A Teaching Practice Review of the Use of Multiple-Choice Questions for Formative and Summative Assessment of Student Work on Advanced Undergraduate and Postgraduate Modules in Engineering

Abstract

This paper reflects on, reports on and evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on control engineering modules taken by advanced undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, over four academic years. The material covered by the modules is analytical in nature. The rationale for examining the assessment strategy was the poor performance by students in a closed book traditional terminal examination on one of the advanced undergraduate modules over some years. The change in assessment strategy has improved student learning, as measured by assessment data; student feedback on the assessment methods is broadly positive. The assessment approach has been extended with success to some postgraduate modules. Overall, an evidence based approach is taken in the reporting and analysis.