download Project Documentation (.pdf)
Introduction
SUNY Oswego is incorporating a Software Engineering major and a directive of the program is to receive and maintain ABET accreditation. ABET provides world leadership in assuring quality and in stimulating innovation in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology education. In the United States, accreditation is a non-governmental, peer-review process that assures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive. Educational institutions or programs volunteer to undergo this review periodically to determine if certain criteria are being met. This accreditation is based upon the curriculum and objectives of the program, not solely the performance and production of the enrolled students. The effectiveness of the program will be determined by the quality of the objectives and lessons designed to meet them. These in turn are measured by the performance of the students; the averages of quizzes, assignments, and the success of projects.
ABET accreditation is not simply a raw mathematical score though; the quality of learning that is incurred is weighed more heavily than just the final grade. With this in mind a way to track the performance of the students as a function of the program objectives is required. A site for the faculty to record project descriptions, lessons, as well as, student scores is intended, with the possibility of selecting samples of student work.
This project will entail gathering the necessary preliminary data to formulate a strategy for addressing the needs of the site. These will then be translated into, at minimum, a prototype of the site. User testing and evaluation will be run against this prototype and any subsequent versions as a result of the testing and evaluation cycle. Ideally, a high fidelity prototype will be developed, which will allow for more in depth testing too take place, including the use of the eye tracking device and software. This document describes how we will implement this project.