Using An Assessment Test To Identify Important Aspects Of Education

Quite often, in addition to teaching technical skills, we must teach some abstract and intangible skills. In the field of geological engineering, one of these skills is the ability to use geologic information to design optimal subsurface investigations of sites for foundations, chemical contamination, or geologic hazards. In order to teach this skill, a computer simulation program was developed, so that students could complete realistic investigation exercises in real time. In conjuction with the program, an assessment test has been used to track students’ site investigation skills by comparing trends in test scores. A number of practicing professionals also completed the assessment test, and an analysis of the results of their tests, and the accompanying background questions, has been used to identify important educational and experience components that contribute to site investigation skills. Consequently, it is our conclusion that similarly designed assessment tests can be used in any field to identify and verify the value of specific classes or other educational experiences towards development of intangible skills.