Influence of assessment frequency on final exam results

Abstract

In the first year of every engineering course, mathematics and physics subjects are a substantial part of the curriculum. Looking at the engineering courses given at the University of Minho, around 53% of the credit units a student has to do in the first year consists of mathematics and physics subjects. Every first year engineering student starts with Physics I and II and at the same time Calculus I and II (Análise Matemática in Portuguese) and Linear Algebra. These subjects are the core curriculum for the first year of the engineering courses. They provide a foundation for the knowledge and skills that the student acquires during the rest of the course. Bad results on these subjects can cause many problems for the students later on in their course. When a student faces difficulties with mathematics and physics subjects, problems with other subjects are inevitable. Bad results on some of the first year mathematics subjects caused alarm at the courses of the Engineering Council of the University of Minho in Guimarães. Análise Matemática I is the first mathematics subject for every engineering student. The success rate of Análise Matemática I in 1997/98 varied from 13 to 25% in the different engineering courses, looking at the number of students that is registered for the subject. This is far below the desired success rate, which should be at least around 60%. The bad results cause problems like overcrowded classroom, overcrowded exam rooms, not enough teachers and serious delays in the progress of students.