Self-reflection assignments for evaluating non-technical skills and setting goals for professional development

Development of professional skills-both technical and non-technical-is an integral part of engineering undergraduate programs. The ABET 2000 student outcomes criterion involves several non-technical skills including teamwork and communication¹. Several examples of instructional efforts to foster development of non-technical skills have been published^2-5. Assessing non-technical skills is a more of a challenge than implementing strategies focused on building these skills³. Here, we discuss the adoption of a rubric for non-technical skills assessment called the self-evaluation rubric⁶ in an undergraduate junior-level chemical reaction engineering course at a large, public state university through a series of essays called the self-reflection assignments. The assignments are designed to promote self-awareness of students through evaluation of their current non-technical skill levels and goal setting for future development followed by instructor feedback and periodic updates on progress for accountability.