Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge: Status and Lessons Learned

1
Civil EngineeringBody of KnowledgeStatus and
Lessons Learned
Frontiers in Environmental Engineering
Education January 8 10, 2007 Tempe, AZ
Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE
2
Todays CE professional track
BOK (Implicit)
Professional practice and life-long learning
Exam/ Licen.
Bacc. Educ.
Exper.
Tomorrows CE professional track
Masters degree or approx. 30 credits
BOK (Explicit)
Professional practice and life-long learning
Exam/ Licen.
Bacc. Educ.
M/30 Exper.
With specialty certification option
More comprehensive
Modified
More focused
3
CHANGE!
4
TOPICS
WHERE ARE WE?
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
RECAP
4
/FrontiersEEE
5
TOPICS
WHERE ARE WE?
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
RECAP
5
/FrontiersEEE
6
A professions foundation includes a body of
knowledge
Sources See Huntington, 1975 Lawson, 2004
6
/FrontiersEEE
7
BOK is defined as
the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to
enter the practice of civil engineering at the
professional level
7
/FrontiersEEE
8
In the BIG picture, the CE BOK calls for

• More fundamentalsmath/science/
• engineering science

• Maintaining technical breadth

• More breadth in humanities and social sciences

• Additional professional practice breadth

• Greater technical depth

9
The BOK consists of 26 outcomes
Encourage accountability and creativity
Discourage prescription
Technical 16
Professional 10
10
Technical outcomes
1. Mathematics 2. Physics 3. Chemistry 4.
Breadth in basic science 5. Mechanics 6.
Materials 7. Breadth in civil engineering 8.
Engineering tools
9. Engineering problem recognition and
solving 10. Design 11. Experiments 12.
Contemporary issues 13. Risk/uncertainty 14.
Sustainability 15. Project management 16.
Technical specialization
11
Professional outcomes
22. Business and public administration 23.
Teamwork 24. Leadership 25. Life-long
learning 26. Attitudes
17. Communication 18. History and heritage 19.
Globalization 20. Professional and ethical
responsibility 21. Public policy
12
(No Transcript)
13
How to define desired level of achievement ?
Blooms Taxonomy
14
Blooms Taxonomy
Level of achievement
Illustrative verbs
6. Evaluation
Critique, decide, judge
5. Synthesis
Combine, create, plan
4. Analysis
Analyze, break down, subdivide
3. Application
Apply, conduct, solve
2. Comprehension
Describe, discuss, explain
1. Knowledge
Define, identify, list
15
Levels of achievement for outcomes
Outcome
Level of achievement
1 Know- ledge
2 Compre- hension
3 Appli- cation
4 Analy- sis
5 Synthe- sis
6 Evalu- ation
Technical
2. Physics
3. Chemistry
4. Breadth in basic science
5. Mechanics
6. Materials
7. Breadth in civil engineering areas
8. Engineering tools
9. Engineering problem recog./sol.
11. Experiments
12. Contemporary issues
13. Risks/uncertainty
14. Sustainability
15. Project management
16
Outcome
Level of achievement
1 Know- ledge
2 Compre- hension
3 Appli- cation
4 Analy- sis
5 Synthe- sis
6 Evalu- ation
Professional
17. Communication
18. History and heritage
19. Globalization
20. Professional ethical responsibility
21. Public policy
22. Business and public administration
23. Teamwork
24. Leadership
25. Life-long learning
26. Attitudes
17
Allocation of responsibility for outcomes
Outcome
Level of achievement
1 Know- ledge
2 Compre- hension
3 Appli- cation
4 Analy- sis
5 Synthe- sis
6 Evalu- ation
Technical
1. Mathematics
B
B
B
2. Physics
B
B
B
3. Chemistry
B
B
B
4. Breadth in basic science
B
B
B
5. Mechanics
B
B
B
B
6. Materials
B
B
B
7. Breadth in civil engineering areas
B
B
B
B
8. Engineering tools
B
B
B
M/30
9. Engineering problem recog./sol.
B
B
B
M/30
10. Design
B
B
B
B
B
E
11. Experiments
B
B
B
B
M/30
12. Contemporary issues
B
B
B
E
13. Risks/uncertainty
B
B
B
E
14. Sustainability
B
B
B
E
15. Project management
B
B
B
E
16. Technical specialization
B
E
M/30
M/30
M/30
M/30
18
Outcome
Level of achievement
1 Know- ledge
2 Compre- hension
3 Appli- cation
4 Analy- sis
5 Synthe- sis
6 Evalu- ation
Professional
17. Communication
B
B
B
B
E
18. History and heritage
B
B
19. Globalization
B
B
B
B
20. Professional ethical responsibility
B
B
B
B
E
E
21. Public policy
B
B
E
22. Business and public administration
B
B
E
23. Teamwork
B
B
B
E
24. Leadership
B
B
B
E
25. Life-long learning
B
B
B
E
E
26. Attitudes
B
B
E
B
Key
Level of achievement fulfilled through the
Bachelors Degree
M/30
Level of achievement fulfilled through the
Masters Degree or approximately 30 credits
E
Level of achievement fulfilled through
pre-licensure experience
19
Outcome 10, Design
Completion of BSCE, Level 5, Synthesis
Design a system or process to meet desired needs,
within realistic constraints such as economic,
environmental, social, political, ethical, health
and safety, constructability, and sustainability
20
Outcome 10, Design
Completion of experience, Level 6, Evaluation
Evaluate the design of a complex system,
component, or process and assess compliance with
customary standards of practice, clients needs,
and relevant constraints.
21
Example Rubric
22
Implications for
CE students and interns
Faculty and practitioners
23
and Others ?
24
CURRICULA The BOK has been compared to existing
curricula by curricula design partners
BOK cannot fit into todays BSCE
25
ACCREDITATION 10 years needed for implementation

