STUDENT RESPONSES TO ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO DEVELOP GENERIC PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

This paper reports on student responses to a range of assessment activities in a final-year engineering unit. Existing assessment activities were supplemented with new activities, the overall aim being to link the assessment activities more effectively to the material being studied, and to develop a range of generic skills important in professional engineering practice. A class survey was undertaken at the beginning of the semester to establish the initial attitudes to the new assessment activities. This was followed up with an end-of-semester survey to determine the change in perceived value of the assessment activities and to collect student feedback regarding the activities. The perceived value of the assessment activities was determined using a Likert rating scale, while student feedback was collected using open-ended questions. The assessment activities evaluated were group work, case study investigation, report writing, oral presentation, group self-assessment, industrial interviews, and written reflective journals. The responses indicate that engineering students value a range of assessment activities. They value highly visits to real engineering organizations, and contrary to popular belief, value and enjoy oral presentation exercises.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/10523928
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Palmer, S R
• Publication Date: 2000-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 180-185
• Serial:
  • Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
  • Volume: 126
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 1052-3928
  • EISSN: 1943-5541
  • Serial URL: http://ascelibrary.org/journal/jpepe3

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; College students; Curricula; Education; Engineering; Evaluation and assessment; Groups; Interviewing; Knowledge; Professional personnel; Reports; Self evaluation; Surveys
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00800653
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 21 2000 12:00AM