This paper presents a teaching and learning study where one of the main goals is to identify threshold concepts in selected geomatics engineering courses. The paper first defines the term 'threshold concept' and lists a number of characteristics which make a certain concept a threshold one. A series of data collection methodologies such as formative minute papers and summative end-of-term surveys are proposed. Students in their second and third year of geomatics engineering registered in the courses under study are invited to participate. So far only one end-of-term survey, and a few minute papers on the introductory chapters for some of the courses have been conducted. While the end-of-term survey in its current state does not seem to be effective in identifying threshold concepts on its own, some of the minute papers have been able to pin point certain concepts as troublesome. This part of the project will be run for two years, so the authors will be seeking input from the engineering education community in order to improve the study in its second iteration.
展开▼
