Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Session 2468

Outcomes Assessment Inside the Classroom: Performance Oriented Teaching

David S. Cottrell, P.E., Ph. D. United States Army Corps of Engineers

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology employed in an introductory mechanics of materials course to quantify individual student mastery of learning objectives, to initiate additional instruction as required, and to revalidate improved skills. This paper examines the first of four major blocks of instruction in an introductory mechanics of materials course as a vehicle to demonstrate the tenets of performance oriented education.

Introduction

In recent years, much has been written about the requirement to perform outcomes assessments to evaluate the strengths of an ABET accredited program. This article examines the application of the principal of outcomes assessment during a course to ascertain the level of student learning in terms of course learning objectives. Further, it describes the use of interactive teaching techniques that create deliberate opportunities to correct diagnosed deficiencies in learning and to rapidly realign the student back within course expectations.

This paper initially discusses the methodology employed to quantify the level of individual student mastery of specific learning objectives during the course, to initiate additional instruction as required, and to revalidate improved skills. Success in this effort is based primarily on a well developed set of learning objectives that contain precisely defined, measurable, objective criteria for assessment. In a course that builds cumulatively on previous material covered in the classroom, student performance on a particular block of instruction often indicates the student’s degree of preparation for the next block of instruction; consequently, poor performance may warrant additional exposure to the material. Assessments during the course at the conclusion of each block of instruction provided the primary vehicle for evaluating student skills. The paper presents some specific examples of objectives that were linked to graded exercises and exams. Final course assessments were performed through both objective and subjective means with Term End Exam problems providing final objective assessments on critical learning objectives and student questionnaires yielding the medium for student self-assessment.

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Cottrell, D. S. (2000, June), Outcomes Assessment Inside The Classroom: Performance Oriented Teaching Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8612