A faculty guide for writing measurable Course Outcomes and performance indicators across three EEE learning domains: cognitive learning for knowledge, reasoning, analysis, modelling, and design; affective learning for ethics, safety culture, teamwork, professional responsibility, sustainability, and communication; and psychomotor learning for instrumentation, laboratory execution, prototyping, calibration, debugging, and hardware–software integration.
This page synthesizes revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, affective-domain taxonomy, psychomotor-domain taxonomy, Outcome Based Education practice, BAETE/Washington Accord style expectations, and engineering laboratory/project assessment literature. It is a public-facing academic guide for faculty, students, course-file preparation, assessment design, and accreditation review.
Important: This page does not define new EEE, BUET policy. Where the guide gives course-design advice, it should be read as a recommendation.
In Outcome Based Education, a Course Outcome should describe what students will be able to demonstrate by the end of a course. Bloom’s taxonomy helps faculty make that demonstration visible by linking the verb, course content, learning activity, assessment task, rubric evidence, CO–PO mapping, and CQI action. In EEE, this means that the wording should match actual evidence: solving a circuit problem, interpreting a Bode plot, simulating a converter, wiring and debugging an embedded system, reporting experimental uncertainty honestly, participating in a design review, or defending a thesis methodology.
Replace vague intentions such as “know,” “learn,” and “be familiar with” by observable actions such as calculate, interpret, verify, operate, calibrate, justify, document, or design.
A CO expecting analysis, evaluation, or design should be supported by tutorial, laboratory, simulation, review, or project activities that prepare students for that level.
The evidence should fit the domain. Psychomotor skill cannot be fully assessed by a written report alone; affective conduct usually needs observation, reflection, peer feedback, or rubric evidence.
Explicit verbs make PO mapping more defensible. “Design and validate a converter” maps differently from “state converter types.”
Senior laboratories, design courses, and thesis work normally require analysis, evaluation, creation, professionalism, and hands-on competence.
Clear outcome wording produces clearer attainment evidence and supports meaningful improvement actions.
Bloom-related learning domains help faculty distinguish three different kinds of student performance. A theory examination may mainly assess cognitive learning. A laboratory course may simultaneously assess cognitive understanding, affective professional conduct, and psychomotor instrument-handling skill. A thesis or capstone project may require all three domains at an advanced level.
What students know, explain, calculate, analyze, evaluate, design, and defend.
EEE examples: circuit analysis, electronic design, power-system fault study, control-system modelling, communication-system simulation, signal-processing implementation, VLSI verification.
What students value, follow, accept, participate in, prioritize, and internalize as responsible engineers.
EEE examples: lab safety, data integrity, teamwork, sustainability, ethical judgment, respect for standards, professional communication, accepting feedback.
What students physically and technically perform with tools, instruments, hardware, experimental setups, fabrication methods, and prototypes.
EEE examples: wiring, probing, soldering, calibrating, measuring, debugging, flashing embedded hardware, operating machine/power equipment, demonstrating prototypes.
| Domain | What it measures | EEE examples | Typical evidence | Suitable assessment methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive | Knowledge, explanation, calculation, modelling, analysis, evaluation, design. | Derive network equations; interpret waveform; analyze stability; design amplifier; validate simulation model. | Exam script, derivation, numerical solution, simulation output, design report, thesis chapter. | MCQ, short question, numerical problem, simulation assignment, design problem, project report, thesis defense. |
| Affective | Professional attitude, ethics, safety culture, teamwork, communication, responsibility, integrity. | Follow safety rules; report data honestly; accept feedback; justify sustainable choices; resolve team conflict professionally. | Observation checklist, peer evaluation, reflection, meeting log, lab notebook, professionalism rubric. | Lab observation, team review, reflective log, presentation rubric, peer evaluation, supervisor assessment. |
| Psychomotor | Hands-on performance with instruments, tools, hardware, circuits, software-hardware interfaces, and prototypes. | Use oscilloscope; wire circuit; solder PCB; calibrate sensor; debug embedded interface; operate power/machine lab equipment safely. | Practical demonstration, measured accuracy, setup quality, prototype function, troubleshooting log, repeatability record. | Practical test, lab experiment, instrument task, hardware demonstration, prototype demo, live troubleshooting exercise. |
The revised cognitive taxonomy uses six levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. In EEE course design, each level should be interpreted through the actual engineering task and assessment evidence.
Capability: Recall laws, definitions, symbols, device regions, circuit notation, block names, safety steps, and terminology.
Verbs: define, identify, state, list, label, name, recall.
