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Assessment Results of a Senior Design Capstone Course Abstract

In Review of Educational Research, published by the National Institute for Science Education of Madison, Wisconsin, Springer, Stanne & Donovan report on a meta- analysis conducted during 1998-1999. In their paper entitled Effects of small-group learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering and technology, they conclude that small-group learning promotes greater student achievement, increases retention in courses, and promotes favorable attitudes toward the course material. (Springer, Stanne, & Donovan, 1999). Sharan & Sharan also stress the importance of cooperative learning methods incorporated into the traditional classroom and recommends group investigation. (Sharan & Sharan, 1994). Many educators believe that in order to lead in a postmodern world, students need flexibility and problem-solving skills more than they need to master any particular body of information (Saxe, 1988; Senge, 1990; Sims, 1995). In this short paper the authors describe how the above principles have been successfully utilized to conduct the Senior Design Capstone Course. This is a very short paper and mainly focuses on the mechanics of assessment. The authors also provide results of assessment documentation and offer suggestions for continuous quality improvement.

Introduction

Traditional methods of instruction may not be very resourceful in service learning courses pertaining to engineering disciplines. Student learning styles are completely different and instructors have to accommodate new and different learning strategies (Schmeck, 1988). The instructor responsible for Senior Design Capstone course is charged with the responsibility of creating an active learning environment. The instructor may have to utilize some innovative modern technology to design develop and present interactive lecture demonstrations (Sokoloff & Thornton, 1997). Herein the instructors should utilize Silberman’s guide. He offers several suggestions in his famous book, Active learning: 101 strategies to teach any subject (Silberman, 1996). Tom Angelo and Patricia Cross have provided a number of exhaustive and detailed methods as to how classroom assessment can be effectively carried out (Angelo and Cross 1993). Anthony Grasha (1990) has compared traditional versus naturalistic approaches to the assessment of learning styles and comments about the benefits they offer. Grasha’s 1996 book, Teaching with Style, offers an innovative and user-friendly guide to enhancing teaching and learning processes. Further, it provides a unique and comprehensive approach to helping college faculty in all disciplines enhance the quality of their teaching.

New Paradigm

Clifford Young and Laura Young of California State University, San Bernardino argue that a new paradigm for assessment must be constructed to measure the success of new kinds of educational practices. Their research involved comparing students'

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Narayanan, M., & Earley, R. (2007, June), Assessment Results Of A Senior Design Capstone Course Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1691