• July 2006 CE Program Criteria approved by ABET
  EAC
• 2006-2007 Public review period
• Fall 2008 First visits under new criteria
• 2012 First graduates of undergrad programs
  accredited under new criteria
• 2016 First graduates of these programs seek
  licensure

26
LICENSURE NCEES approved additional 30
credits for Model Law at the September 2006
Annual Meeting
27
Todays CE professional track
BOK (Implicit)
Professional practice and life-long learning
Exam/ Licen.
Bacc. Educ.
Exper.
Tomorrows CE professional track
Masters degree or approx. 30 credits
BOK (Explicit)
Professional practice and life-long learning
Exam/ Licen.
Bacc. Educ.
M/30 Exper.
With specialty certification option
More comprehensive
Modified
More focused
28
TOPICS
WHERE ARE WE?
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
RECAP
28
/FrontiersEEE
29
CE BOK
Start
30
CE BOK
Start
31
1. Communicate-Communicate-Communicate
Faculty
Practitioners
Corresponding Members
Professional Societies
Employers
Individuals
Licensing Boards
Other Professions
Students
Accreditation Community
32
2. Get ducks in a row organize for success
33
ASCE Board of Direction
Leadership/ Coordination/ Continuity
Committee on Academic Prerequisites for
Professional Practice (CAP3) Charge Implement PS
465
Ad hoc
BOK
Curricula
Accreditation
Licensure
Fulfillment and Validation
Etc.
34
3. First things first
35
Civil Engineering Vision

• Entrusted by society
• to
• create a sustainable world
• and
• enhance the global quality of life,
• civil engineers
• serve competently, collaboratively, and ethically
  as master
• planners, designers, constructors, and
  operators of societys economic and social
  engine, the built environment
• stewards of the natural environment and its
  resources
• innovators and integrators of ideas and
  technology across the public, private, and
  academic sectors
• managers of risk and uncertainty caused by
  natural events, accidents, and other threats
  and
• leaders in discussions and decisions shaping
  public environmental and infrastructure policy.

