Student-designed Assessments in Electrical and Computer Engineering: From Student Perceptions to Their Mastery of Materials

Abstract The remote model of instruction, after the pandemic, highlighted the need for creative and versatile assessment methods in engineering education. Developing authentic methods of assessment with the potential to reinforce mastery of the materials through channels other than learning by preparing for the tests was of particular interest. One such method that we selected was student-designed exams. Developing well-designed engineering problems requires a mastery of the material, so we put students in charge of designing their exam problems to help them achieve a higher learning level. Students also participated in follow-up one-on-one meetings with an instructional team member, after each assessment, to receive feedback and answer questions related to their designed exam problems. Using the student-designed exams as an assessment method could offer other benefits, such as reducing academic integrity violations, since each student designs a unique test and submits the solutions to their designed questions. This assessment method was also helpful in reducing the anxiety associated with high-stakes tests. In this paper, we explain the implementation of the student-designed exams in an Electrical and Computer Engineering course in a large public research university. We also discuss the format of the follow-up meetings, the grading scheme, students' perceptions of this assessment method, and the instructor's findings regarding the effectiveness of this intervention. In the feedback surveys, students mentioned that designing exam questions pushed them to pay more attention and master the concepts. They also reported that the follow-up meetings were beneficial in clarifying the confusing points and correcting their mistakes.