A Mathematical Model of a Course Performance Index to Measure Improvements in Students’ Soft Skills

Abstract

In this paper, a method to assess engineering students’ performance after humanity course is introduced. Mathematical model for a student improvement index is derived to quantify a student’s improvements in some learning parameters related to the course. Input to the index is the data obtained from a survey given to students before the end of the course. Statements in the survey can be given different weights according to their importance. A numerical example on how to calculate improvement index is represented. A course performance index is introduced as well to measure how all students in the course achieved in comparison with previous or target performance. A case study in which a survey can be given to undergraduate engineering students before the end of a course about oral presentation skills is introduced as an application for the proposed models. The second index can also be used by the institution to measure the quality of the learning process through the course in certain semester. The proposed approach has the advantage of being of almost no additional cost and can be modified and applied to other courses as well. Also, this approach needs moderate use of Microsoft Excel and doesn’t need sophisticated academic analytics or learning management system to be owned by the institution.