Resumen de Identifying language as a learning barrier in engineering
The language used in engineering course materials may be a barrier to accurate assessment because students perceive the meaningsof words differently. Universal Design in Education (UDE) has emerged as a strategy for making course material more accessible,but remains largely untested in this area. This study investigates whether students can accurately self-assess their understanding ofvocabulary, i.e. if this is a ‘visible’ or ‘invisible’ deficit from the student’s point of view, using a limited sample of ten words foundin engineering exams. This is a preliminary investigation toward testing the efficacy of a UDE-based mitigation strategy, and itfinds that students often inaccurately self-assess their understanding of language used in engineering examinations.
