Lack of gender differences in engineering students’ assessment of group-based project exams

Abstract

At Aalborg University in Denmark, engineering, science, and mathematics students usually spend half the time each semester working in groups on projects within a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. These projects are assessed through group-based exams where students receive individual grades. A previous survey of all engineering, science, and mathematics students showed significant differences in how they, respectively, view various aspects of the group exam. However, students also differ when comparing engineering programmes. This paper focuses on potential gender differences in perception of the group exam. Studies of other exam types showed, e.g., that female students report higher levels of text anxiety, have different reactions to exam pressure, and are less overconfident than male students. The present survey was answered by 915 students (617 males, 298 females) from all semesters and study programmes in engineering, science, and mathematics. The analysis showed that on the majority of questions, there were no significant differences between males and females. However, female students are significantly more in favour of an individual exam, and significantly more often experience they need to speak before having finished thinking. Significantly more male students find that participating with their peers during the group-quizzing phase of the exam gives a sense of security, and they are significantly more tactical about when to speak. The paper discusses the areas of significant differences among males and females and the areas without such differences, and concludes that a group exam might be a more gender neutral type of exam for engineering students.