Improving Instruction and Assessment via Bloom’s Taxonomy and Descriptive Rubrics

This paper describes ongoing modifications to the ABET assessment procedures in the Mechanical Engineering Department at a San José State University, which is a large, primarilyundergraduate institution. These changes were made with the goal of improving alignment between in-class assessment practices and ABET assessment requirements. The first major change involves reviewing and revising the Performance Indicators for all Student Learning Outcomes. Specifically, the PI’s were rephrased for strong alignment with the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, with a focus on higher order learning. The second major change is the development of descriptive rubrics for several major assessment tools. Two rubrics will be examined as examples: one for peer assessment of team members’ contributions in the program’s capstone design project and the second for a position paper on contemporary issues related to thermodynamics. Initial results from the revised rubrics showed several benefits, including ease and accuracy of assessment. Additionally, the authors suggest best practices for ensuring assessment alignment with ABET objectives by working backward from PI’s to write rubrics for assessment tools.