Investigations and Outcomes

Subproject 1
Development of an instrument to assess outcomes of students project work

Outcomes of the students project work are most of the time a report, a verbal presentation and a piece of software or a mathematical model. Characteristics of the developed instrument were:

• A list of criteria
• An individual component and a group component
• Several judges
• Assessment on final study objectives with compensation for the actual study phase

Results of subproject 1

The quality of the instrument proved to be not high enough on aspects of efficiency and fairness. A simplified version, i.e. without the assessment on final objectives, was accepted by the faculty and implemented.

Subproject 2
The role of the project as progress test

Curriculum and project reports were analyzed, looking for

• Cumulative usefulness of skills and knowledge
• Actual cumulative use of skills and knowledge

Results of subproject 2

The cumulative usefulness proved to be satisfactory for skills - using programming languages, mathematical problem solving, writing reports, working in a group, etc. - , but not for knowledge. Actual use should be improved. Thus projects can function as a progress test for skills (in a formative way).

Subproject 3
Alternative items in preliminary examinations

Staff interviews were held to construct categories for ideal student behaviour. Six categories were constructed and with each category so-called progress items were constructed. Examples of items of each category were tried out in preliminary examinations.

Results of subproject 3

Two categories of progress items were accepted by the faculty:

• Lateral transfer: items which relate the actual subject to another subject taught at the same time (as part of the same theme)
• Longitudinal transfer: items which relate the actual subject to another subject from the curriculum taught before (as part of the same programme).