Effective Evaluation of Students Attainment in Assessment Components for the Unit Taught in Large Classes by Using SPSS v17

Abstract

In this paper, the authors used statistical methods on SPSS v17 software to identify the best predictor assessment mode for the overall performance in the Engineering Mathematics 120, unit taught at Curtin University Sarawak in Semester 1, 2011.  The results of this case study are also shown to be useful in planning the continuous quality improvement (CQI) of teaching this unit.  To enhance the students’ learning and the lecturer’s effective teaching, the authors suggest more emphasis on the learning mode with corresponding assessment mode, best correlated with the final examination results and the total assessment marks.  The best predictor assessment mode is shown to be an effective formative assessment that forms an integral part of the students’ learning process. To provide a more accurate and reliable assessment of the students’ achievement of the learning outcomes, the authors suggest a revision on the distribution of assessment marks over the various assessment modes.