design. Thecourse’s target audience is undergraduates, serving students majoring in computer science,design, the liberal arts, and business, at a private R1 research institution. The class guidesstudents through a series of laboratory exercises and design experiences to develop theirconfidence and ability in the domains of soldering, breadboard prototyping, circuit fundamentals,and microcontrollers. This paper evaluates the impact 18-095 has had over three semesters (Fall2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024), analyzing the development of student self-efficacy, identity, andsense of belonging, as measured across three surveys each semester (n = 71). Self-efficacy forcircuit prototyping and design increased by a mean of 45.7 points between the pre-measure
impact on the student's understanding and engagement with the EMCcourse. II. BackgroundA. Overview of existing EMC coursesThe field of EMC is a critical aspect of modern electronic design and plays a crucial role inensuring the safe and reliable operation of advanced electronic systems. As a result, EMC coursesare now an integral part of curricula in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and otherrelated fields.Existing EMC courses in universities and colleges cover a wide range of topics including anoverview of the concepts and principles of EMC and EMI, design considerations, measurement,and methods for mitigating EMC problems. These courses give students a thorough understandingof the
].Other research presents a more balanced picture in terms of preference over constructed-responseexams, where students falling in one camp versus the other is attributed to their opposing viewson answer guessing, selecting versus constructing answers, and perceived ability to demonstrateknowledge [8].A key question is that of validity of multiple-choice exams in measuring performance.Educational psychology demonstrates that it is theoretically possible to construct multiple-choicequestions that measure many of the same cognitive abilities as constructed response ones [5, 6].However, these studies also stress the need for empirical testing and validation. In this regard,existing work has reported a range of results, with some concluding that they
Transfer: Measures of Effectiveness in Helping Community College Students to Complete Bachelor’s Degrees (Signature Report No. 13)," National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, Herndon, VA, 2017, 2022 update.[4] "Community college enrollment crisis?: Historical trends in community college enrollment," American Association of Community Colleges, Washington, DC, 2019.[5] J. Causey, A. Gardner, H. Kim, S. Lee, A. Pevitz, M. Ryu, A. Scheetz and D. Shapiro, "COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress: First Two Years of the Pandemic Report. Ninth in the Series," National Student Clearinghouse, Herndon, VA, 2022.[6] "Current Term Enrollment Estimates: Fall 2022 Expanded Edition," National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2023
been buildingrelationships with advising staff and curriculum committees across the university, ensuring thiscourse would meet engineering/science elective requirements for various undergraduateprograms.To understand how students are impacted by the final design project, we defined and measured anumber of constructs, including self-efficacy, maker identity, and engineering identity. Self-efficacy refers to the strength of an individual’s belief in their capabilities to complete tasks andachieve a planned outcome (Bandura, 1997). We quantified students’ self-efficacy in two areas: 1) self-efficacy for tinkering with circuits (Tinkering SE), and 2) self-efficacy for designing new electronic systems (Design SE).Higher self-efficacy
composition of teams (considering factors like gender, ethnicity, major, GPA, prior circuit experience, and year in school) influence student perceptions of the CLE and, consequently, student outcomes?To address these questions, we investigate the relationships in our survey data set throughquantitative analysis, focusing on two dependent variables: student performance, in terms of theirexam scores (Exam), and Collaborative Learning Experience (CLE), a measured variable from asurvey questionnaire at the end of the semester about the student’s perception of thecollaborative learning experience. We in turn examine how these dependent variables may beaffected by other collected measures, such as task and general self-efficacy, test anxiety
engineering to real-world problems. While similar models ofreal-world engagement (e.g., EPICS) exist, they are either limited to a specific category ofstakeholders, such as industry or community, or a particular program, such as capstonedesign. The TRUE projects allow learners across the four-year engineering curriculum toparticipate while holistically building the skills required for the projects via specializedcourses, outreach programs, and mentorship.Implementation of the TRUE initiative over the past seven years provides an opportunity toqualitatively understand the development of students' engineering self-efficacy as a result oftheir participation. Self-efficacy measures students' beliefs in their ability to achieve tasks [2].In this study, it
