2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work in Progress: Specifications Grading in a System Modeling Course

Presented at Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 7: Student Evaluation and Grading

This paper describes a specifications grading system as applied to a system modeling course composed of mechanical and electrical engineering students. This application was inspired by the use of a specifications grading system in a fluid mechanics course that was presented at the 2022 ASEE conference. The system modeling course adopts some of the same components used by the authors of the original work taking their experiences into account. Specifically, it adopts the mastery grading philosophy of setting high standards that all students must reach to demonstrate minimum competence on exams to pass the course. There is support structure in place, and an incentive system with multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate minimum competency through exam retakes. It also includes modifications and additional learning opportunities for students to earn higher course grades. The paper compares the experiences of the students in this course to those of the original paper. It will also include student and instructor assessment along with suggestions for continued improvement.

Authors

Dr. Scott F. Kiefer York College of Pennsylvania [biography]

Scott Kiefer has spent the past twenty-one years teaching mechanical engineering at four different colleges. He started at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez in the traditional role of teaching and administering a modest graduate research program. At Trine University, a small private school in Angola, Indiana, he focused on undergraduate education while teaching ten different courses ranging from introductory freshman courses to senior capstone. Scott also served as an advisor to many different undergraduate research projects. He then moved on to Michigan State University and took a position as a teaching specialist concentrating on undergraduate classroom instruction. Scott finally settled at York College of Pennsylvania. He has been at York College for over ten years and feels as if he has found a place where the focus on teaching and students aligns well with his background and interests.
Dr. Ashley J Earle York College of Pennsylvania [biography]

Ashley is an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical and Civil Engineering department at York College of Pennsylvania. She received her B.S in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and B.A. in International Studies from Lafayette College. She then pursued h

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