Oral Examinations in Environmental Engineering Design Courses

The role of oral examinations to assess student learning was explored in a senior-level design course in environmental engineering over a fifteen-year period (N = 397 students). In the oral exams, students played the role of a consulting engineer interacting with stakeholders. The mixed-method study involved quantitative and qualitative methods. Students overwhelming reported that the oral examinations will help them in (1) achieving their professional goals, and (2) meeting higher-level learning outcomes. The perceived fairness of the administration and grading of written and oral examinations was about equal. Oral examination scores were poorly correlated with the order in which the examination was taken, suggesting that cheating was not important. Practical aspects of administering oral examinations will be discussed. Based on the data collected in this study, oral examinations are an efficient way to assess higher learning levels in environmental engineering design courses.