Smart Quizzes in the Engineering Education

This paper presents the creation and implementation process of a series of smart quizzes (SQ) that is constructed especially for undergraduate students. In this paper the SQ consist of exercises concerning solids mechanics, which is an essential subject for engineering students. The construction of the SQ follows a conceptual map proposed by a specialist. The SQ are suggested to the students on topics referred in the conceptual map, according to a particular sequence of learning. The answers given by the students to the SQ help in two ways. First they contribute to generate an individual score or performance in a certain concept, which can be understood as a personal profile. Second, it is a diagnostic tool that assists the teacher in supporting teaching and learning. In fact, the ontology concepts seem to provide the means to make the SQ a useful educational tool for both teachers and students. In addition, the term 'Smart' is used to express the idea that the quizzes are less than clever and more than common. The Smart quizzes approach proposes an automatic scoring for the student, structuring and suggesting quizzes for each student profile. Finally, the paper presents the methodology used to construct the SQ and presents some preliminary results.