Professionalism in assessing students’ performance : Roles and responsibilities of higher education teachers

Learning through Assessment and Feedback Practices: A Critical Review of Engineering Education Settings

Abstract: ‘Assessment’ and ‘feedback’ are inherently embedded in a course curriculum of engineering education settings. These components are indispensable for the teaching-learning processes. It is observed that engineering faculty members do not require any ‘teacher-training’ to join the engineering institutions across the globe. Hence, they may not have adequate experience in assessing students’ performances and providing feedback to students. Only a few research studies have been carried out on assessment and feedback from the engineering education context. Therefore, this paper attempts to critically analyze the literature pertaining to learning through different types and methods of assessment practices in the engineering education settings. Further, it examines the significance of qualitative feedback in assessment and the principles of good feedback practice. It highlights the implications of assessing student performance and providing feedback from the engineering education perspective. Finally, the paper offers some recommendations on assessment and feedback practices in the engineering education settings.

Some Problems in the Sociology of the Professions

Abstract: Although it is still only a partly developed field of speciaUzed knowledge, the sociology of the professions is already too large a body of theoretical analysis and empirical research to be more than sketched in this paper. We shall therefore deal only with some of the central problems of the structure and functioning of the pro fessions; even then, for lack of space, we shall concentrate on the general aspects of six of these problems: (1) Social sources of con cern with the professions; (2) Toward a definition of the profes sions; (3) The role of the university professional school; (4) The emerging or marginal profession; (5) Professional roles and organi zational necessities; and (6) Professionals and poUtics. Although these six problems touch upon the essential characteristics of pro fessions in all societies, our illustrations are mostly from the United States, where the largest amount of empirical research on the pro fessions has been carried out. Despite essential similarities, there are major differences among professions in different societies and at different historical times, and a more complete treatment of the professions would have to specify these comparative social and historical differences.