36
Master Plan
Example curricula
Accreditation criteria
BOK
Body of Knowledge (BOK)
Accredited programs
Policy 465 implemented in 55 jurisdictions
Experience guidelines
State licensing rules
B 30 Guidelines
Model law
Curricula
Example language
Licensure
Accreditation
Fulfillment Validation
37
ASCE Policy 465(Adopted by the BOD October 1998)
The ASCE supports the concept of the Masters
degree as the First Professional Degree for the
practice of civil engineering at a professional
level
38
ASCE Policy 465(Adopted by the BOD October 2001)
The ASCE supports the concept of the Masters
degree or Equivalent as a prerequisite for
licensure and the practice of civil engineering
at a professional level
39
ASCE Policy 465(Adopted by the BOD October 2004)
The ASCE supports the attainment of a Body of
Knowledge for entry into the practice of civil
engineering at a professional level
40
(No Transcript)
41
4. Standrespectfully and thankfullyon the
shoulders of others
Mann 1918 Wickenden 1928 Grinter 1955 National
Research Council 1985 ASCE Education
Conferences 1974, 1979, 1985, 1990, 1995 Many
papers, articles, and other documents from within
and outside of civil engineering
Engineering the Future of CE (ASCE) 2001
42
5. Function inclusively and transparently

• Issue agendas and minutes
• Report activities
• Post documents on website
• Establish correspondent members
• Encourage e-mail discussions
• Invite opponents to join committees
• Meet anywhere with anyone

43
6. Adopt a change model, such as
Awareness
44
AH
HA!
Awareness
Action
Head
Heart
45
7. Persevere and practice principled compromise

• Expect complexity and setbacks

• Resist lowest common denominator temptation

• Compromise on means, not the vision

46
8. Live with ambiguity/iteration
Ideal
Actual
47
9. Recognize and act on serendipity
the exploding body of science and engineering
knowledge cannot be accommodated within the
context of the four-year baccalaureate degree.
48
TOPICS
WHERE ARE WE?
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
RECAP
48
/FrontiersEEE
49
Where are we?

• Reform underway
• BOK-centric
• Outcomes using Bloom
• Accreditation, curricula, licensure, and
  specialty certification are advancing

