A new tool to assess the value of active and problem-based learning in enhancing engineering student self-efficacy

Self-efficacy, or belief in one's own ability to learn, is a key predictor of success for engineering students. I have developed and evaluated a scenario-based, task-specific on-line assessment instrument, the Self-Efficacy Assessment Survey (SEAS), and evaluated its use for pre- and post-assessment of students in a first year Introduction to Engineering course. Through a combination of the SEAS and other quantitative and qualitative assessment tools, incorporation of problem-based and active learning activities are found to enhance student self-belief in their ability to learn engineering-related material and accomplish certain engineering-related tasks. Use of scenario-based questions to measure student confidence levels (as has been done in the SEAS) provides a unique mechanism to gain insight into student self-efficacy, though questions must be carefully designed to limit the impact of extraneous factors on student responses.