Measurement of students' understanding in final examination of Statics and Dynamics Course using Rasch Measurement Model

Measurements on students' understanding in the fundamental courses of Civil & Structural Engineering Program is an important step in determining the level of student achievement before they can proceed to advanced courses. Hence, this paper presents the level of students' understanding in the examination of the fundamental courses at the Department of Civil & Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The Statics and Dynamics course (KH 1044) was choose and offered as a main course for the first year students in the department. The students' understanding was only analyzed based on their achievement in the final examination, as through examination students' comprehension can be measured directly. The measurement and assessment on students' understanding were developed through Rasch Measurement Model based on students mark entries in the final examination of session 2012/2013. The results show that the Rasch Model can accurately segregate the students based on their understandings and abilities even with a small group of sample. The questions used were also proven to be acceptable and reliable in measuring the students' understanding towards the course.