50
What did we learn?
1. C3
2. Organize for success
3. First things first
51
4. Stand on the shoulders of others
5. Function inclusively and transparently
6. Adopt a change model
52
7. Persevere and practice principled compromise
8. Live with ambiguity/iteration
9. Recognize and act on serendipity
53
Comments
Questions
Critiques
Stories
Ideas
Suggestions
54
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
Articles, Papers, Books, and Reports
Aktan, A. E. and J. M. Roesset. 2006. The Need
for a Renaissance in Civil Engineering to
Effectively Address Our Societal Concerns Related
to Infrastructures, presented at the CEE EDU
Reform Workshop, Istanbul, Turkey. October 4 - 7,
2006. (Contrasts civil engineering with other
engineering disciplines noting two differences.
The first is the disconnected manner in which
their civil engineers products are planned,
financed, designed, constructed, and operated
and the second is over life cycles far exceeding
those of manufactured systems. Argues that
continued adjustments to the common 4-year
curricula are no longer realistic given the
increasing complexity of interconnected
engineered, natural, and human
systems.) Anderson, R. O., J. S. Russell, and
S. G. Walesh. 2006. The Reformation of Civil
Engineering Education in the United States,
presented at CEE EDU Reform Workshop, Istanbul,
Turkey. October 4 - 7, 2006. (Provides a historic
overview.)
55
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
ASCE. 1995. Summary Report 1995 Civil
Engineering Education Conference (CEEC 95).
ASCE Body of Knowledge Committee of the Task
Committee on Academic Prerequisites for
Professional Practice. 2004. Civil Engineering
Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century.
(Available on the ASCE website at
http//www.asce.org/raisethebar.) ASCE Body of
Knowledge Fulfillment and Validation Committee of
the Committee on Academic Prerequisites for
Professional Practice. 2005. Fulfillment and
Validation of the Attainment of the Civil
Engineering Body of Knowledge. (Available on the
ASCE website at http//www.asce.org/raisethebar.)
ASCE Committee on Academic Prerequisites for
Professional Practice. 2004 2006, Raise The
Bar, quarterly newsletter of CAP3, (Available on
the ASCE website at http//www.asce.org/raisetheba
r.)
56
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
ASCE Levels of Achievement Subcommittee of the
Committee on Academic Prerequisites for
Professional Practice. 2005. Levels of
Achievement Applicable to the Body of Knowledge
Required for Entry Into the Practice of Civil
Engineering at the Professional Level, September.
(Available on the ASCE website at
http//www.asce.org/raisethebar.) ASCE Task
Committee on the First Professional Degree. 2001.
Engineering the Future of Civil Engineering,
October 9. (Available on the ASCE website at
http//www.asce.org/raisethebar.) ASCE Task
Committee to Plan a Summit on the Future of the
Civil Engineering Profession. 2007 (Draft). The
Vision for Civil Engineering in 2005, January 5.
(Available from Stu Walesh, editor, at
stuwalesh_at_comcast.net.)
57
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
Baker, C. and H. Harclerode. 2006. Strengthening
the Education Leg of Licensure, Licensure
Exchange NCEES, April. (Describes NCEES efforts
to require additional education for licensure
partly because engineering education is falling
behind other professions in preparing students
for practice.) Barnes, C. E. 2006. Basic
Education for Structural Engineers, InFocus
column, STRUCTURE Magazine, April, pp. 8-9.
(Describes, using a table, the phase in, through
2010, of more structural courses and more
structured experience. Includes MSCE and notes
ASCE BOK. Takes a backward course name, course
content, and outcome objectives approach.
Technical writing is the only NT topic
noted.) Bloom. B. S., Englehart, M. D., Furst.
E. J., Hill, W. H. and Krathwohl, D. 1956.
Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, the
Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook I
Cognitive Domain. David McKay, New York, NY.
58
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
Gronlund, N. E. 1978. Stating Objectives for
Classroom, Macmillan, New York, NY. Holly, Jr.,
F. M. 2006. Should PE Licensure Require
Education Beyond a BS Degree?, August.
(Summarizes recent NAE, NCEES, and ASCE studies
and asks interested individuals to share their
views with the Iowa Engineering and Land
Surveying Examining Board.) Huntington, S. P.
1957. Soldier and the State, Harvard University
Press, Cambridge, MA. Lawson, W. D. 2004.
Professionalism The Golden Years, Journal of
Professional Issues In Engineering ASCE,
January, pp. 26 36. MIT Task Force on the
Undergraduate Educational Commons. 2006. Summary
of the Report and Recommendations of the Task
Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons,
October. (Recommends shifts in science courses,
shifts in HSS courses, and expansion of
international experiences. A fine tuning,
course-oriented document not reform.)
59
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
National Academy of Engineering. 2004. The
Engineer of 2020 Visions of Engineering in the
New Century, Washington, DC. National Academy of
Engineering. 2005. Educating the Engineer of
2020 Adapting Engineering Education to the New
Century, Washington, DC. National Academy of
Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences,
and the Institute of Medicine, 2006. Rising Above
the Gathering Storm Energizing America for a
Brighter Future Executive Summary, Washington,
D.C. (Warns that the U.S. increasingly risks
losing jobs to global competitors and advocates
more mathematics, science, research, and
innovation.) National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). 2003. Report
of the Engineering Licensure Qualifications Task
Force (ELQTF), March. (Recommended that
additional education (bachelors plus) be
considered as a future prerequisite licensure as
a professional engineer in a 10- to 15-year
timeframe.)
60
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
Surveying (NCEES). 2005. Interim Presentation of
the Licensure Qualifications Oversight Group
(LQOG). (Building on the 2003 ELQTF report,
recommends additional engineering education and
professional practice examination. The former is
described as Graduation with a BS degree from an
engineering program of four or more years
accredited by EAC/ABET, or equivalent, plus 30
additional credits from approved course providers
in upper level undergraduate or graduate level
course work in professional practice and/or
technical topic areas) National Society of
Professional Engineers. 2006. ABET Accreditation
Plans Go Global, PE, May, p. 18. (Indicates that
engineering programs at foreign universities may
soon be able to earn the same accreditation
status as engineering programs at U.S.
universities. ABET will phase out substantial
equivalency evaluations.)
61
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
National Society of Professional Engineers. 2006.
PEs Share Their Outlook on the Profession, PE,
August/September, (A 2006 survey of PEs revealed
that 50 agreed or strongly agreed that education
beyond the BS should be required for entry into
the profession.) Russell, J. S., and C. N.
Musselman. 2006. Charting a Course for the
Future, PE, December 2006, pp. 26-33. Studt, T.
2006. U.S. Engineering at Crossroads,
Editorial, RD Magazine, p. 7. (Argues that lower
compensation of engineers in other nations and
their increasing capability will increase
outsourcing to engineers in other nations.
Expresses concern with complacency of U.S.
engineers.)
62
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
Vest, C. M. 2006. Educating Engineers for 2020
and Beyond, NAE website, based on October 10,
2005 presentation at NAE Annual Meeting.
(Describes where the U.S. was in 1990as recorded
elsewhere for broad use. Argues that students
are driven by passion, curiosity, engagement, and
dreams,not by, or no longer by, technology.
Asks if a services science might emerge. Fears
U.S. complacency noting that science and
engineering rule in Asia.) Walesh, S. G. 2006.
Body of Knowledge for Civil Engineers Essential
for Success in the International Arena, 35th
International IGIP Symposium, Tallinn, Estonia,
September.
63
APPENDIX A RESOURCES
Websites
American Academy of Water Resources Engineers,
(http//www.aawre.org/), click on Requirements
and look for Requirements for Certification,
which provides a detailed description of
selection criteria. American Society of Civil
Engineers, (http//www.asce.org/raisethebar).
Click on Professional Issues and the Body of
Knowledge. Provides PS 465 documents and the
Raise the Bar newsletter. National Council of
Examiners for Engineering and Surveying,
(http//www.ncees.org/). Click on NCEES studies
of the licensure process for access to the 2003
report of the Engineering Licensure
Qualifications Task Force (ELQTF) and 2005
Interim Presentation of the Licensure
Qualifications Oversight Group (LQOG). National
Council of Structural Engineers Associations
(NCSEA), (http//www.ncsea.com/).
64
APPENDIX B RELEVANCE OF BOK

