Promoting Deep and Meaningful Learning for Engineering Students: The Authentic Assessment Strategy in Teaching Differential Equations

To promote a deeper understanding of concepts, higher-order thinking, and long-term knowledge retention, educators in engineering are increasingly adopting alternative assessments, such as authentic assessments. This study presents the adoption and outcomes of an authentic assessment approach replacing the traditional final examination used in a core mathematics course of an undergraduate engineering curriculum. The research aimed to (1) explore the impact of the assessment approach in promoting students’ higher-order thinking skills, and (2) identify learning gains reported by students that demonstrate deep and meaningful learning in the core math course for engineers. A mixed-method approach was used, involving 74 second and third-year engineering students enrolled in the Differential Equations course during the 3^rd semester of the 2023/2024 academic year at Ashesi University. Data collected included post-course surveys, reflections, audio recordings of the final oral assessment pitches, and student performance scores. The results showed that, on average, students showcased growth in understanding and competency of transferring knowledge beyond application word problems to solving real-life problems through the authentic assessment approach. Students also noted that the assessment approach greatly impacted their learning experience, including their motivation to take a deep approach to learning, confidence, sense of relevance, usefulness, and connection of concepts to real-life, personal interests, and future careers. In general, the study indicates that the assessment approach can help students move beyond focusing on grades and passing examinations and instead prepare them to become deep and meaningful thinkers who can confidently approach real-life workplace tasks.