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Abstract

HELM (Helping Engineers Learn Mathematics) is a three-year curriculum development project undertaken by a consortium of five universities (Loughborough, Hull, Reading, Sunderland and UMIST) which aims to enhance the mathematical education of engineering undergraduates by the provision of flexible learning resources. HELM makes extensive use of a computer aided assessment (CAA) regime, available in web- and CD-based versions, to drive student learning.

This paper first describes the HELM learning resources and outlines the project's assessment philosophy; the HELM assessment regime and how it can be successfully used for both formative and summative assessment are then described. Finally, the viability of the HELM assessment regime across the higher education sector is examined.

Keywords

assessment e-learning engineering undergraduates HELM project mathematics

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References

James

(ed.), Mathematics Matters in Engineering (The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, Southend-on-Sea, UK, 1995).

Sutherland

and Pozzi

, The Changing Mathematical Background of Undergraduate Engineers: A Review of the Issues (Engineering Council, London, 1995).

Engineering Council, Measuring the Mathematics Problem (Engineering Council, London, 2000).

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, ‘What can we expect from A-level mathematics students?’, Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, 16–4 (1997), pp. 151–156.

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, SET for Success (HMSO, London, 2002), http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Documents/Enterprise_and_Productivity/Research_and_Enterprise/ent_res_roberts.cfm

QAA Subject Review Reports, http://www.qaa.ac.uk/revreps/subjrev/intro.htm

Assessment-Driven Learning of Mathematics for Engineering Students

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