Assessing for understanding in engineering education: a Swedish case study

This paper is based on a recent survey of teachers and doctoral students with teaching responsibilities at Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden. The aim of the survey was twofold: to engage participants in a reflective process concerning the nature and purpose of assessment in their subject area and to focus on the broader issue of assessing for understanding in engineering subjects. The survey made use of Flannagan's critical incident technique. Focus groups were asked to write down specific instances of good and bad assessment. These incidents formed the starting point for small group discussions in which participants analysed patterns of assessment and some of the assumptions underlying them. The survey found that one of the more common forms of assessment was a closed book examination at the end of a course. A major conclusion of the plenary discussion that followed the small group work was that variation in the type and timing of assessment helps to promote greater understanding of key concepts in engineering subjects. Analysis of the literature in conjunction with the data collected during the survey indicated the importance of using assessment as a means of understanding students and their improvement in learning.