Work in progress — Early improvement in report writing skills using critiques

Developing the written communication skills of engineering students has become a higher priority learning outcome since the advent of the ABET EC2000 criteria. Increased numbers of writing intensive courses, refinements to document requirements and proliferation of rubric development indicate the effort used to address the elevated priority. The sharing of rubrics and standards for the formatting and content of various report styles is intended to help students understand the writing assessment process. While sharing reduces the “we can´t read your mind” comments associated with qualitatively assessed assignments, it does not always improve the outcome, since it does not provide a “learn by example” experience. Consequently, the first two or three reports submitted are typically of low quality, and many receive failing grades. In an effort to significantly improve student performance on early semester reports, a critique-based exercise has been inserted early in a junior level laboratory class. Students are randomly assigned previously graded student reports which have been stripped of identifying information to protect the original authors. The reports were previously evaluated using a rubric which included both qualitative assessment information and guidelines for assigning point deductions. The students were instructed to evaluate the sample reports guided by the rubrics and standards for formatting and content. The deliverable for the critique assignment included assessing a numerical “grade” for their report sample, along with justifications for the assessments. Initial results indicated an average increase in the quality of the initial report submissions when compared to initial reports from three previous years. The technique is being expanded into a multidisciplinary design methodology course, where different standards and rubrics apply, to see if the critique exercise can produce notable improvements in the - uality of early course writing skills among a more discipline diverse set of students.