Teaching and assessment in engineering education through the Internet

With the rapid expansion of the Internet, in particular the World Wide Web, it has been increasingly popular to move away from the traditional mode of education towards more interactive, computerised systems. Creative use of Web facilities can enrich the learning environment beyond that provided by the linear textbook style of presentation, which is of greatest benefit in a university environment, where the desired outcome is not so much concerned with remembering vast quantities of facts but with the management and use of ideas and the synthesis of knowledge. Academic institutions face enormous challenges due to rapid technological advances and a lack of sufficient funding, with such factors causing an extremely difficult situation in engineering education as a whole. With the traditional practices of assessment there has been concern about students copying preparation work and whether mid-semester tests are cost-effective given the current pressure on resources and budgets. Computer-generated multiple-choice questionnaires have changed the way in which students are assessed.