Experts expose about accreditation tools to guarantee quality of higher education in Engineering
SANTO DOMINGO – The definition of key indicators to measure and guarantee learning was one of the main conclusions of the round table about the assessment of the quality of education in the area of engineering carried out by the Dominican Association of University Rectors (ADRU) in the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
The activity had the collaboration of the Regional Engineering Accreditation System in the Greater Caribbean (GCREAS) and the American Engineering and Technology Accreditation Board (ABET). During the event, the necessary assessment tools were discussed to ensure quality in academic training and guarantee the expected learning results in students who attend the different training programs.
Professors, directors and deans of engineering at affiliated universities gathered at the event, listened to presentations by international experts, and discussed the best quality assessment practices that are being implemented in training programs at the national and international levels.
Gloria Rogers, deputy senior director for professional offers at ABET, spoke about the measurements and indicators within the educational training process and mentioned the importance of aligning the student's learning results with the educational objectives of the institutions, in order to obtain results of competitive quality.
"It's not just about data, but about how we transform data into information through content processing and analysis that gives context and meaning to them and supports reflection on the effectiveness of teaching," he said.
Among the key performance indicators identified internationally to improve student learning outcomes, he mentioned the ability to identify engineering problems, apply methods based on principles of mathematics, science and engineering; generate appropriate solutions to problems y evaluate alternative solutions.
At the same time, he mentioned the harmfulness of the resistance that exists on the part of university professors who, on many occasions, do not see the added value of quality accreditation.
Jorge Bris, mechanical engineer from the Universidad del Norte, and evaluator for the National Accreditation Council of Colombia, spoke about the use of indicators in the evaluation of learning based on his experiences in monitoring the learning outcomes of the mechanical engineering program of his Alma Mater.
Among the final recommendations, he exhorted to design, plan, measure the evaluation collectively, and harmonize the indicators with the teaching and learning strategies. "Prioritize continuous improvement over accountability", contributed the doctor in Materials Sciences from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
The panel moderated by Hugo Pirela, executive director of the Greater Caribbean Regional Engineering Accreditation System (GCREAS), had the intervention of Cayetano Armando Rodríguez, representing the private sector and an industrial engineering graduate from INTEC; Doris Peña, dean of Science and Technology and Engineering at the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU), on behalf of the Academy and Tulio Rodríguez, professor of the civil engineering career and coordinator of INTEC's International Engineering Programs.
The participants presented their points of view on the importance of accreditations to objectively determine the results of training programs. "It is not enough for the academy to say that its graduates are the best, some external entity is needed to validate that quality," said teacher Tulio Rodriguez.
Armando Barrios, Vice Chancellor for Research and Linkage of INTEC, and Esteban Tiburcio, Executive Director of the Dominican Association of Rectors of Universities G Creas (ADRU), were part of the event along with other ADRU companions.