Improving students’ engagement and performance through new e-learning tools in laboratory subjects in mechanical engineering

In this paper we present the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a new assessment methodology for thesubjectLaboratory of Elasticity and Strength of Materialsof the degree in Mechanical Engineering in order to improvelearning outcomes while simultaneously engaging students in their learning process. This set of different assessmentmethods is based on e-learning tools in combination with traditional face-to-face practical training, and carefully balancesformative assessments(to improve instruction and student learning) andsummative assessments(to evaluate individualacademic achievement) within a well-designed time-distributed program. The results of an anonymous student satisfactionsurvey show that these improvements have been very well received. 73% of the students polled are very satisfied with thequality and usefulness of the method and 86% of the students think that the assessment feedback is sufficiently detailed toenable them to identify their own particular weaknesses. Regarding the fairness of the grading process, more than 60% ofthe students polled considered two of the four assessment methods to be extremely fair. The results from academic outputsshow a significant improvement after this methodology is applied. Comparing the grades obtained in the last five academicyears we can conclude that the dropout rate has been reduced from 41% in 2011/12 to 18% in 2015/16 as has the number offailed students (from 20% to 11%). Regarding the number of students achieving good grades (above 7/10), it has increasednoticeably from 3% in 2011/12 to 26% in 2015/16. Correlating the students’ final grades with the individual grade of each e-tool, we can conclude that self-assessment tasks before laboratory sessions are a great assistance in understanding what weconsider essential for the successful completion of each session and self-assessment tasks after laboratory sessions are agood guidance for students to know which their level of knowledge before the exams is. It also confirms that students withhigher marks on self-assessment tasks are also the ones with higher marks on the exams, which indicates that self-assessment tasks are useful to prepare the partial test exam as well as the final oral exam. We can conclude that thiscomprehensive assessment program contributes to improving academic outcomes, ensuring that students acquire theadaptive and autonomous learning characteristics necessary for enhanced engagement with the learning process and asubsequent successful performance.