Enhancing the opportunities derived from large cohorts of engineering students

This case study report outlines details of a teaching innovation developed at Plymouth University that aimed to exploit opportunities derived from teaching large cohorts of engineering students. The specific opportunities that the innovation sought to exploit focused on the (re)creation of an authentic “real world” experience in which students could put into practice the theory being covered by the modules on which they were enrolled. As well as introducing new opportunities, large cohorts of students can exacerbate existing challenges to academics who struggle to maintain levels of engagement. This challenge is most apparent in subject areas where engagement is known to be difficult and the subject focus in this case, contract law, is one such subject. To address the challenge of student engagement, this report provides details of an evaluation system that was designed not only to measure the effectiveness of the simulation exercise in achieving learning outcomes, but also to provide a focus for the efforts of the academic team in terms of actions to enhance engagement. The evaluation system used for this case study was effective in identifying high levels of student engagement with the subject matter. The audit also demonstrated that the simulation exercise was effective in helping students to achieve academic outcomes, although the system was not easily mapped onto the framework for enhancing student engagement. The framework was found to be a useful tool for creating action plans, but the findings from this study suggest that a bespoke feedback mechanism was needed to maximise its effectiveness.