the course. This approach is rooted in the work on early intervention strategies.The idea is to focus on at-risk students. In this context, we do not consider the oral assessmentprimarily as being part of a summative assessment strategy. Instead, it is designed to be a touchpoint for a meaningful one-on-one interaction between a student and a member of theinstructional team. The value of early interventions for at-risk students is to increaseconnectedness to instructional staff and resources, and student engagement and self-efficacy. Theoral assessments were implemented explicitly with this focus. We also considered additionalbenefits, such as serving as formative assessments for the students to reflect on their level ofconceptual mastery and
. Suggestions for future enhancements ofthese automated assessments will be provided.I. IntroductionPractice and feedback are critical to student learning, and it is further enhanced when practice isaccumulated with timely feedback [1]. Assessment and evaluation are tools to measure orobserve knowledge gain from practice and feedback. With assessments instructors identify datato collect representing knowledge or skills, selects the instruments for measuring, andadministers the instrument [2]. Evaluation is then the practice of analyzing assessment data anddrawing conclusions from the results [2].Multiple studies have shown how low stakes formative assessments can lower test anxiety, aswell as improve student learning outcomes and self-efficacy
supports students in building self-efficacy in their abilitiesas electricity and electronics students. 1IntroductionActive learning is a teaching pedagogy which has gained traction in higher education as aneffective method for engaging learners in the process of attaining new knowledge [1]. It movesthe student from a passive role in hearing and absorbing information, to an active participant inconstructing new knowledge, typically through hands-on exercises. Active learning is an umbrellaterm used to describe many different types of practices, including role playing activities, pairprogramming, project-based learning, and many others [2].Many introductory electricity and electronics courses are ripe
Act [3]. The RET program included a 6-week paidinternship in multiple integrated circuit (IC) design labs at Oklahoma State University for highschool and community college teachers to learn about semiconductors and chip designfundamentals. After the RET program, teachers were also required to translate their researchexperience into new curriculum modules. The RET program is also mutually beneficial to the USsemiconductor industry and teachers. It benefits the industry by encouraging teachers andstudents to become familiar with new technologies. Teachers gain from enhanced self-efficacy atthe same time [4].However, it is challenging to measure the progress of teachers in acquiring semiconductorknowledge. In contrast to other aspects of
greater sense of belonging to discipline, self-efficacy, and career readiness; particularly for under-represented minority (URM) students [3].However, such active-learning experiences are usually offered late in their engineering degree(e.g., senior-capstone projects) rather than early and often throughout the curriculum. Mostredesign efforts to address this issue typically focus on single, or multiple but disjointed gatewaycourses [4]. An example of a critical path in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE)department at Sacramento State is shown in Figure 1.Figure-1: Example curriculum path in the EEE major, showing long engineering pre-requisite chains called critical-paths. Courses shown in Bold, shaded, are redesigned as a part of the
the first time.As much as possible and according to Learning Loss skills gaps, the professor works to makeconnections between the course and what students might expect in their careers, which alsohelps enforce self-efficacy and self-advocacy. Stories are shared about times in industry,academia or consulting to build community and highlight aspects of that day’s discussions.Students and the professor were encouraged to wear logos and apparel that exhibit pride in theiraccomplishments and interests. In a live, synchronous class this is a good way to keep careergoals, aspirations and interests at the forefront.Such an offering also helps accommodate students who just transferred into Wright StateUniversity from other colleges or universities
cognitive factors that exert significantinfluence on individuals' career-related behaviors and decisions. These expectations function asanticipatory beliefs concerning the consequences of specific actions within a career context [5].Positive OE bolsters motivation, shapes goal-setting processes, guide decision-making, andcontributes to individuals' self-efficacy beliefs [4]. In essence, OE plays a pivotal role in shapingindividuals' career trajectories and development by providing a cognitive framework throughwhich they evaluate potential outcomes and make well-informed choices [4].Bandura [4] delineated three types of OE, suggesting that positive outcomes can serve asincentives while negative outcomes may act as disincentives to persist in a
learning and performance, engagement,and self-efficacy. The study involved computer and electrical engineering students enrolled in anintroductory circuit analysis course across seven semesters at a large public land-grant researchuniversity, from Fall 2021 to Fall 2024. The class met MWF at 9:00 am for every semester in thestudy. Class periods consisted of traditional lectures with the instructor going over concepts andworking problems by hand on a projector. All students received access to the zyBook as part oftheir required course materials through the university’s inclusive access program.Assessments included 16 homework assignments due 1 or 2 times per week, 3 mid-term exams,and a comprehensive final.The semesters were divided into two groups
