2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Objective: This work-in-progress practice paper describes the assessment of learning via a leadership practice project and supports LEAD’s strategic initiatives “Design” and “Assess.” The engineering leadership course at a large midwestern public university features a mix of theory and practical application. The course is designed to teach skills students can use immediately, as well as concepts they may need later in their careers. Learning is assessed through written reflections, a “managing oneself” paper, and a leadership practice project.

Motivation: This course has no exams, so the project serves as the midterm and final assessments. For many years, the project was typical of many in the university curriculum: Students were placed into groups, assigned two topics, and asked to present those topics to the class. While this structure did allow students to explore the topics in depth, it did not provide an effective way to assess learning of the course material as a whole. It also provided no mechanism for assessing individual learning or leadership development.

The Leadership Practice Project assignment was designed to help students apply their learning in real time. Rather than adding an entirely new project, we ask each student to identify a team-based project on which they are already participating and that requires application of their leadership skills. Typical examples include design competitions, capstone projects, and service activities through campus organizations. In an effort to accommodate students with family and professional demands, we also accept nontraditional projects, such as coaching a child’s soccer team. Students must actively participate on the project during the current semester, and their involvement must span a minimum of eight weeks.

The project consists of four key assignments: a proposal, a midterm report, a final presentation, and a final report. Each student writes individual reports. For the midterm and final submissions, students assess the project’s progress and/or outcomes and describe how they have applied skills and concepts learned through the course. Students are free to discuss any material, technique, or concept covered in the course material. For the midterm report, students also discuss the application of their strengths to the project and identify necessary personal and team-level improvements. On the final report, students also discuss their growth as a leader through execution of the project.

Methodology: Between 120–180 reports have been submitted annually since 2017. A subset of these reports representing a cross-section of course participants will be thematically coded and analyzed using both structured and inductive coding procedures. In particular, we are interested in the topics chosen for discussion, how students applied the concepts, indicators of understanding, and the leadership skills and identity development trajectories described.

Theoretical Frameworks: Leadership identity development theory (Komives et al., 2005, 2006), the Team Leadership Framework (Burke et al., 2006), and Functional Leadership (Fleishman et al., 1991) will inform the analysis.

Results: Some results will be ready in time for the draft paper submission deadline. Additional results will be included in the final paper.