Example CO: Identify circuit laws, symbols, sign conventions, and basic device terminal characteristics used in EEE analysis.
Capability: Explain principles, compare alternatives, interpret plots and waveforms, classify behavior, and summarize relationships.
Verbs: explain, compare, interpret, classify, summarize, discuss.
Example CO: Explain how feedback affects gain, bandwidth, and stability in operational-amplifier circuits.
Capability: Carry out calculations, programming tasks, simulations, or laboratory procedures for structured problems.
Verbs: calculate, solve, implement, simulate, configure, program, measure, calibrate, bias.
Example CO: Calculate currents, voltages, power, and transient response for specified circuit conditions using appropriate methods.
Capability: Decompose systems, derive relationships, diagnose faults, interpret interactions, and distinguish causes of behavior.
Verbs: analyze, derive, model, differentiate, troubleshoot, debug, characterize.
Example CO: Analyze the dynamic response of feedback systems and interpret the effect of parameter variation on stability and damping.
Capability: Justify choices, validate results, critique alternatives, rank options, and defend decisions using evidence.
Verbs: evaluate, justify, validate, verify, critique, optimize, assess, defend.
Example CO: Evaluate alternative modulation schemes and justify the selected approach using bandwidth, power, and error-performance criteria.
Capability: Design, develop, formulate, synthesize, prototype, integrate, and communicate original or open-ended solutions.
Verbs: design, develop, formulate, synthesize, prototype, integrate, construct, fabricate.
Example CO: Design and verify an electrical or electronic system that satisfies stated technical constraints and performance targets.
The affective domain describes attitudes, values, motivation, and professional conduct. In EEE, it is relevant to laboratory safety, ethical engineering decisions, academic integrity in simulation/code/reporting, teamwork, sustainability, public safety, and professional communication.
Behavior: Attend to lab briefing, identify safety notices, acknowledge equipment limits, recognize data-integrity requirements.
Verbs: attend, listen, acknowledge, identify, recognize.
Evidence: readiness checklist, lab notebook acknowledgment, pre-lab safety response.
Example: Acknowledge laboratory safety requirements and equipment-handling instructions before energizing test circuits.
Behavior: Follow SOPs, ask relevant questions, participate in team debugging, contribute during design review.
Verbs: participate, comply, follow, discuss, ask, contribute.
Evidence: observation rubric, team log, peer feedback, lab-viva conduct.
Example: Participate constructively in team-based debugging and follow prescribed laboratory SOP while conducting experiments.
Behavior: Demonstrate commitment to safety, integrity, sustainability, public welfare, and professional quality.
Verbs: justify, support, demonstrate, accept, respect, defend.
Evidence: reflective note, report limitations, design rationale, peer feedback.
Example: Report experimental and simulation results honestly, including discrepancies, uncertainty, failed trials, and limitations.
Behavior: Reconcile cost, performance, safety, environmental impact, reliability, maintainability, and team responsibility.
Verbs: prioritize, integrate, reconcile, formulate, balance, adapt.
Evidence: trade-off matrix, design-review minutes, team charter, conflict-resolution note.
Example: Reconcile cost, efficiency, safety, and sustainability considerations when comparing alternative EEE design solutions.
Behavior: Consistently uphold integrity, safety, inclusive teamwork, transparent documentation, and professional communication.
Verbs: internalize, consistently demonstrate, advocate, model, uphold.
Evidence: semester-long rubric, supervisor observation, peer evaluation, portfolio.
Example: Uphold professional and ethical conduct consistently by documenting methods transparently, crediting sources, and communicating limitations responsibly.
This guide uses Dave’s five-level sequence—Imitation, Manipulation, Precision, Articulation, and Naturalization—because it is compact and practical for laboratory and project rubrics. Simpson’s taxonomy is also widely used when a more fine-grained practical-skill progression is needed.
Skill: Copying a demonstrated action under guidance.
Verbs: observe, copy, repeat, mimic, trace.
Evidence: guided practical, setup completion, safe guided action.
Example: Follow a demonstrated procedure to wire and test a basic analog or digital circuit safely.
Skill: Performing a task from instructions, checklist, manual, or SOP.
Verbs: perform, assemble, wire, connect, configure, operate.
Evidence: observation checklist, instrument task, setup correctness.
Example: Operate standard laboratory instruments to acquire voltage, current, frequency, and transient-response data for a prescribed experiment.
Skill: Executing a skill accurately, consistently, and with reduced error.
Verbs: calibrate, measure, adjust, solder, tune, debug, align.