to build this version of the circuitwere successful.Figure 3: LED calculator circuit using (a) discrete components and (b) an input/output PCB [31]Intellectually challenging PBL projects that maintain a high success rate are vital for building self-efficacy among students. In the summer 2019, a PCB version of the LED calculator activity wasdeveloped that uses surface-mounted components for the 5V regulator, switches, LEDs, andresistors. See Figure 3b. By abstracting away the complex input and output circuitry, campers wereable to focus on the wiring connections between the switches, logic gates, and LED outputs,thereby increasing the success rate of building the LED calculator to 100% for the 36 students whoparticipated when the camp was
greater sense of belonging in an active classroom environment. Finally, in the context of quantum engineering, a field where women and certain minoritygroups are often underrepresented, experiential learning opportunities may be particularlyimpactful. Hands-on projects and labs can boost students’ confidence and identity as emergingscientists or engineers. Research on undergraduate research programs (which are a form ofexperiential learning) supports this: studies have found that when students from underrepresentedbackgrounds participate in authentic research or lab experiences, their self-efficacy in STEMincreases and their aspirations for STEM careers grow. For instance, a program documented byCarpi et al. showed significant gains in
shows a student performing an experiment using one of the devices developed in the ECPproject. By adopting ECP, students were able to have a better understanding in the course (COSC243 – Computer Architecture) and other STEM subjects that are part of the project.Figure 6: Students setting up the experiment.The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) developed by Pintrich, Smith,García, and McKeachie [15] was used to measure key constructs associated with students’ success,such as motivation, epistemic and perceptual curiosity, and self-efficacy. The effectiveness of theimplementation of ECP was evaluated using the MLSQ measure, which consists of a learninggoals scale that is further divided into cognitive and resource management
greatest impact on students’ achievement [17], [18]. Astudent’s motivation plays a strong role in their academic success by serving as the impetus for theirengagement in learning activities [19]. According to Driscoll, a student’s motivation is comprised oftheir curiosity, interest, goals, and self-efficacy beliefs when making choices to engage in a learningactivity [20]. Motivated students tend to engage with class content for extended periods of time,demonstrate more persistence, and achieve higher levels of learning than students who are lessmotivated [21], [22]. Furthermore, Fong et al. suggest that students with higher motivation moreactively engage in the learning process and are more likely to achieve desired learning outcomes[23]. On the
efforts, we will also work on additional resources to help students and STEM enthusiasts tobuild such platforms in publicly accessible makerspaces. University or library makerspaces have added a new dimension tostudent learning through hands-on projects that help students build a wide range of skills otherwise underdeveloped [12] andsupport diversity and inclusion [18], [32]. Student engagement (voluntary or through courses) is associated with higher STEMidentity [23], GPA [17], and engineering design self-efficacy [18]. The maker movement started outside of academia with theDo-It-Yourself (DIY) culture [3], which some consider a form of citizen science and lifelong learning environment [13]. Giventhe research context of our platform, students
preparation in enhancing theacademic performance, critical thinking skills, and career readiness of second-year engineeringstudents at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in Maryland.The survey employs the use of a 5-point Likert scale tailored to the topic of hands-on physicspreparation for pre-engineering students. • Demographics: Age, gender, prior physics background. • Engagement: Participation in hands-on physics activities (e.g., labs, experiments). • Self-Efficacy: Confidence in applying physics concepts to engineering tasks. • Academic Performance: Self-reported grades in physics-related coursework. • Career Readiness: Perceptions of preparedness for engineering challenges.4.1.2 Sample:A total
. S. Ferekides, and D. B. Radhakrishnan, “Examining Imposter Syndrome and Self-Efficacy Among Electrical Engineering Students and Changes Resulting After Engagement in Department’s Revolutionary Interventions,” presented at the 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Jun. 2024.[11] T. J. Weston, E. Seymour, A. K. Koch, and B. M. Drake, “Weed-Out Classes and Their Consequences,” in Talking about Leaving Revisited: Persistence, Relocation, and Loss in Undergraduate STEM Education, E. Seymour and A.-B. Hunter, Eds., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2019, pp. 197–243. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-25304-2_7.[12] R. P. Harper and H. Thiry, “The Powerful Impact of Positive and Negative Interactions with STEM
