What are effective ways to design challenging and engaging structural engineering assessments?

1 Align with learning outcomes

The first step in designing any assessment is to align it with the intended learning outcomes of the course or module. Learning outcomes are statements that describe what the students should be able to do, know, or demonstrate after completing the course or module. For structural engineering, the learning outcomes may include applying structural analysis methods, designing structural elements, evaluating structural performance, or communicating structural solutions. The assessment should measure the extent to which the students have achieved these outcomes, and provide feedback to help them improve.

2 Vary the assessment types

The second step is to vary the types of assessments that you use to measure the learning outcomes. Different types of assessments can elicit different types of evidence of learning, and can also appeal to different learning styles and preferences. For example, you can use quizzes, tests, or exams to assess the students' knowledge and understanding of structural engineering concepts and principles. You can use assignments, projects, or portfolios to assess the students' ability to apply structural engineering methods, tools, and standards to design, analyze, or evaluate structures. You can use presentations, reports, or essays to assess the students' ability to communicate structural engineering solutions, arguments, or critiques.

3 Incorporate real-world scenarios

The third step is to incorporate real-world scenarios into your assessments, to make them more relevant, authentic, and engaging for the students. Real-world scenarios are situations or problems that reflect the actual context and challenges of structural engineering practice. They can help the students to connect the theory to the practice, and to develop the skills and competencies that they will need in their future careers. For example, you can use case studies, simulations, or games to present the students with realistic structural engineering scenarios that require them to apply their knowledge, skills, and judgment to solve them. You can also use real-world data, materials, or structures to enhance the realism and complexity of the scenarios.

4 Encourage collaboration and feedback

The fourth step is to encourage collaboration and feedback among the students and between the students and the instructor, to enhance the learning experience and the quality of the assessments. Collaboration and feedback can foster a sense of community, support, and engagement among the students, and can also provide opportunities for peer learning, reflection, and improvement. For example, you can use group work, peer review, or peer assessment to facilitate collaboration and feedback among the students. You can also use online platforms, tools, or forums to enable the students and the instructor to communicate, share, and discuss the assessments.

5 Adapt to the online environment

The fifth step is to adapt your assessments to the online environment, to ensure that they are feasible, fair, and effective for the students. The online environment poses some challenges and opportunities for designing and delivering structural engineering assessments, such as access to resources, academic integrity, feedback mechanisms, and student engagement. For example, you can use online platforms, tools, or software to create, administer, or grade the assessments, such as Moodle, Canvas, Turnitin, MATLAB, or AutoCAD. You can also use online strategies, policies, or guidelines to ensure the academic integrity, accessibility, and quality of the assessments, such as proctoring, plagiarism detection, rubrics, or feedback forms.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?