Evidence: measured accuracy, repeatable data, clean workmanship, continuity/polarity checks.
Example: Calibrate a sensor or measurement chain and obtain repeatable readings within stated accuracy limits.
Skill: Coordinating several technical skills into an integrated workflow.
Verbs: integrate, coordinate, interface, troubleshoot, optimize setup.
Evidence: integrated prototype, end-to-end functionality, debug log.
Example: Integrate sensing, actuation, embedded programming, and test instrumentation to implement and troubleshoot an embedded control setup.
Skill: Performing complex technical work smoothly, independently, and adaptively.
Verbs: perform fluently, automate workflow, independently construct, adapt technique, demonstrate mastery.
Evidence: autonomous demonstration, efficient troubleshooting, adapted method, robust prototype performance.
Example: Independently construct, test, and demonstrate a prototype that meets stated functional requirements while adapting procedures to resolve implementation constraints.
| Course type | Dominant domain(s) | Typical level emphasis | EEE interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory theory courses | Cognitive | Remember, Understand, Apply | Foundational laws, terminology, device behavior, basic structured problem solving. |
| Core analytical courses | Cognitive | Apply, Analyze, Evaluate | Modelling, derivation, diagnosis, interpretation, method selection, trade-off reasoning. |
| Mathematical/modelling courses | Cognitive | Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate | Transforms, state-space models, numerical methods, probability, signal and system modelling. |
| Laboratory courses | Cognitive + Affective + Psychomotor | Apply/Analyze; Receiving–Valuing; Imitation–Precision | Instrument handling, safety, measurement accuracy, uncertainty, teamwork, report integrity. |
| Simulation/software courses | Cognitive + Affective | Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create; Responding–Valuing | Model setup, tool use, interpretation, debugging, validation, honest reporting of assumptions and limitations. |
| Design-oriented courses | Cognitive + Affective + Psychomotor | Analyze, Evaluate, Create; Valuing–Organization; Manipulation–Articulation | Open-ended design, constraints, standards, teamwork, design review, prototype integration. |
| Thesis/project courses | All three domains | Analyze, Evaluate, Create; Organization–Characterization; Precision–Naturalization | Problem framing, methodology, literature use, ethics, validation, prototype or experiment, defense. |
Verb banks are drafting aids. A verb is appropriate only when the assessment task and rubric evidence actually measure that action.
| Domain / level | General verbs | EEE-specific uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive — Remember | define, identify, state, list, label | identify terminals, state assumptions, list logic families, label blocks. |
| Cognitive — Apply | calculate, solve, implement, simulate, configure | bias, rectify, regulate, amplify, modulate, demodulate, sample, quantize, program. |
| Cognitive — Analyze/Evaluate/Create | analyze, model, derive, justify, validate, optimize, design, synthesize | derive transfer function, model device behavior, verify functionality, design PCB, synthesize HDL. |
| Affective — Receiving/Responding | attend, acknowledge, participate, comply, follow, contribute | acknowledge hazards, follow safety protocol, comply with lab SOP, contribute during design review. |
| Affective — Valuing/Organization/Characterization | demonstrate, respect, defend, prioritize, reconcile, uphold | report data honestly, respect team roles, prioritize public safety, uphold academic integrity. |
| Psychomotor — Imitation/Manipulation | observe, copy, repeat, perform, assemble, wire, operate | copy wiring task, probe circuit, flash microcontroller, operate oscilloscope and function generator. |
| Psychomotor — Precision/Articulation/Naturalization | calibrate, measure, solder, tune, debug, integrate, demonstrate | calibrate sensor, solder PCB, debug hardware, interface subsystems, demonstrate prototype. |
Use this selector to generate a starting point for CO or performance-indicator wording. It supports cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains.
