Sophomore Perception

The Sophomore Engineering Perception Test (SEPT) instruments have been in use since 1999 in conjunction with three sophomore-level engineering science courses. The SEPT was initially designed as a follow-up to the FEPT and was largely modeled after it in content and scaling. The SEPT was quickly appropriated for more specific use in monitoring and providing feedback to faculty members teaching common cornerstone courses often taken late in the sophomore year or early in the junior year and required for most majors in the college of engineering.

Pre- and post-test versions of the instrument are administered within the same semester course and both versions address communication skills, integration of knowledge, lifelong learning, technological skills, and teaming experiences, as well as specific math, science, and engineering concepts. The tests can also include items specific to the activities and interests of the professor. The most recent form of the instrument has included numerous open-ended questions about students' mastery of course material and the quality of instruction of key topics. These items and other modifications have been added by individual faculty members who used the instrument and class results for purposes of continuous curriculum and instruction improvement or for formal evaluation research in engineering education.

Contact Dr. Rita Caso-Esposito, Associate Director, Texas A&M University System Alliance for Minority Participation, Texas A&M University
dr-rita@neo.tamu.edu; 979.862.4375

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