Assessing Final Year Engineering Projects: Ensuring Learning and Teaching Standards and AQF8 Outcomes

This research project is a partnership between seven universities - Central Queensland University (lead), University of Technology Sydney, The University of Adelaide, Curtin University, Deakin University, University of Tasmania and RMIT University. The purpose of the project was to develop good practice guidelines to assist engineering educators to improve Final Year Engineering Project (FYEP) practice and assessment and to ensure they meet Australian Qualifications Framework Level 8 (AQF8) outcomes. The project addressed the need that although Final Year Projects are a longstanding feature of undergraduate engineering programs, there is little consistency in how these projects are taught, assessed and supervised (Rasul, Nouwens, Martin & Greensill, 2009). Data showed that outcomes in subject or unit profiles, ranged from subject specific with some making explicit reference to Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 Competencies to more encompassing generic skills and/or graduate attributes. There was considerable language variation with some documents having simple description such as, 'design', 'implement', 'perform', 'prepare.' Others offered qualification: 'produce high quality' 'apply original thinking.' Our interview data revealed that familiarity with AQF8 varied, with some coordinators not being aware of it and having no consideration, to deep consideration and embedding AQF8 language into project subject outcomes. Most coordinators saw AQF8 as a compliance and documentation issue rather than one that required a fundamental shift in practice, however this was contested during the workshops. For many, the challenges were: What is Honours? Who is eligible and when? How is post-graduate study impacted by AQF8?