Addressing Assessment and Grading in Engineering Education: A Case Study of Policies and Practices

Assessment and grading of student work are of considerable interest inside and outside of academic institutions. It is therefore in the interest of all stakeholders that assessment and grading are valid, reliable and fair. However, longstanding investigations have demonstrated that variations and significant discrepancies do occur when assessors design and apply assessment rubrics and criteria without careful thought as to the consequences. This study demonstrates an instance of unintended consequences in grading judgments in a third-year engineering course in one Norwegian university. Overall achievement was measured by aggregate scores on a scale ranging from 1-100 with 40 as the minimum pass threshold. Based on this rule, the initial pass rate was 80. Unfortunately, the application of aggregate scores is intrinsically fully compensatory, hiding strengths as well as weaknesses. By requiring a minimum of 40 points in each of the two sub-sections of the course, the pass rate was halved. Raising the minimum score level from 40 to 50 in each of the two major sections of the course would reduce the pass rate from 40 to 13, which is alarming for the students and for the course. The need for change is evident in this course, and the study concludes with suggestions for improvements to validity and reliability.