Alternative assessments in civil and environmental engineering

• Main Author: Lundberg, Angela
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: Luleå tekniska universitet, Geovetenskap och miljöteknik 2003
• Subjects: Assessment; learning strategies; peer assessment; Geochemistry; Geokemi; Luleå
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-34722

Examination greatly influences course structure and student study strategies. Three courses for students in the Civil and Environmental Engineering programs at Luleå University of Technology were reconstructed with the aims of making the assessment part of the learning process and to facilitate deep learning. Several different types of assessment were tested. Assessment in the form of a large project and field- and laboratory work was shown to be successful when applied to a course in snow engineering for university students with various backgrounds. A course in hydrology and hydraulics was reconstructed with the aim of assessing increasing levels of understanding. A simple written test was designed to assess lower levels of understanding (definitions, concepts etc.). Laboratory work, fieldwork and extensive assignments (calculation tasks) were intended to assess medium levels of understanding (apply, use and combine algorithms etc). A final oral group exam that was used to assess high levels of understanding (compare/contrast, explain causes, analyse, relate) concluded the course. A course in International Sanitary Engineering was assessed with cross-group presentations and literature seminars. Teaching and assessing features known to encourage deep learning approaches were adopted. Different types of peer assessment were tested with varying degree of success. For all three courses both the students and the teachers reported increased learning with these course structures and assessment strategies than from courses with a final written exams. Godkänd; 2003; 20071213 (mivu)