Engineering Laboratory Learning Objectives: A Study At Virginia Tech

In light of emerging simulated and remote engineering laboratory courses, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has taken on the task of assessing whether these new courses can truly accomplish the goals of educational laboratories. The first step in reaching a judgment is a need to fully understand the goals of the traditional engineering laboratory. Once these goals are determined, ABET can determine whether a simulated or remote course is an adequate substitution for traditional hands-on experience. In January 2002, ABET held a colloquy to solicit input from a select group of experts to determine a taxonomy of engineering laboratory learning objectives. A list of 13 learning objectives was created that participants felt adequately describes the goals of the engineering laboratory. However, the participants of the colloquy requested that the list be validated and any new issues or challenges related to achieving the objectives be documented. This paper takes an initial step in that direction. It summarizes a study done at Virginia Tech in which instructors in four engineering departments were interviewed to determine the degree to which the objectives are achieved and the appropriateness of the objectives in the laboratory. With additional input from various institutions, ABET can confirm the goals of engineering laboratory courses and progress to assessing the ability of the simulated and remote courses to fulfill the objectives. Some background on learning objectives and laboratory courses and why they are important will provide the foundation for this paper.