Assessment of Student Learning Experience in Two Exemplary Engineering Projects

In this paper, we examine and quantify similarities of two engineering projects each of which is either 1) an undergraduate research project primarily integrating off-the-shelf devices and referred to as the “system integration and configuration project” or 2) a project primarily involving bottomup implementation using discrete electronic components and ICs while conceived in a top-down design and referred to as the “design and implementation project.” For the quantification of similarities and characteristics of project activities, we apply the Cohen’s kappa to survey data obtained from a group of students who have been on both types of projects. Our analysis indicates that the quantification technique using the Cohen’s kappa could be a useful tool to evaluate similarities of two engineering projects in addressing student learning outcomes.