A longitudinal evaluation of a four-level practical engineering education framework based on OBE-CDIO principles.

The transition of engineering education toward competency-oriented training is critical for modern intelligent manufacturing, yet empirical models for resource-constrained local universities remain underexplored. Using a national-level automotive engineering experimental teaching demonstration center in China as a case, this study designed and evaluated a progressive four-level practical teaching system. The system integrates Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) approach and is supported by a Teaching-Learning-Competition-Innovation (TLCI) linkage mechanism. To evaluate its operation, this study conducted a design-based longitudinal investigation using graduate administrative tracking, competency self-assessment, and employer feedback. Multi-source descriptive evidence showed that, during implementation, the graduate employment rate remained around 95% for four consecutive years, and job-major alignment was approximately 80.0%. In addition, the average starting salary of the 2023 cohort increased by 42% compared with the 2020 cohort, students reported relatively high perceived engineering problem-solving ability, and national competition performance also showed positive trends. These findings suggest that combining industry practice with a competition-driven closed-loop mechanism may provide practical reference for improving the quality of engineering talent cultivation and offer an implementable pathway for educational reform in resource-constrained universities.