Board 38: Identifying the Strengths and the Cracks of Mastery Based Assessment in Reinforced Concrete Design (Case Study)

Anthony Battistini

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Poster Session
Tagged Division: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)
Page Count: 13
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43070
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/43070
Download Count: 81

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Paper Authors

biography

Anthony Battistini Angelo State University

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Dr. Anthony Battistini is an Assistant Professor in the David L. Hirschfeld Department of Engineering at Angelo State University. His expertise is in structural design, with an emphasis in steel bridge structures and connections. “Dr. Batts”, as his students call him, aspires to provide students with a quality and enjoyable experience in the classroom. He is actively engaged in improving the quality of education across the country through his participation as an Assistant Mentor in the ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Workshop as well as making classrooms more equitable through his participation as a Facilitator for the ESCALA Certificate in College Teaching and Learning in HSIs and the ESCALA Culturally Responsive Teaching in STEM Mini-Course for HSIs. To get more ideas for demonstrations and how to introduce themes to your classes, Batts encourages you to check out his YouTube Channel (search Dr. Anthony Battistini) and his other ASEE conference papers.

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Abstract

There is often a disconnect between academia and the real world concerning the development of future engineers. Faculty and engineering supervisors alike, hope to prepare engineering graduates by teaching the fundamental mechanics and theorems that underly engineering analysis and how to apply them to create successful designs. Ultimately, in the real world where graduates spend their careers, a mentoring model is typically used in which an engineering supervisor will oversee, advise, and correct a new engineering hire to help him/her learn the profession. However, in academia, high-stakes, high-pressure, individual assessments are often the norm with little to no path to redemption, leading graduating students confused on exactly how engineers are formed.

With the formation of the engineer in mind, the instructor has implemented a mastery based approach in an undergraduate reinforced concrete design course. In the course, students must show aptitude in key course learning objectives, separated into three skill sets: Required Skills, Major Skills, and Minor Skills. To test students in the skills, the instructor adapted previous homework, in class assignments, and exam questions to meet the needs of the listed skill. For some skills, the students can submit more than once, whereas in others, the students might need to submit a new assignment problem. In all cases, students have the chance to be evaluated, receive correction, and then be evaluated again. This cycle builds trust between students and instructors and validates student learning, making it a culturally responsive approach to teaching.

In addition to allowing multiple attempts, the instructor requires students to submit neatly formatted engineering calculations (preferably organized in Excel spreadsheets) to be more representative of real world project calculation and documentation. It is the goal that students not only learn how to present engineering work but also that they might have a collection of spreadsheets to aid them as they begin their engineering design careers.

The following paper documents the instructor’s first and second attempts at using mastery based assessments in a reinforced concrete design course. Like the variability of concrete, the instructor identified some strengths of the new assessment and grading format for the course as well as failures or “cracks”. Qualitative and quantitative student survey data will be presented.

Citation
Format

Battistini, A. (2023, June), Board 38: Identifying the Strengths and the Cracks of Mastery Based Assessment in Reinforced Concrete Design (Case Study) Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43070

TY - CPAPER
AB - There is often a disconnect between academia and the real world concerning the development of future engineers. Faculty and engineering supervisors alike, hope to prepare engineering graduates by teaching the fundamental mechanics and theorems that underly engineering analysis and how to apply them to create successful designs. Ultimately, in the real world where graduates spend their careers, a mentoring model is typically used in which an engineering supervisor will oversee, advise, and correct a new engineering hire to help him/her learn the profession. However, in academia, high-stakes, high-pressure, individual assessments are often the norm with little to no path to redemption, leading graduating students confused on exactly how engineers are formed.

With the formation of the engineer in mind, the instructor has implemented a mastery based approach in an undergraduate reinforced concrete design course. In the course, students must show aptitude in key course learning objectives, separated into three skill sets: Required Skills, Major Skills, and Minor Skills. To test students in the skills, the instructor adapted previous homework, in class assignments, and exam questions to meet the needs of the listed skill. For some skills, the students can submit more than once, whereas in others, the students might need to submit a new assignment problem. In all cases, students have the chance to be evaluated, receive correction, and then be evaluated again. This cycle builds trust between students and instructors and validates student learning, making it a culturally responsive approach to teaching.

In addition to allowing multiple attempts, the instructor requires students to submit neatly formatted engineering calculations (preferably organized in Excel spreadsheets) to be more representative of real world project calculation and documentation. It is the goal that students not only learn how to present engineering work but also that they might have a collection of spreadsheets to aid them as they begin their engineering design careers.

The following paper documents the instructor’s first and second attempts at using mastery based assessments in a reinforced concrete design course. Like the variability of concrete, the instructor identified some strengths of the new assessment and grading format for the course as well as failures or “cracks”. Qualitative and quantitative student survey data will be presented.

AU - Anthony Battistini
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 38: Identifying the Strengths and the Cracks of Mastery Based Assessment in Reinforced Concrete Design (Case Study)
UR - https://peer.asee.org/43070
DO - 10.18260/1-2--43070
ER -