We assess what we value: "evidence-based" logic and the abandonment of "non-assessable" Learning outcomes

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze the recent proposed changes to ABET's baccalaureate-level programs accreditation General Criteria 3 (Student Outcomes) and 5 (Curriculum) in light of two problematic ideologies at work in engineering education: an over-reliance on Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) and an emphasis on "evidence-based" research and practice, where "evidence" is narrowly defined following the medical model of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), nearly impossible to execute validly in educational settings. The changes remove or weaken requirements for educational breadth, including global and social context, engineering ethics, and lifelong learning.