Incorporation of continuous student assessment into lectures in engineering education

Abstract

A continuous student assessment system was incorporated into an advanced microelectronic course. This study investigated the relationship between the continuous assessment system based on home exams and individual student achievement. The perspective was based on the learning frameworks of the social constructivist theory. Six fourth-year engineering students participated in the study, which covered 13 lectures and 5 home exams. Feedback sessions concerning the particular exam were held after every exam. Correlations between the exams, the feedback, and individual student achievement were computed. The results indicated a positive correlation between continuous assessment and student achievement. Rather than being improved a lot, student achievement stabilised statistically at a higher level. Additionally, student's absence was very low (5%) despite the voluntary participation in the course. Continuous assessment realised with home exams induced two-way discussions between the teacher and the students. Unprompted, the students learned additional material and discussed it in the exam essays, confirming the principles of social constructivist theory.