This paper offers a reflection on how traditional marking methods frequently fail to capture the deep learning students can achieve when involved in CDIO-inspired activities. Active learning activities and projects offer opportunities to learn discipline content, technical skills and graduate capabilities like communication, teamwork, conflict management, and social responsibility. Including all the possibilities in a list of learning outcomes is challenging. And since in a constructively aligned course the sole purpose of assessment is to measure the attainment of the learning outcomes, much learning frequently goes unrecognised. Most educational institutions use numbers to “measure” students’ achievement but, what do these numbers really mean? This paper argues that numbers are very blunt instruments to measure the learning students achieve when involved in projects, and calls for more qualitative, student-driven approaches.
