eAssessment in engineering mathematics: gaps in perceptions of students and academics

Brown, Kenneth Michael (2023) eAssessment in engineering mathematics: gaps in perceptions of students and academics. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research investigated the perceptions held by first-year undergraduate engineering students and academics regarding the assessment of mathematics in online environments. The study was motivated by hearing students’ voices, in a moment of serendipity, and realizing that academics do not always hear those voices when teaching in online environments. Currently, there is no literature providing an insight to engineering students’ perceptions of eAssessment in Irish institutes of technology.

The research considered students’ perceptions of self-efficacy, expectancy, motivation, and barriers to learning in parallel with those held by academics towards their students. The aim was to develop an understanding of students’ perceptions of eAssessment to help address the concerns of academics involved with online assessment of engineering mathematics. The population of interest in this study comprised first and second year undergraduate engineering students and academics from an Irish institute of technology as the principal group, and first year students from its higher education equivalent in six European countries. A convergent mixed methods design, where surveys and interview data were integrated, interpreted, and analysed, was employed. The convergent mixed methods design permitted flexibility in the data gathering stages to accommodate cultural and language differences within the academic and student populations. The findings of the research are presented under three themes: preparation for eAssessment and barriers to eAssessment; expectations, values, reward, and effort; motivational emotions and self-regulation. The three findings provide valuable insights and adds new knowledge to an understanding of the processes in eAssessment for engineering mathematics. Without listening to and hearing students’ voices, it is not possible for academics to gain an understanding of their students’ perceptions, emotions, and motivations. I therefore argue that higher education institutions take cognizance of the need for a meta-dialogue between students and academics to aid an understanding of the processes of eAssessment.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: Proudfoot, Dr. Kevin, Mio, Dr. Cristina and Cutts, Professor Quintin
• Date of Award: 2023
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2023-83875
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 13 Nov 2023 11:12
• Last Modified: 16 Nov 2023 09:38
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.83875
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/83875