Conference
27 November 2008
Goodenough College Bloomsbury, London
This conference presented examples and encouraged the sharing of good practice in assessing the achievement of learning outcomes in engineering. It provided delegates with the opportunity to critically and creatively engage with new ideas and research that should help them develop their own approaches to learning outcomes and programme design.
The introduction of the UK-SPEC and the accreditation of engineering degree programmes based on output standards has raised several issues, in particular how to identify evidence that learning outcomes are being met and at what level within HE engineering programmes. The aloe working group has established a programme of support activities for programme leaders and members of accreditation teams and this conference offers an opportunity to share the ongoing work in assessing learning outcomes both within the UK and internationally. The conference was of interest to:
- programme leaders and those with responsibility for curriculum design and development. This may include suprtvisors of projects and workplacements, learning and teaching staff and quality enhancement officers;
- thos involved in accreditation and quality assurance of higher education engineering programmes, including academics, professional body staff members and representatives from Industry;
- those developing policy and practice relevant to engineering education.
Resources from the Conference
- Making learning outcomes work for learning - Liz McDowell, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, AfL, Northumbria University
- Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Engineering - an International Perspective - Mona Dahms UCPBL, Aalborg University
- EASIMAP - John Dickens Associate Dean (Teaching) of Engineering, Loughborough University
- Team approaches to curriculum design and delivery - Anthony Rossiter and Linda Gray, Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield
- Assessment of Engineering UK-SPEC Transferable skills learning outcomes on BEng Engineering Distance Learning Degree - K L McGraw Centre for Open Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology (COLMSCT)
- Learning Outcomes - an Accreditation Perspective - Richard Wynne, Academic Standards Committee Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Assessment of Learning Outcomes Programme Leader Perspective - J L Horner, Loughborough University
- Promoting student learning: the use of portfolios in the assessment of learning outcomes - Lloyd Scott, School of Construction, FOBE
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10.00 – 10.30 | Registration and Coffee |
| 10.30 – 10.45 | Welcome and Introduction Richard Shearman |
| 10.45- 11.15 | Keynote: Making learning outcomes work for learning Liz McDowell, Assessment for Learning CETL Director, Northumbria University Specifying learning outcomes and accurately measuring student performance against them does not in itself promote good learning. However, learning outcomes can be made to work for learning. Some suggestions on how to do this will be drawn from the research and development programme of the CETL Assessment for Learning. |
| 11.15 - 12.30 | The Assessment of Learning Outcomes in Engineering perspectives An International perspective - Mona Dahms, Aalborg University Professional Institution perspective - Richard Wynne, IMechE A programme leader perspective |
| 12.30 – 13.00 | Panel session, Chair Professor Fred Maillardet, EPC |
| 13.00 – 14.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 – 15.00 | Parallel sessions with Case studies presentations and discussions |
| Assessment Chaired by Roger Penlington, AfL CETL, Northumbria University Assessment of Engineering UK-SPEC Transferable Skills Learning Outcomes on a BEng Engineering Distance Learning Degree – Keith McGraw, The Open University Promoting student learning: the use of portfolios in the assessment of learning outcomes – Lloyd Scott, Dublin Institute of Technology | Curriculum Design and delivery Chaired by Ivan Moore, CPLA, Sheffield Hallam University Team approaches to curriculum design and delivery – Anthony Rossiter, University of Sheffield Mapping and assessing learning outcomes online: EASIMAP – John Dickens, the Engineering Subject Centre |
| 15.00 – 15.15 | Afternoon tea |
| 15.15 – 15.45 | Plenary Session, chaired by Professor John Dickens Summary from parallel sessions and overview of the day. |
