A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

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Teaching in the disciplines
underpinning engineering science in the early part of a traditionally structured degree
programme. In areas where the learning outcomes are more focused on the application
of knowledge and skills development, coursework assignments and project work are
more appropriate. Care is needed when setting coursework assignments as the easy
access to electronic information has led to an increase in plagiarism. All engineering
will contain elements of group work, particularly in design projects, and it is important
that the assessment can differentiate between the students within the group either by
incorporating individual elements of work or by using peer assessment.
An underlying principle governing the selection of assignments is that the assessment
should align with the teaching methods and learning outcomes for the module. This is
known as constructive alignment (Biggs, 1999; Engineering Subject Centre, 2007d).
Assignments should have clear marking criteria which should be communicated to
students and they should enable students to show that they have achieved the outcomes
for that element of learning (Moore and Williamson, 2005). It is also important that
students receive feedback on submitted work that tells them where they could have
improved the submission and why they have received the mark or grade awarded. While
it is important that assignments align to the learning outcomes, it is also important that
students are not over-assessed. The type and quantity of assessments needs careful
planning at both module and programme level to ensure that they are sufficient but not
excessive.
Interrogating practice
• Do the methods of assessment that you use align with the teaching
methods for your module?
• Do your assessed assignments align with and deliver the learning
outcomes for your module?
• Are you aware of how your module fits into the bigger picture of the
overall programme assessment strategy?
WHERE TO FIND MORE SUPPORT
Many academics find that the most useful support comes from within their own discipline
area. There are 24 subject centres within the subject network of the Higher Education
Academy and the following are particularly relevant for engineers:
• Engineering Subject Centre, www.engsc.ac.uk
• UK Centre for Materials Education, www.materials.ac.uk
• Centre for Education in the Built Environment, www.cebe.heacademy.ac.uk