Assessment

Unique Opportunities Provided By a Computer Mediated Environment

The simulation environment presented here provides some unique opportunities.  Students can submit their simulated labs for evaluation to the instructor who can run and grade them automatically (and if desired in batches) using a program language known as LabView.  This allows the instructor to provide feedback for large groups of students in very little time (even if the lab itself is quite complex).

Less time marking, allows the instructor to increase their time fielding questions and assisting those students in need (which can be easily identified using the proposed system).

Link to the whitepaper and required resources

Labs of this type are typically assessed based on mastery.  Once a student has successfully demonstrated that they can complete the assigned tasks, they move to the next phase where they learn new skills, or face problems of increased complexity. In the case where a student has failed to successfully demonstrate the skill, this strategy allows the student to repeat and resubmit the lab.

With the exception of the in-class/in-lab portion of the strategy, minimal resources are required by the school for students to perform “lab work”. As a result students can spend as much time as they desire, or their own personal time allows too build their skills. They are no longer limited by the time that the instructor or equipment is available.