Academics’ perception of final examinations in engineering education

Abstract

This study seeks to investigate academics’ perceptions and experiences with traditional final examinations in engineering courses. An online survey of 40 academics was conducted to understand the academics’ beliefs and rationale for the use of final examinations in their teaching practices. The survey was followed by in-person interviews with 11 academics to clarify the outcomes of the online survey. The results indicated that most academics considered the final examination as an effective and equitable way of assessing student knowledge and skills. However, the findings also showed that final examinations generally might not provide students with proper feedback, and traditional final examinations might not be effective in testing students’ practical and soft skills required by industry.