The CARE methodology: A new lens for introductory ECE course assessment based on student challenging and rewarding experiences

Aya Mouallem; Mark Horowitz; Sheri D. Sheppard

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Effective Teaching and Learning, and Post-Pandemic Classrooms
Tagged Division: Electrical and Computer Engineering Division (ECE)
Page Count: 30
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44057
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44057
Download Count: 338

Paper Authors

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Aya Mouallem Stanford University orcid.org/0000-0001-9360-9971

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Aya Mouallem (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. She received a BEng in Computer and Communications Engineering from the American University of Beirut. Aya is a graduate research assistant with the Designing Education Lab at Stanford, led by Professor Sheri Sheppard, and her research explores the accessibility of introductory electrical engineering education. She is supported by the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship and the RAISE Doctoral Fellowship.

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Mark Horowitz Stanford University orcid.org/0000-0003-3245-7542

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Mark Horowitz is the Yahoo! Founders Professor at Stanford University and was chair of the Electrical Engineering Department from 2008 to 2012. He co-founded Rambus, Inc. in 1990 and is a fellow of the IEEE and the ACM and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Science. Dr. Horowitz's research interests are quite broad and span using EE and CS analysis methods to problems in molecular biology to creating new design methodologies for analog and digital VLSI circuits

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Sheri D. Sheppard Stanford University orcid.org/0000-0003-3465-5542

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Sheri D. Sheppard, Ph.D., P.E., is professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University. Besides teaching both undergraduate and graduate design and education related classes at Stanford University, she conducts research on engineering education and

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Abstract

Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) education is of great importance to students interested in exploring the field, as it introduces them to the fundamental conceptual understanding of the governing laws and theories of ECE, as well as to indispensable hands-on lab skills to apply theory in practice. These learning outcomes lay a strong foundational base that proves crucial throughout students’ journeys in and beyond academia and in a variety of technical disciplines as well. To ensure these valuable outcomes are met, introductory ECE educators invest significant effort in course assessment and improvement. Such efforts have been documented in literature, including developing new lab tools, incorporating project-based learning, and proposing new course assessment methodologies and educational interventions. Adopting a student-centric lens, we propose a new methodology for early ECE course assessment called CARE, referring to the intersecting areas of the most Challenging And Rewarding Experiences that students have had in line with the main course objectives. This new assessment lens provides a fertile ground to amplify students’ rewarding experiences, minimize their unproductive struggle, and preserve healthy challenges that effectively contribute to the students’ learning process. In our work, we apply the CARE methodology in studying a population of 42 students enrolled in the introductory ECE course, ENGR 40M: An Intro to Making: What is EE, offered at our educational institution, Stanford University. This course was chosen for this study as it emphasizes the importance of integrating theoretical and laboratory exposure to introductory ECE concepts via immersive project-based learning opportunities.

Our main contributions begin with the development of the CARE methodology, its application to assess an introductory ECE course at our academic institution, and the generation of recommendations to improve introductory ECE education at our institution. As a first step in the proposed methodology, we conducted comprehensive needfinding – a human-centered design method – by collecting quantitative and qualitative feedback on the student experience, complemented by instructors’ insights. Next, using a grounded theory approach to analyze our data, we uncovered five main areas of intersecting challenging and rewarding experiences, spanning the different theoretical and lab components of the course curriculum. We then offered recommendations to the course instructors to improve the student course experience in every area while being mindful of the effort required and time commitment on the instructors’ and students’ behalf. Furthermore, we discussed how this methodology can serve as a new approach to satisfy the ABET Criterion 4 for continuous assessment efforts. Finally, we believe that this methodology is generalizable and can scale to assess and improve students’ experiences in introductory courses in a variety of engineering disciplines as well.

Citation
Format

Mouallem, A., & Horowitz, M., & Sheppard, S. D. (2023, June), The CARE methodology: A new lens for introductory ECE course assessment based on student challenging and rewarding experiences Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44057

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Introductory Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) education is of great importance to students interested in exploring the field, as it introduces them to the fundamental conceptual understanding of the governing laws and theories of ECE, as well as to indispensable hands-on lab skills to apply theory in practice. These learning outcomes lay a strong foundational base that proves crucial throughout students’ journeys in and beyond academia and in a variety of technical disciplines as well. To ensure these valuable outcomes are met, introductory ECE educators invest significant effort in course assessment and improvement. Such efforts have been documented in literature, including developing new lab tools, incorporating project-based learning, and proposing new course assessment methodologies and educational interventions. Adopting a student-centric lens, we propose a new methodology for early ECE course assessment called CARE, referring to the intersecting areas of the most Challenging And Rewarding Experiences that students have had in line with the main course objectives. This new assessment lens provides a fertile ground to amplify students’ rewarding experiences, minimize their unproductive struggle, and preserve healthy challenges that effectively contribute to the students’ learning process. In our work, we apply the CARE methodology in studying a population of 42 students enrolled in the introductory ECE course, ENGR 40M: An Intro to Making: What is EE, offered at our educational institution, Stanford University. This course was chosen for this study as it emphasizes the importance of integrating theoretical and laboratory exposure to introductory ECE concepts via immersive project-based learning opportunities. 

Our main contributions begin with the development of the CARE methodology, its application to assess an introductory ECE course at our academic institution, and the generation of recommendations to improve introductory ECE education at our institution. As a first step in the proposed methodology, we conducted comprehensive needfinding – a human-centered design method – by collecting quantitative and qualitative feedback on the student experience, complemented by instructors’ insights. Next, using a grounded theory approach to analyze our data, we uncovered five main areas of intersecting challenging and rewarding experiences, spanning the different theoretical and lab components of the course curriculum. We then offered recommendations to the course instructors to improve the student course experience in every area while being mindful of the effort required and time commitment on the instructors’ and students’ behalf. Furthermore, we discussed how this methodology can serve as a new approach to satisfy the ABET Criterion 4 for continuous assessment efforts. Finally, we believe that this methodology is generalizable and can scale to assess and improve students’ experiences in introductory courses in a variety of engineering disciplines as well.

AU  - Aya Mouallem
AU  - Mark Horowitz
AU  - Sheri D. Sheppard
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The CARE methodology: A new lens for introductory ECE course assessment based on student challenging and rewarding experiences
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44057
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44057
ER  -