Problems of assessing learning using simulations and games
International Technology, Education and Development Conference (INTED 2009), March 9-11, 2009, Valencia, Spain, (2009)Abstract
Education of civil engineers, in common with other higher education, is being aimed more
directly at achievement of learning outcomes and these learning outcomes are being
specified by bodies outside the individual higher education establishment. The difficulty that
faces providers of engineering education is how to provide all these to a graduate and how to
assess that the graduate has achieved the specified learning outcomes.
The use of simulation and games is becoming increasingly popular for certain aspects of
engineering education but the assessment of students in the interactive learning
environments used by these teaching and learning methods compounds rather than simplifies
the matter of assessment.
This paper examines some experience of the authors in both the use of simulation and
Games for teaching and learning of construction management related knowledge and skills.
It also discusses their experience in the use of various assessment methods in courses using
these types of teaching and learning methods.
It will discusses experience of using simulation and games as a coursework element in
themselves and whether one should assess actual game performance and relate this to
learning outcomes required of engineers.