Sequential assessment of engineering design projects at university level

Seven years of industrial experience followed by 30 years of academic research and teaching in structural engineering have led the author to believe that the prime objective of a university design course is not the design project itself but to train students to solve problems, as this will last them throughout their careers. It is shown how design projects can be formulated for the purpose of encouraging students to develop their problem-solving abilities. More importantly, a sequential assessment technique has been developed to quantify the students’ ability to both think and learn as well as the students’ grasp of the fundamental principles, all of which are required in problem-solving.     

Getting assessment right at the classroom level: using formative assessment for decision making

Current high-stakes accountability mandates emphasize data use for school improvement. However, teachers often lack training for effective data use, and data is often too far removed from students to actually influence instructional practice. This qualitative case study was designed to gain a better understanding of a district-wide, teacher-centered approach to data use. Findings suggest that when data is used to “inform” instruction rather than “evaluate” instruction, teachers begin to practice reflective teaching. A common language emerged across grade levels facilitating a collaborative approach to data use. Using the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory, we propose a data informed instructional theoretical model that stakeholders in K-12 education systems can use to enhance instruction and learning at the classroom level. This teacher-centered model is of particular importance as a framework to build collective capacity by meeting psychological needs of teachers of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.     

Teaching French Literature at a distance at university level

How does one teach literary analysis and sensitivity at a distance? Examples of the approach of the French National Centre for Distance Education are given for the French Literature examinations at the two‐year degree level (Diplôme d'Etudes Universitaires Generates).     

Inclusive work at a European level: a case study

In this article, Paul Stephenson and Glynis Rumley describe the way in which educators in Kent have developed strong links with their colleagues and neighbours from Nord Pas de Calais in France. From a variety of projects undertaken, some of which were assisted by funding from European sources, children of all abilities and needs have been able to work and learn together. The PILOTE programme, developed in Kent by the local education authority's Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) team, has been used to overcome language barriers and, by making learning fun, has enabled both adults and children alike to communicate with each other during the project work which has been undertaken. From a strong emphasis upon enjoyment and within a natural context for learning, teachers with little previous foreign language experience have been empowered to enhance their children's language skills. The approaches used have been relevant both to children in the mainstream situation as well as those in specialist provisions. The ‘Above and Beyond Barriers’ projects have enabled children to find out more about their European counterparts and communicate with them in a meaningful and enjoyable way.     

大学生质量考核问题

学生质量考核,不仅是对学生的行为进行鉴定,而且是在为学生提供在校的行为规则。目前通行的考核系统,不能准确地反映学生的专业水平和综合素质,不能为社会提供可靠的用人依据,必须对它加以完善。     

What does a multinational company expect of its engineers

I would like to start by thanking the organisers of the congress for giving me the opportunity of addressing you, the representatives of the scientific and technical schools and universities in Europe. I value this oppurtunity and I hope that the words I have to say will be of some value and interest.     

A case study of assessment of graduate learning outcomes at the programme,course and task level

A shift in emphasis from educational inputs to academic outcomes as the basis for judgements of educational quality in many parts of the world has intensified efforts to develop assessment practices that provide convincing evidence that students have achieved or made progress towards the graduate learning outcomes specified for a programme of study. Examples of sound and feasible practice are still relatively rare in this area, so when assessment practices observed during the initial stages of an evaluation of a curriculum innovation in an archaeology programme conveyed an impression of unusually high quality, the original evaluation plan was expanded in order to allow further investigation. The resulting case study describes the features that contributed to assessment quality at the programme, course and task level. As the general principles and guidelines for effective practice are comprehensively addressed in current assessment literature, this case has a particular focus on the ‘technical’ such as task analysis and task relationship patterns. Though contextualised in the archaeology discipline, the study seeks to illuminate aspects of practice in terms that enable academics outside this field to identify implications for practice in their own disciplinary or institutional contexts.     

Cooperative learning in a Soil Mechanics course at undergraduate level

The implementation of the Bologna Process enforced a significant change on traditional learning models, which were focused mainly on the transmission of knowledge. The results obtained in a first attempt at implementation of a cooperative learning model in the Soil Mechanics I course of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, are presented and discussed. The students were confronted with situations recreating a professional atmosphere in Geotechnics. Mandatory project team assignments to be prepared in groups were implemented, where each student had to fulfil specific and rotational roles, namely, laboratory/informatics technician, analyst, reporter and coordinator. To assess the implemented model, several strategies were used: students’ feedback; marks monitoring; questionnaires.     

Teaching at Master's level: between a rock and a hard place

The considerable focus on capturing the ‘student experience’ has not been matched by investigations into the views and experiences of those teaching and managing programmes. This study aims to contribute to redressing the balance. An online survey of staff responsible for Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes in the UK elicited 382 responses from staff in 60 different institutions. Findings relating to perceptions of challenges their students face, students’ preparedness for Master's level study and the influence of institutional culture are reported. PGT students were seen as dealing with complexity and juggling multiple demands. A gap between PGT students’ readiness for study at this level, the QAA's vision of Master's study, and institutional assumptions about student support required was identified. For this gap to be closed, we suggest a review of institutional practices is required.