2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Reflections on the Implementation of Short, Authentic Oral Assessments in a University Manufacturing Course

Presented at Manufacturing Division (MFG) Technical Session 7

Most technical engineering assessments are high stakes written exams where success as a student depends on finding correct, numerical answers to well-defined, single-solution problems. These problems are distinct from the ill-defined, open-ended problems of engineering work. To solve “real-world” engineering problems, students must develop the practices of engineers: the ability to interpret data, identify and conceptualize complex engineering problems, apply engineering judgment, and communicate with the broader engineering community. These practices align with current ABET accreditation requirements, but are not developed through traditional assessment. This practitioner paper focuses on the experiences of course instructors as they worked with an engineering education researcher to implement short, oral, authentic exams in a medium-sized (~65 students) undergraduate manufacturing course. These oral exams replicated engineering practice by initiating manufacturing design and data interpretation conversations between students and instructors that required application of course concepts and engineering judgment. Both successes and opportunities for improvement are documented. Reflections on question choice, creating positive student-instructor interaction, student buy-in, grading, and personal time management are designed to help curious educators determine if this type of assessment is right for their courses.

Authors

Sandra Walter Huffman Massachusetts Institute of Technology [biography]

Sandra is a fourth-year Interdisciplinary PhD Candidate at MIT (expected Graduation May 2025). She studies Engineering Education, specifically the development of undergraduate engineering students' modeling practices, and is based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Kaitlyn Becker http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2650-295X Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. John Liu http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6085-0926 Massachusetts Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. John Liu is the Director and Principal Investigator of the MIT Learning Engineering and Practice (LEAP) Group, which investigates the intersection of learning technologies, STEM workforce and education, and digital learning and MOOCs. He is a Lecturer in MIT's Mechanical Engineering department and a Scientist in the MIT Digital Learning Lab. He leads education and workforce development efforts for MIT's new initiative: Manufacturing@MIT. He was the Director of the Principles of Manufacturing MicroMasters program, an online certificate program that has now enrolled over 200,000 learners across the globe. He has received several Best Paper Awards from ASEE and IEEE DEMOCon. He has co-authored dozens of publications and currently serves as an executive guest editor for Manufacturing Letters. His research is supported by the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Schmidt Futures, National Science Foundation, MIT, and industry partners.
Prof. Warren P. Seering Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rebecca E Zubajlo Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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