2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Teaching methods are constantly changing as the field learns more about effective practices supported by the science of learning. The available learning tools and other factors such as the learners themselves can shift within institutions making exploration of new methods important as faculty work to address the needs of their students. There is a lot of literature that supports that faculty must evaluate how they are teaching to see if it is effective, that is why this study focuses on investigating the intervention of a different type of assessment into the University of Maine mechanics of materials course. This alternative assignment is called the knowledge check. This assignment is a structured prompt or series of prompts relevant to the topic being examined in the course which learners respond to in the form of a video submission. This video has the learner speak over a slide(s) which combined with their oral explanation answer the provided prompt(s).

The methodological approach to an assignment also incorporates techniques shown in the science of learning to be effective which are difficult to leverage in a traditional written assignment in an engineering course such as:

• Student self-elaboration and self-explanation of examples
• Retrieval of knowledge (sometimes referred to as reflection) which can be leveraged to access the forward testing effect and has been shown to improve student learning even with limited classroom time
• Multilateral scaffolding through development of multimodal skills such as oral presentation which are essential in all future careers students must be prepared for when they graduate college
• Presentations to enhance student learning

The knowledge check assignment as a method of assessment incorporates both examination of the direct topic of the unit being covered as well as development of essential soft skills which are essential in all professionals. It also leverages a method of soft skills development relevant to the modern landscape of technical communication, the video conference, by providing a scaffolded landscape for students to practice presenting slides digitally in the form of a video also removing the anxiety and pressure of in-person presentations making this an accessible option for lower-level collegiate students. It also represents a low barrier to entry change for faculty to implement which is of value as it allows for inclusion without a complete course redesign.

The potential effectiveness of this alternative assignment is being studied in two Fall 2025 sections of the university of Maine solid mechanics (mechanics of materials) course. One section is being assessed using the traditional methods used to date by the instructor while the other section is taught in the same way by the same instructor but is being assessed using a combination of traditional assignments and knowledge check assignments. The effectiveness of the intervention of the knowledge check assignment is being examined using surveys throughout the semester and grades on individual assignments and the course overall. The results of this study as well as lessons learned will be presented and discussed.