| Assessment task | Cognitive evidence | Affective evidence | Psychomotor evidence | Suggested rubric evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exam | Recall, explanation, calculation, analysis. | Limited; ethical or sustainability reasoning if included. | Usually none. | Correctness, method, assumptions, interpretation. |
| Simulation assignment | Model setup, parameter selection, debugging, validation. | Integrity in assumptions, limitations, code/data reporting. | Limited tool workflow evidence. | Model credibility, documentation, result interpretation. |
| Laboratory experiment | Procedure understanding, data analysis, theory comparison. | Safety, teamwork, honesty, equipment responsibility. | Setup, probing, measurement, calibration, troubleshooting. | Preparedness, safety, setup accuracy, data quality, uncertainty. |
| Instrumentation task | Select settings and interpret readings. | Respect limits, follow SOP, document carefully. | Operate, calibrate, align, measure, verify. | Range selection, safe probing, calibration, precision. |
| Embedded systems lab | Timing logic, interface reasoning, code explanation. | Code integrity, team coordination, transparent debugging. | Program, flash, wire, interface, debug. | Functional correctness, interface quality, debug strategy. |
| Design project | Requirements analysis, trade-off evaluation, validation. | Teamwork, responsibility, standards, sustainability. | Prototype build, integration, test, demonstration. | Requirement traceability, design rationale, contribution, prototype function. |
| Thesis/project defense | Problem framing, literature, method, validation, conclusion defense. | Integrity, limitation awareness, professional communication. | Prototype or experiment demonstration where relevant. | Research quality, evidence-based conclusion, communication, demo readiness. |
| Assessment type | Usually suitable level(s) | Usage note for EEE |
|---|---|---|
| MCQ | Remember, Understand; sometimes Apply/Analyze | Useful for broad coverage; weak for authentic design, affective, or psychomotor evidence alone. |
| Numerical problem | Apply, Analyze, sometimes Evaluate | Move beyond substitution by requiring method choice, interpretation, or validation. |
| Design problem | Analyze, Evaluate, Create | Include constraints such as efficiency, stability, safety, cost, bandwidth, or device limits. |
| Simulation assignment | Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create | Use model assumptions, comparison with theory/experiment, validation, and discrepancy explanation. |
| Laboratory experiment | Cognitive Apply/Analyze; Affective Responding/Valuing; Psychomotor Manipulation/Precision | Use observation, data quality, uncertainty, safety, and execution evidence, not only the report. |
| Project report | Analyze, Evaluate, Create; Affective Valuing/Organization | Good for problem framing, design logic, limitations, verification, and communication. |
| Thesis defense | Analyze, Evaluate, Create; Affective Organization/Characterization | Tests methodology, validation, literature use, professional communication, and limitation awareness. |
| Weak statement | Improved measurable outcome or performance indicator | Dominant domain |
|---|---|---|
| Understand operational amplifiers. | Analyze the closed-loop behavior of operational-amplifier circuits and justify the effect of feedback on gain, bandwidth, and stability using analytical or simulated evidence. | Cognitive |
| Know Verilog. | Implement and verify combinational and sequential digital circuits in Verilog using simulation results and timing-aware test cases. | Cognitive |
| Learn power system faults. | Calculate and analyze fault currents in a specified power network and assess the implications for protection settings and equipment ratings. | Cognitive |
| Understand lab safety. | Follow laboratory safety protocols while wiring and testing energized circuits, and document compliance through an observation checklist and laboratory record. | Affective / Psychomotor |
| Appreciate teamwork. | Contribute constructively to a design team by documenting assigned tasks, responding to peer feedback, and participating in design-review decisions. | Affective |
| Know how to use an oscilloscope. | Operate an oscilloscope, function generator, and multimeter to acquire voltage, frequency, and transient-response measurements within specified accuracy limits. | Psychomotor |
| Be familiar with soldering. | Assemble and solder a prescribed PCB or circuit module and verify continuity, polarity, and functional operation using standard instruments. | Psychomotor |
| Understand data integrity. | Report experimental and simulation results honestly, including discrepancies, repeated trials, uncertainty, and limitations, with traceable records. | Affective |
This page is provided as a general academic guidance resource for Outcome Based Education (OBE), Bloom’s Taxonomy, and course-outcome drafting in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. It is intended to support faculty members, students, and accreditation preparation activities, but it does not constitute an official rule, regulation, accreditation decision, legal advice, or binding departmental/university policy.
Faculty members should use professional academic judgment and consult the approved BUET curriculum, departmental templates, course-file requirements, BAETE manuals, accreditation criteria, program-specific criteria, assessment rubrics, and other authoritative sources when preparing Course Outcomes, CO–PO mappings, assessment plans, and attainment reports.
This resource was drafted with assistance from generative AI and deep-research-based synthesis of publicly available academic and accreditation-related sources. Although reasonable care has been taken to make the content accurate, relevant, and evidence-informed, generative AI outputs may contain omissions, interpretation errors, outdated references, or wording that may not fully reflect current institutional or accreditation requirements.
Users are responsible for verifying all information before official use. The Department of EEE, BUET may revise, correct, expand, or withdraw this page at any time. In case of any inconsistency between this guidance page and official BUET, BAETE, or accreditation documents, the official documents shall prevail.
Knowledge Profile, Complex Engineering Problem, Complex Engineering Activities CO–PO Mapping Guide