Article

Holistic Student Professional Development and Assessment: A Backward Design Approach

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Abstract

The study of competencies opens the door to in- sights about humans and human talent and poten- tial applications for their development (Boyatzis, 2009). Successful transition from academia to the twenty-first century workplace requires that college graduates acquire technical skills in their field as well as skills for interacting effectively with people (Hayward & Blackmer, 2007). This case study examines holistic student professional development through competency based assessment. A lean manufacturing course in Iowa State University’s Industrial Technology degree program served as a foundation for utilizing the “backward design” pro- cess (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). Results indicate that holistic professional development was achieved as measured using: (a) competency assessments, and (b) captured student perceptions through structured self-reflection. Additionally, this study provides a framework for a holistic approach to student professional development and assessment.

Keywords: assessment, higher education, lean manufacturing, manufacturing, professional development, teaching methods, teamwork

How to Cite:

Baughman, J. A., Brumm, T. J. & Mickelson, S. K., (2014) “Holistic Student Professional Development and Assessment: A Backward Design Approach”, The Journal of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering 30(2).