Formative and Summative Assessment in Agricultural Engineering and Technology Courses
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Since 1905, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE), has been a leader in providing engineering solutions to agricultural problems in the United States and the world. The department’s original mission was to mechanize agriculture. That mission has evolved to encompass a global view of the entire food production system–the wise management of natural resources in the production, processing, storage, handling, and use of food fiber and other biological products.
History
In 1905 Agricultural Engineering was recognized as a subdivision of the Department of Agronomy, and in 1907 it was recognized as a unique department. It was renamed the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in 1990. The department merged with the Department of Industrial Education and Technology in 2004.
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1905–present
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- Department of Agricultural Engineering (1907–1990)
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- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (parent college)
- College of Engineering (parent college)
- Department of Industrial Education and Technology, (merged, 2004)
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Abstract
Engineering education is undergoing a transformation with a shift in focus to student outcomes. While many efforts to assess student outcomes have been at the curriculum level, assessment must also be done at the course level since this is where much learning and instruction takes place. Multiple summative and formative assessments were employed in a two-year study of student perceptions of their learning and the instructional methods in two related agricultural engineering and agricultural technology courses at Iowa State University. The goal of these efforts was to better understand how students learn so that instructional methods can be changed to better promote learning. Formative assessment tools included a weekly e-mail feedback journal and a midterm electronic survey using WebCT. Summative assessment tools included focus groups and end-of-term student evaluations of instruction (SEI). Based on the e-mail journals and the midterm survey, several adjustments were made to the courses during the course terms; such as bringing more real-world examples into the classroom, providing more example problems in the class, and providing review based on students’ electronic questions. The focus groups and SEI were used to better understand the effectiveness of these formative assessment tools and the relationship between student learning and instruction.