2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This is a follow-up paper that reports on the transition from design to sustained operation of a nationwide network of Capacity Development Centers (CDCs) and the institutionalization of a national recognition pathway for university engineering educators in Ecuador, referenced as the iPEER register. Building on our earlier plan, we examine how curriculum-aligned professional development programs (PDPs), a learning-analytics-enabled digital backbone, and a transparency-oriented governance framework coalesced into a stable, reproducible model for engineering-education improvement at scale. The current paper targets a practice-grounded, research-informed analysis of implementation, quality assurance, and educator recognition processes.
Methodologically, we use a multi-method design: (1) implementation tracing across CDC service portfolios (coaching, micro-credentials, portfolio support, teaching innovation grants); (2) formative evaluation cycles driven by learning analytics and peer observation; (3) policy and governance reviews aligning transparency and integrity standards with institutional QA; and (4) the maturation of the educator recognition pathway—mapping PDP outcomes to competency rubrics, portfolio evidence, and peer review culminating in national registration. A light, cross-cutting inclusion strand documented measures to widen participation (communication, mentoring, flexible delivery) while keeping the primary analytic focus on operations, recognition, and governance.
Qualitative results indicate that CDCs function as durable institutional “gateways” that reduce fragmentation in faculty development, the analytics layer enables course-level improvement loops without overburdening instructors, and the recognition pathway clarifies expectations for teaching excellence while elevating educator status. Governance learnings emphasize that transparency mechanisms—public criteria, feedback channels, external peer verification—are as crucial as formal autonomy for trust and adoption. The discussion distills design principles: sequence CDC services from “quick wins” to deeper practice change; couple analytics with coaching (never dashboards alone); align PDP micro-credentials with recognition criteria from the outset; and embed open-government practices into QA to sustain legitimacy beyond project life.
Contributions for the readers include an operational blueprint for moving from pilot to systemwide uptake, a recognition pathway that integrates competency-based PDPs with peer-reviewed registration, and a governance template that couples transparency with continuous improvement in low-resource contexts.