• Relevance of the Civil Engineering
• Body of Knowledge
•  
• When well-crafted, a professions Body of
  Knowledge (BOK) speaks to all segments of the
  profession. While the messages may differ among
  the various segments of a profession, all can
  view the BOK as common ground. The BOK is a
  foundation on which a professions members study
  for and build careers, meet responsibilities, and
  pursue opportunities.
•  
• So it is with the civil engineering BOK. Consider
  the relevance of the civil engineering BOK to
  various members of and stakeholders in the civil
  engineering community. The civil engineering BOK
•  
• offers prospective civil engineering students,
  and their parents and advisors, a glimpse of the
  importance of civil engineering and the breadth
  of opportunities offered to them.

65
APPENDIX B RELEVANCE OF BOK

• assists civil engineering and other faculty in
  designing curricula, creating and improving
  courses, and teaching and counseling students.
• offers researchers ideas on future directions
  of civil engineering and related technical needs
  and defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
  that should be offered by students seeking to
  engage in research.
• provides current civil engineering students
  with a framework against which they can
  understand the purpose, measure the progress,
  and plan the completion of their studies.
• gives ABET leaders a basis for developing
  appropriate accreditation criteria.
• informs employers what they can expect in terms
  of basic knowledge, skills, and possibly
  attitudes possessed by civil engineering
  graduates.

66
APPENDIX B RELEVANCE OF BOK

• suggests to employers their role, in
  partnership with individual civil engineers
  prior to licensure, in helping young civil
  engineers attain the levels of achievement
  needed to enter the practice of civil
  engineering at the professional level.
• provides licensing boards with confidence that
  the formal education and pre-licensure
  experience of civil engineers will meet the
  engineering professions responsibility to
  protect public safety, health, and welfare.
• encourages specialty certification boards to
  build on the pre- licensure BOK in defining their
  desired mastery level of achievement.