The Case For Ongoing Student Course Assessment

Abstract

Most colleges in the United States use end-of-term course assessment as the main feedback mechanism from students. By using this method of summative assessment, students are able to rate the course, the performance of the instructor, and what they have learned in the course, among other things. One drawback of the end-of-term feedback is that the current students are not able to benefit from any improvements in the course that may result from their feedback. To overcome this drawback, the author explores in this paper the use of ongoing assessment of student understanding of course topics throughout the quarter using module surveys. In this paper, the author presents the advantages of the ongoing assessment technique, the survey data from online and on-campus sections of the author's structural analysis course, and feedback from students regarding the effectiveness of the module surveys. This continuous improvement process has been successfully adopted in the author's structural analysis, structural steel design and reinforced concrete design courses. The analysis of the data obtained from administering this survey to students in the structural analysis course is presented. Based on the survey data and the students' feedback, it can be concluded that ongoing formative assessment methods enhance student learning and should be adopted in Engineering Technology (ET) courses as one way of satisfying the "closed loop" continuous improvement process now required by the accrediting agencies.

Keeping In Touch With Your Class: Short Class Evaluations

“…12,13 Determining the learning styles of the student in any particular class can help the instructor know how to present the material that will be most easily understood by the class. 14,15 Aghayere 16,17,18 uses a technique for the continuous assessment of student learning that involves measuring students' perception of learning of course topics. The results of the data that he has collected in classes using his technique showed an increase in student learning and, at the same time, forced the students to reflect on and take charge of their own learning.…”