Developing university pedagogy in engineering higher education

The pedagogical training in engineering education aims to strengthen the participants’ pedagogical expertise through self-reflection and collegial collaboration. In spring of 2019, a course titled ‘Planning and assessment for learning in engineering higher education (5cr)’ was offered for the first time to all staff members across the new Tampere University and is going to be repeated later the same year at LUT University (Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT). This study investigates engineering higher education teachers’ approaches to teaching and in particular to assessment. A mixed-method approach was used to examine these approaches in engineering education. First, an electronic survey was distributed to gather information from teaching staff members in the fields of engineering education at the Tampere University and LUT University. Altogether 56 members of teaching staff (N=56, 31 females and 25 males) answered the survey. The survey data were analyzed by using frequentist descriptive statistical methods (comparing means and standard deviations). Furthermore, a descriptive analysis was performed with a semi-structured self-evalutation questionnaire for the participants (N=12) at the end of their pedagogical training course ‘Planning and assessment of student learning in engineering higher education’. Findings of this study suggest that Finnish engineering higher education teachers prefer student-focused approach in teaching. They also seem to hope to receive some theoretical, but rather practical examples and ideas for teaching from their pedagogical training.