Atlanta, Georgia
June 23, 2013
June 23, 2013
June 26, 2013
2153-5965
Electrical and Computer
22
23.1101.1 - 23.1101.22
10.18260/1-2--22486
https://peer.asee.org/22486
343
2013 ASEE Conference Student learning in a required Electrical Engineering (EE) course for non-‐EE majors: Perception of values for future work in multidisciplinary teams Due to the unprecedented progress of analog/digital electronics and programmable devices, all engineering fields are getting intertwined with Electrical Engineering (EE) and non-‐EE engineering majors are required to take at least one EE course. But still, some undergraduate non-‐EE majors do not see the relevance of EE to their studies until they face real-‐world problems at workplace, when the opportunity for learning in required courses is already missed. We strive to overcome this unfortunate tendency in a large EE service course for non-‐EE majors from the College of Engineering, with a three-‐prong approach: (1) During each semester, regularly monitor how the currently enrolled students perceive their EE course work: design surveys focused on various aspects of their studies [anonymous surveys with extra credit for participation], conduct focus groups, etc.; (2) Interview recent graduates who are taking further courses or working in industry: find out which parts of learning in this course have been most valuable for them and why; (3) Immediately apply our findings to teaching: gradually alter the structure and logistics of the course in order to maximize the benefits for student learning and future careers. In this abstract, we list some of the basic findings; in the paper we will provide more details and statistics over several recent semesters. First and foremost, regular feedback during the semester opens new venues for communication with students and allows the instructor to see the course through their eyes – an insight that is hard to get otherwise. Creation of surveys takes time; reading the open-‐ended responses of many students is also time-‐consuming but the outcomes are indeed rewarding. Regular surveys improve the students’ perception of the course and of the value of learning if they help to satsify their needs and expectations such as: ü Make the amount of homework commesurable with workload in other courses ü Raise the quality of discussions and focus them on the current homework ü Ensure that the topics of each Lab are first covered in homework problems ü In the lab, provide enough time for students to think of what they are doing ü Assure the students that they are being heard and their opinions matter. On a deeper level, non-‐EE majors want to learn how to apply EE to projects in their major fields. Emphasis on lab learning, success stories provided by recent graduates, and focus on fostering transferable skills certainly makes the course more attractive for students. Students see and appreciate their EE course work as an experience in a multidisciplinary environment: for example, two students on the same team in the lab may have different non-‐EE majors, while the lab instructor has a third major (EE). Students are generally comfortable in this environment and agree that it prepares them for future work. Last but not least, explicit involvement of educational topics such as Bloom’s taxonomy in lectures increases the students’ appreciation of their learning in the new field. Last printed 2012-‐09-‐24 1:40 PM File: 2013 ASEE Abstract with HL.doc
Ganago, A., & Liao, H. (2013, June), Student learning in a required Electrical Engineering (EE) course for non-EE majors: Perception of values for future work in multidisciplinary teams Paper presented at 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia. 10.18260/1-2--22486
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