Title: Application of QFD in engineering education curriculum development and review

Authors: S.M.A. Suliman

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038, Bahrain

Abstract: There is a conviction that engineering disciplines are converging rather than diverging. This is supported by the fact that products and services that need an interdisciplinary approach are continuously emerging and entering the markets. The curricula must, therefore, be designed to ensure that a graduate will posses all the qualities of a generalist and all the competence of a specialist, with a capacity for life long learning. To identify the components of such curricula, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is used for determining and assessing the relationships between industry requirements, curriculum areas of study and specialisation, contents and instruction methods and styles. The methodology can be used to explore the tradeoffs associated with the scope of engineering courses in terms of breadth and depth of coverage of the subjects, and to suggest possible remedies to engineering courses over loading.

Keywords: engineering education; curriculum development; quality function deployment; QFD.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2006.011892

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2006 Vol.16 No.6, pp.482 - 492

Published online: 30 Dec 2006 *

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