International Journal of Education

With the advancement of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, the number of international engineering students in China continues to grow, exposing increasing limitations of traditional assessment methods in cultivating international students. This study takes the core civil engineering course Tunnel Engineering as an example to construct a diversified assessment system addressing the three problems in current assessment systems. Comparative research reveals significant differences between Chinese and Western assessment models in three dimensions: assessment focus, format, and standards. Based on engineering education accreditation standards and characteristics of international students, a knowledge-ability-quality evaluation framework was proposed: the knowledge dimension employs modular hierarchical testing allowing reference materials; the ability dimension assesses practical skills through engineering case analysis and finite element software operation; the quality dimension emphasizes cross-cultural teamwork and innovative solution presentations. Two years of teaching practice demonstrate that the new system significantly improved students average scores and engineering practice abilities, narrowed the performance gap between Southeast Asian and African students, and achieved higher teaching satisfaction. The research confirms that this assessment system effectively enhances evaluation fairness and validity, provides an operational solution for improving the quality of engineering education for international students, and offers valuable reference for advancing the internationalization of Chinas higher education.

International students in China; Core courses; Diversified assessment; Engineering education; Tunnel engineering