navigating the Digital Age

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Quality Management Systems
• Accreditation Processes

Background:

• Accreditation requires rigorous evaluation of student learning outcomes for accountability.
• Current manual data collection methods for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) lack rigor and accuracy.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates virtual audit capabilities for accreditation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel meta-framework for digital Integrated Quality Management Systems (IQMS) in engineering programs.
• To automate the collection, evaluation, and reporting of CQI data using authentic Outcome-Based Education (OBE) frameworks.
• To present a Remote Evaluator Module for successful virtual accreditation audits.

Main Methods:

• A theory-based mixed methods approach was applied.
• Examined a novel meta-framework for digital IQMS in three engineering programs.
• Utilized authentic OBE frameworks and assessment methodology for data automation.

Main Results:

• The meta-framework effectively qualifies context, construct, causal links, processes, technology, data collection, and CQI outcomes.
• The digital IQMS automates the collation of precise CQI data.
• The Remote Evaluator Module facilitates successful virtual ABET accreditation audits.

Conclusions:

• The proposed meta-framework offers a holistic approach for accurate and credible remote accreditation.
• Stakeholders can adopt this multi-dimensional approach for comprehensive CQI.
• Digital IQMS and automated data collection enhance the rigor of accreditation processes.