Calibrated Peer Reviewtm and Assessing Learning Outcomes

1 Patricia A. Carlson, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803 [email protected] 2 Frederick C. Berry, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 5500 Wabash Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47803 [email protected] Abstract -The need for more focused and less-labor intensive assessment practices has brought new challenges, both for institutions and for individual educators. We elaborate on Calibrated Peer ReviewTM (CPRTM) – an endto-end computer-mediated learning environment that seamlessly integrates writing as a vehicle for critical thinking into a technical or content course. Developed as a tool to help incorporate writing into the teaching of science, CPRTM moves well beyond the scope of most web-delivered educational software. We draw from experiences using CPRTM in two courses offered at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, RH131 (Rhetoric and Composition) and ECE 360 (Principles of Engineering Design). We focus on four questions. First, what is CPRTM ? Second, how does CPRTM improve student learning? Third, how can CPRTM measure learning outcomes appropriate for an ABET-style assessment? And fourth, does the system serve as a de facto electronic portfolio in engineering education?