Using Concept Maps for Assessment and Improvement of a Multi-Section Introduction to Engineering Course

The authors, professors in civil engineering, teach multiple sections of a required introduction to engineering course at Lafayette College. The course has general student learning outcomes that apply to multiple areas of engineering (e.g., civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, etc.) and were developed by consensus of the engineering departments at the institution. In addition to these general student learning outcomes, more specific student learning outcomes are incorporated into individual sections of the course. These outcomes are developed by the individual faculty member teaching the section and may be related to his/her disciplinary expertise. The courses that serve as the foundation for the work presented in this paper have student learning outcomes associated with civil engineering. Because of the general nature of most introduction to engineering courses, comparison of assessment outcomes across different course sections can be difficult, and that difficulty can hinder productive discussions across disciplines and the development of recommendations for course improvements. We have used a simple concept map assignment, given on the first and last day of each course, to evaluate student learning outcomes and as a basis for analysis of multiple sections of the course within civil engineering and the development of recommendations for course improvements in that area. The work presented in this paper is anticipated to serve as the foundation for a future project assessing sections of the course across multiple engineering areas.