circuits.This can imply that instructors focused on improving students’ learning in classes by introducingnew pedagogies or interventions with more direct effects, rather than by increasing students’motivation such as their self-efficacy in learning circuits or sense of belonging in engineering. Inother words, it is concluded that most of the focus was on “how to learn circuits better” not on“why you need to learn circuits.”From 2014 to 2016, metacognitive and cognitive interventions were not as popular, with mostinterventions being related to flipped classrooms and management strategies. During 2017 and2018, interventions were mostly related to metacognition and flipped classrooms. However, afterthis period, from 2019 to 2020, the focus shifted to
13 48.15% White/Caucasian 10 37.04% Indian Subcontinent 5 18.52% Hispanic/Latino 1 3.70% Middle Eastern 1 3.70%Table 1. Participant demographics. For Race, multiple options could be selected simultaneously.MeasuresA demographics form asked participants to self-report race, sex (with 4 options), year in school,college major, and parental education. The motivation survey--not discussed here--asked aboutinterest, valuing of the course, perceived non-monetary costs of being in the course, self-efficacy, self-concept, mastery
trackerdemonstrated a 16.5% improvement in energy generation compared to the fixed solar panel.Reflection highlights substantial learning outcomes, including interdisciplinary learning,automation, coding, problem-solving skills, self-efficacy, and collaborative experiences. Thisproject allows high school and undergraduate students to replicate their experiences in anaffordable, efficient, and educational manner.KeywordsSolar energy, solar tracker, solar power, education, Arduino, Coding, automation, high school,undergraduate1. IntroductionAccording to the International Energy Agency, global energy-related CO2 emissions reached anew high of 36.8 billion tons in 2022, and the value will continue to grow as global electricitydemand keeps increasing [1], [2
, emphasizing flexible instruction methods and multiple studentengagement means [12]. UDL practices relate to beneficial student outcomes such as increasedsocial and academic inclusiveness, autonomy, and self-efficacy [20]. These outcomes are crucialfor neurodivergent students, who face additional barriers to developing these skills. As UDLpractices reinforce neurodivergent strengths and remove barriers, students receive more avenuesto improve essential skills. Programs integrating technical instruction with structured social skillstraining demonstrate the potential for more inclusive AI education models [13]. Successfulimplementation requires careful attention to the diverse sensory and cognitive needs ofneurodivergent learners, including
software simulators. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the problem of incorporating online labs in theircurricula is faced by many engineering programs. Therefore, it is imperative to design such labsin the format that facilitates students’ success and self-efficacy. Students should have ampleability to interact with their peers and instructors, while being engaged in experiential learningwith sufficient hands-on learning experiences leading to a deeper understanding of engineeringconcepts. Well-designed online labs can also refresh students’ enthusiasm for engineering, aswell as increase the retention rate for engineering students [11]. The goal of the reported project was to develop high-impact online lab teaching practicesand to
peers,faculty, staff, and campus life. With 55% of engineering students being first-generation, andeven fewer having family members with careers in STEM fields, students’ ability to visualizelife as an engineer or computer scientist becomes more challenging. Non-cognitive factors suchas low self-efficacy may also play a role in students’ sense of belonging in college and in STEMmajors. Especially with the low state-wide K-12 ranking and the high percentage of first-generation students, these factors correlate with a need to support stronger study skills and studyhabits, including bridging gaps in K-12 learning and skills. Some students also report that theyand their families can often underestimate the importance of academic workload demands
Institute for research 1. Thisinstrument has been used by many colleges in the United States to measure the level of masterytheir graduates have in various skills. The instruments used in this study are composed of twomain sections. The first section contains demographic information about the professionalengineers and department heads, such as gender, race, level of education, employment type,experience, and location of the company. The second section on of the instruments contains thelist of skills that are needed for ECE graduates. The ECE professional engineers and ECEdepartment heads have been asked to rank the various skills based on their “level of importance”and the “degree of preparedness”. The focus of this paper is to highlight the
Education, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 390– 396, Aug. 2010, ISSN: 0018-9359, 1557-9638. DOI: 10.1109/TE.2009.2025266.[10] I. Vessey, “Expertise in Debugging Computer Programs: An Analysis of the Content of Verbal Protocols,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 621–637, Sep. 1986, ISSN: 0018-9472. DOI: 10.1109/TSMC.1986.289308.[11] C. Crockett, G. Prpich, and N. Smith, “Experimental Self-Efficacy and Troubleshooting Ability in a Chemical Engineering Laboratory,” en, in 2023 ASEE Annual Conference, Jun. 2023. [Online]. Available: https://peer.asee.org/43573.[12] A. Schaafstal, J. M. Schraagen, and M. Van Berl, “Cognitive Task Analysis and Innovation of Training: The Case of Structured